Back to the Local

"Probably the most delightful and evocative book ever produced on the English pub." - Slightly Foxed

"Wonderful . . . a detailed study of life in London pubs." - Islington Tribune

"A book that glows like the logs on an open fire or the ruddy features of the regular ordering another glass of Burton." - Andy Miller, author of A Year of Dangerous Reading and co-host of the Backlisted podcast

In this love letter to the London pub, our genial guide takes the reader through all aspects of the local hostelry as it was in the 1940s – a time of dark wood, dark corners and dark beer. Back to the Local is a fascinating nostalgic ramble around the post-war pubs of London: we are introduced to The Regulars and Barmaids Old and New; we venture into the familiar surroundings of the Saloon Lounge, Saloon Bar and Public Bar and squeeze into possibly the lesser known Jug-And-Bottle Bar, where customers queue to buy ale to drink elsewhere; we learn about 'lost' drinks such as 'The Mother-in-Law' or 'The Snort'. A truly memorable pub crawl, illustrated by the wonderfully atmospheric drawings of Edward Ardizzone.

Maurice Gorham (1902-1975) was an Irish journalist and broadcasting executive. In various capacities, he worked for the BBC from 1926 to 1947 when he resigned, returning to Ireland. There he resumed his broadcasting career in 1953 as the Director of Radio Eireann, a position he held until 1959. He collaborated with Edward Ardizzone on three books, The Local (reissued after the Second World War as Back to the Local), Londoners and Showmen and Suckers.

Edward Ardizzone (1900-1979) was one of the outstanding book illustrators of the twentieth-century. His range was wide, from his first book, Sheridan Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly, to Classics such as Pilgrim's Progress, children's books, not least his own Little Tim titles which he also wrote, contemporary titles like Walter de la Mare's Peacock Pie and H. E. Bates's My Uncle Silas, and the three titles on which he collaborated with Maurice Gorham: The Local (reissued after the Second World War as Back to the Local), Londoners and Showmen and Suckers