A Year Behind Bars

The Publican's Tale

"My wife has bought me a pub for Christmas. Or rather, she has allowed me to buy one for myself. Soon I will be able to drink at cost price and entertain customers and friends in my front room. What's more, I will actually be paid for enjoying myself instead of shelling out to visit other people's pubs..."

So begins A Year Behind Bars, the diary of one man's attempt to create the perfect pub. The story of a memorable year of near-disaster, occasional triumph and continual farce is destined to become, like the traditional local, a much-cherished classic.

The Great British Pub is the envy of the world. Who is not fascinated by all those characterful inns, coach houses and hostelries with centuries of history, quaint customs and even quainter customers? Where else in the world would you be served a foaming pint of Old ‘n’ Filthy and a delicious Ploughman’s Lunch by a voluptuous barmaid? Where else would you have to fight the Ploughman when he wants his lunch back?

A Year Behind Bars is the story of how eccentric Englishman George East fulfilled a drinking lifetime’s ambition and bought his own public house. His ambition was to create the world’s most perfect pub…but things did not turn out quite as planned.

Arriving at the notorious Ship Leopard in the historic Naval city of Portsmouth, our hero set about learning the tricks of the trade and surviving his first year behind bars. While at the pub, George was the runaway winner of The Worst Pub Landlord in Britain award. In fact, he won the award two years in a row, after which the competition was scrapped because the organisers felt they could never find a worse pub-runner!

This diary of a memorable year is a must for anyone who wants to know what the Great British Pub is really like. A Year Behind Bars is also crammed with hilarious cartoons and fascinating facts about the sometimes bizarre customs and traditions associated with British pubs and drinking habits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George East has had a wide and varied career, which, before he started his life behind bars, included being a pickled onion manufacturer, private detective, TV and radio presenter...and the world’s only professional bed tester (a position he won while running the Ship Leopard).

WHAT THE READERS SAY ABOUT A Year Behind Bars

"A great book about the Great British pub."

"At last, the real truth about the pub business. And very, very funny with it."

"I laughed so much I nearly bought a round..."

"I keep copies in the pub toilets for my customers' use. Lots of them read it as well..."

"So true, so readable and so, so funny. I shall never visit a pub again without thinking of this book and all the glorious characters in it."

"A wonderful observation of humanity at its best - and worst. And where better to observe all the frailties and foibles of the human race then from behind the bar of a public house?"

"Deceptively clever, surprisingly honest, sometimes poignant and always entertaining. In short, a bloody good read..."