George & Dragon in trouble

Oh, the plight of the English pub!
On St George's Day today, I guess it's a good idea to reflect on the disappearance of so many of our pubs. An astonishing number of eighteen pubs a day are closing in this country.

I like pubs a lot, though I'll only have a pint or two on each visit; I won't stay all day.  And maybe it's people like me who are causing the demise; we just don't drink like we did in the old days. 
However, it's as well to remember that pubs have been diminishing in number since the 1870s, so it's not entirely a new phenomenon.

The George & Dragon at Rough Close has been closed for some years now, although a forlorn To Let sign is still erected on the roadside in the bid for some saviour to come along.

This post was featured on the City Daily Portal 'St George Day' theme

Triffids on the common

Rough Close Common is a pretty boggy piece of ground at this time of year, so the dog-walkers who use it must pick their steps carefully.

These tussocks protruding out of the marshy land make the place look oddly sinister in my opinion - like small triffids on the move.