The Bath Road: History, Fashion, & Frivolity on an Old HighwayHarper, Charles G. (Charles George)
History
The Bath Road: History, Fashion, & Frivolity on an Old Highway
Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
Bath Road (England); England -- Description and travel; England -- Social life and customs
The school has gone, too, where I learnt, and promptly forgot, Latin and
Greek; and a row of shops, with big plate-glass windows and great gas
lamps, have taken its place; and where we construed those dead (and
deadly) languages, the linen-draper's assistant measures out muslins and
calicoes. I have walked along these pavements during the last few days,
and have noted more changes. There used to stand, beside the road, on the
right hand as you go towards Gunnersbury, a little wayside "pub," with bow
windows, and a bent and hunch-backed red-tiled roof. It was called the
"Robin Hood," and an old-fashioned wooden post, supporting the swinging
sign, stood on the kerb-stone, beside a horse-trough. I remember the sign
well, for it had quite an elaborate picture painted upon it, representing
Robin Hood and Little John. I can see quite clearly now that the artist of
this affair obtained his ideas from the pictorial diplomas of the Ancient
Order of Foresters; but, at the time, I thought it a very fine painting.
The feathered hats impressed me very much indeed, although I always used
to wonder why those two magnificent fellows hadn't pulled up their socks.
It was some time before I discovered that they were not socks, but the big
bucket boots of romance. They have pulled this old house down, and have
built a glaring, flaring, gin-palace on the site of it, just as they did
some five years ago to the old "Roebuck," not far off. The sign is gone,
too, and wayfarers are no longer invited, if Robin Hood is not at home, to
take a glass with Little John. What would happen, I often speculated, if
both those heroes were away? Would, one take a glass, in that case, with
Friar Tuck or Maid Marian?
[Illustration: THE "OLD WINDMILL."]
[Sidenote: _OLD SUBURBAN INNS_]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account