One secret: No politics
Craven arms Traditional Pub Architecture,
William Arnold – Public domain
As fine a figure of an English landlord (he tips the scale at nearly 17 stones) as ever drew a pint of old-and-mild is Mr. Alfred Leslie Farrell, “mine host” of the Salisbury Hotel, Salford. And today Mr. Farrell left his wife to look after the usual “lunch-hour” rush and went up to Manchester Town Hall to meet the Lord Mayor (Alderman Miss Mary Kingsmill-Jones). Slowly, majestically he walked across the red pile carpet to receive a diploma, tastefully decorated with wreaths of hops and bunches of grapes, which certifies that he, Alfred Leslie Farrell, has attended a course in licensed hotel staff training and passed with honours in such mysteries as mashing, sparging and racking; in such applied sciences as tapping, spiling, and fining.
He was one of 36 successful students to pass out of the first training course for public house employees held jointly in Manchester and Bury. Objects of the course are: “To promote a better service for the public and to train staff for more responsible posts in the retail section of the licensed trade.“ Students on this first 12-week course represented all branches of the trade, from experienced managers like Mr. Joseph Barker, of the Albert Hotel, Bradford, Manchester, through publicans’ sons eager to learn the business — like Cyril Shaw, whose family have kept the Queen’s Arms, Chorlton-on-Medlock, for 36 years — to hardworking barmen like Albert Bladen, whose idea of a rosy future is contained in “a little country pub, Cheshire way, where you could serve a good square meal”.
Useful tips on behind-the-bar etiquette that Albert will be taking back with him to the Derby Arms, Fallowfield, are:
Never serve a glass with your hand on the rim;
Don’t smoke behind the bar;
Be well-informed on local topics but —
Don’t discuss politics
Reproduced with permission
© 2024 Newspapers.com
Jerry F 2024
