NARBERTH and District Probus president David Thomas welcomed this month’s guest speaker, Keith Johnson, a retired journalist and former editor of Pembrokeshire Life, to club members.

Keith, who lives in Pisgah, near Cresswell Quay, is the author of several books on the county’s local history and is currently editor of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society Magazine. He is a trustee of Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy where he, and his partner Wendy, promote an eclectic mix of bands and musicians, many of whom are world famous, at the little Chapel to raise funds for its maintenance.

Keith’s talk was entitled ‘A Pembrokeshire Pub Crawl’.

The great British Pub actually started life about 2,000 years ago with the coming of the Romans who brought with them roads and therefore built tabernas, or shops that sold wine, along the way and in the towns to sustain the marching troops. However, ale was the native British brew so the taberna quickly adapted to accommodate the locals by swapping wine for ale.

The alehouses not only survived but continued to adapt and withstood the invading Angles, Saxons,Jutes, and the Vikings. Alehouses provided food and drink to their guests while Inns provided accommodation for weary travellers. Alehouses, inns and tavernas all became known as pubs around the reign of King Henry V11th and in 1552 an Act was passed requiring innkeepers to be licensed.

In 1600 it is estimated that there were some 20,000 establishments, or about one pub for every 200 persons. Monasteries were often involved in brewing and in the middle ages, hops were added to give a distinctive flavour. The fact that beer was safer to drink than water added to its appeal.

Because of widespread illiteracy, pubs displayed signs with pictures so that the common man could identify the various pubs. The coming of the stage coach often influenced the choice of name, thus The Stagecoach Inn, The Coach and Horses, etc. Near the sea, pubs might be called The Shipwright or The Ship. Sometimes pubs were named after locations, such as the Carew Inn, Cresselly Arms, etc.

Keith mentioned the Sunday licensing laws which were revoked, narrowly, within the lifetime of many members present. Peter Lakey proposed a vote of thanks to Keith for a thoroughly entertaining talk.

The next meeting of the club is at The Old Board School Guest House, St Clears on Thursday February 26 when the speaker will be author Adam Hart.

Adam will talk about his great grandfather’s escape from a prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. If you would like to join, call Patrick Jones on 0784 666 0904.