Eyes Wide Shut

Shock Horror, the usual Friday early evening unwind in the Crown Inn went wrong.

We set off innocently, the memsahib driving (Pre-Nuptial Agreement number 107) albeit later than I would prefer but she had stopped en-route home after work to get some nibbles to have whilst dinner would be cooking later, so I waived the lateness clause (number 76) on this occasion.
After an interminable age in the car park, how difficult is it really to choose one of the 23 empty spaces, we were parked and proceeded the short perambulation to said hostelry.
 
THE FRONT DOOR WAS LOCKED with a notice affixed to it stating customers should use the rear entrance DURING REFURBISHMENT !

Glancing through the window it was too much to bear, the ancient & dusty bottles had been removed from the shelves, the rows of pump-handle badges on the ceiling were gone, presumbly as were the family of spiders who resided in them, the floorboards were being ripped up and main bar had been ripped out. 

I dont mind change, I like the fact that tv is now in colour, velcro has replaced laces and mobile phones can now take pictures for example, but I have been going to the crown nearly every Friday for the past 15+ years and like your favourite underpants, or a comfy armchair, when something is right it does not need changing.

So, passing both the Duke of York and the Station Hotel, and a mere 23 steps later I found myself at the FRONT ENTRANCE to The Fighting Cocks and jauntily without so much a by your leave strolled right in.
The beer was good, the chairs comfy, they sold Pork Pies and we talked to some nice people, one of whom had a hairy dog on a lead that was size of a donkey..

Could this be the end of an era?