Public Houses

HOWARD DAVIES

Life has certainly changed in the 'local' during the last half century, when at one time one could buy a 'pint of best' together with a packet oflO Players for one shilling (then a shilling was twelve pence, and there were 240 pence to the pound). Whisky and all other spirits were far more expensive than beer nine pence a tot. Cider on the other hand was cheaper - four pence a pint but lager was unheard of in those days.
Llandybie had five public houses, the Red Lion, Red Cow, Corner House, Ivy Bush and Golden Grove, with four of them owned by Buckley's Brewery - the Red Lion being the only free house and was then owned by'the Cawdor Estate. Today, it is quite a different story, the Red Cow being the only Buckley's property and the others privately owned.
On Lady Day (in March) the tenants of the Cawdor Estate would call in the Red Lion to pay their rent - and were all invited to a dinner - Cinio rent 
which was prepared in the Cegin Pacsi which was directly across the road from the Red Lion - and served in the top room where the tenants and agents would wine and dine together. That went on for many a decade, and then the whole pattern changed when t o shillings was handed to the tenants instead of a meal. Whether that was enough compensation for a hot meal is left to your
imagination. In the late 1980s the Red Lion was taken over as a family tmsiness,
re-furnished and modernised, but the old character is well-preserved and still
there for people to admire.	'
prThe Corner House was removed to make room for a car-park, when the
esent Red Cow was rebuilt in the early sixties.	
How does one differentiate between life in the pubs today and that'bf 50
years ago, when the beer was served straight from a wooden cask into a thick pint glass with a handle? Cwrw 0 'r gasgen (beer from the cask) was very popular. If one felt peckish in those days, bread, cheese and pickled onions were given free of charge with the drinks. The only kind of food sold were crisps, always plain with salt enclosed in a blue container - the price was two old pennies.
Entertainment was a choice between playing cards, darts, skittles and dominoes and to end the evening a good old-fashioned sing-song.
Shoni Winwns was a very welcomed visitor on weekends when he would raffle the strings of French onions, leaving the place littered with raffle tickets and onion peelings, and when mine host pointed this out to him his answer always was "Beth sydd gydaf fi i wneud te?" ("What am I supposed to do
 .
The Mock Mayor's election on Boxing Day was always a sti ring event in the village - the only day when the pubs were allowed to be open all day. The
election was held at the Golden Grove Inn and the winner always won by half
a vote. He would then be carried high to the Red Lion for the 'Robing Ceremony' and the numerous congratory telegrams read. These were always sent fictitiously by people in high office and sometimes even from Buckingham
Palace! The Mayor would then make an hilarious speech - promising heaven and earth to his supporters - and then would ride on a donkey around the village, calling in all the pubs for his free refreshments. This attracted quite a large crowd from the surrounding area, and on one occasion the BBC came to film the ceremony. Llandybie and Llanstephan were the only villages to hold this type of fete.
The pool table, the jukebox and television have now taken over from the old form of entertainment which was so quiet when one could chat and "Rhoi y byd yn ei le!" ("Putting the world in its place!").
Today, with only 100 pence to the pound - it is not enough to buy a pint of the 'best' - the 'local', with opening hours from 11.00 a.m. until 11.00 p.m., has become somewhat of a community centre for both sexes, serving all manner of food - even cups of coffee or tea.