Postcards from Improbable Places

THE RED LION is a homely pub in Coleshill - our abode the last two weeks - near Amersham in the heart of England. It was established in the same location in 1830 and extended to its current glory by the turn of the last century. There are three landmarks in Coleshill: the church with its lovely bell tower and severe cemetery; the pond, where a flock of mallards spend their days foraging and their nights sleeping nearby; and, of course, the pub, right in front of the other two. Above the bar there is a list of all the landlords of The Red Lion since 1830, the first and fourth being in fact a landladies, and the latest, since 1989, being one of the three couples in the list, John and Chris. As we are soon to settle back in the UK, we have been advised that going to the pub is the best way to know the locals and learn the news of the village and its surroundings in a 20 miles radius. I went to The Red Lion with my host and friend Howard, learned a lot while drinking three pints of Guinness in a couple of hours and slept like a tipsy baby until mid-morning. Wish there is a friendly and learned landlord like John in the pub of the place where we end up, punctually in 2 years time.