Black Eye Friday in Keswick has traditionally been one of the wildest nights of the year in this market town, this being the last Friday before Christmas when younger local manual workers used to let their hair down. But this year the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the town was noticeably quiet mid-evening , although the pubs looked to be doing good trade.

Walking up through the Market Place, Greene King’s Golden Lion pub had a full house at 8.30pm and with a brass band playing carols.

A crowd of us met up in The George Hotel for a Christmas drink shortly after that and it was great to see that the decor in this old coaching inn, which dates back to the English Civil War, was greatly improved, as a previous tenant had modernised the bar with shades of light pastel. The bar with its snug room on the left was looking so much better than when we were last in.

We had used the George for many years, meeting up after our darts match on a Friday night and often struggling to get a seat, but on arrival last night there was just a solitary customer in the bar and he had his dog next to him on the fabric bench seat. We had stopped drinking there after Marstons Pub Company took over and terminated the long term tenant’s lease, as they managed at a stroke to kill the busy trade in there.

We were tempted back as word was out that Jennings beers were back on the bar.

The Jennings Bitter was excellent and we would have been happy to continue drinking until the usual 11.30pm closing time of yesteryear but they rang the bell at 10 o’clock and then turned quite a few unsuspectiing customers away who drifted in after that time. The barperson told us that they usually shut at 9.30pm. This is a most unusual practice for a residential hotel with 12 bedrooms.

We were also told that tourists regularly ask for Cow Pie, which the pre-Marstons tenant had established as his popular signature dish, but they now have a standard Marston’s menu and they aren’t allowed any variations.

There was no one eating in the George while we were there, it was extremely quiet and their formerly popular hotel/bar restaurant was shut and with the lights turned off.

Also the pub was noticably chilly which it never used to be and for many years this lovely old pub was a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike.

Having been refused service after 10 o’clock we moved on from the George to Robinson’s Packhorse pub, which was doing good trade and has a late night licence.

But at least the Jennings Bitter was well kept in the George, so we were thankful for small mercies.

HGP