MARKET TAVERN, BIRMINGHAM. Steve Gwilt reports this desperately run-down 
pub is now closed. Hardly a surprise, I’m sorry to say. But on a happier 
note he reports the nearby White Swan and the Anchor were both full of 
punters and excellent real ales in both.

QUEEN’S HEAD, WILLSBRIDGE, GLOS. Following unauthorised work S. 
Gloucestershire Council served a listed building enforcement notice, 
seeking reinstatement of removed features (partition wall, bar back and 
a settle) to match the removed as closely as possible. The owners have 
employed architects to draw up details of the items to be reinstated and 
I have been working with the architects to agree the reinstatement 
details, in accordance with the enforcement notice. One amendment 
proposed is that the detailing of the partition will be amended, to 
include the omission of the glass panels at the top of the partition 
wall, and rather than being full height vertical boarding, only the 
lower panel will be boarded, with a dado rail, to match the wainscoting 
elsewhere in the pub. Otherwise the partition wall will be in the same 
position. Good on SGC.

A HERO OF OUR TIME. Rodney Wolfe Coe writes to say he has now visited 
ALL the pubs in my/Jane Jephcote’s ‘London Heritage Pubs’ book. Now that 
is an example to you all. Anybody else done ‘em or getting close?

AND FINALLY – GONE BUT CAN’T BE FORGOTTEN. I was enchanted by this item 
in the Metro newspaper for 12 Dec. re the Boat Inn at Stoke Bruerne, 
Northants (not National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors but no matter): 'Landlord Jack Woodward ... asked to 
be buried under the bar. The 83-year-old's last order was that his ashes 
were laid beneath the flagstone floor of the pub. His final resting 
place is now under a plaque reading "Stand here and have a drink on me. 
Jack 1924-2008" at The Boat Inn, in Stoke Bruene, Northamptonshire. "He 
was born in the pub and spent almost his whole life here... " said his 
son Andrew.’

Have a great Christmas and 2009,
Geoff