Getting Along

It’s possible that I may have unintentionally given the wrong impression vis a vis the inter relationships and interactions between the regulars in the Taps.

For a variety of reasons, I realise that I undoubtedly idealise the place, so I'm quite worried that I might be appearing to be saying that the Taps is a glittering magical world filled all the day long with harmony, goodwill and whimsical local charm. Which is not to say that that sometimes it’s not contemporaneously all of those things, but that for the most part it’s rarely more than one out of three of those.

And sometimes just a half of one.

The simple fact is that the Taps – like any community – is populated by a mixed bag of characters. Some stupid, some bullies, some conceited, some pretentious, some toxic, some insecure, some…well you get the picture.

And that being the case there are some people who just don’t, won’t and can’t get along. In fact everybody – at any one time – will not be getting along with at least one other person.

Speaking honestly, there are several people who I genuinely don’t like and I’m quite sure that they don’t like me. But here’s the thing: you learn to come to an accommodation. You learn to co-exist and tolerate one another, because that’s what a pub is.  

And I think it’s an important point. Learning to get along with people in a pub environment is a skill set which (seemingly along with the ability to say please and thank you and the ability not to confuse a urinal for the glasses tray) is something you can’t learn by drinking in a Wetherspoons, or the George or (God forbid) Ratlers. It’s something you learn by starting your drinking life in a decent local pub.