Locals – An Illustrated Ode to London’s Pubs (book review)

‘Locals – An Illustrated Ode to London’s Pubs’ by Lydia Wood (published by Sceptre)

Those who have followed my posts on social media, watched my videos on YouTube, or navigated my website, will know that one of my joys in life is spending time sipping a pint of ale in London’s interesting and historic pubs. There is a section of my bookshelves devoted to guides to London’s finest hostelries. And here is, in a way, another. Except this one is unique.

Lydia Wood is an artist who specialises in creating black and white pencil drawings of London pubs. She set out several years ago with a mission to sketch every one of them. Apparently, there are about 3,500, of which she has so far completed 300. Sixty-one are featured in this book.

An unusual pub of two halves. The Ship and Shovel, Charing Cross © Lydia Wood

We get to see a range of interesting pub exteriors, depicted faithfully in beautiful pencil illustrations. Some of those featured, such as The Black Friar, The Grapes, or The Trafalgar Tavern are well-known and appear in every ‘best of London’s pubs’ guide. Yet I’m sure many others will be unfamiliar to most readers, as they were to me. However, this isn’t a guide to London’s finest or most historic, but it is clear from Lydia’s descriptions that each has its own special character and characters. And her explanations make one want to visit them.

As well as the illustration of each pub, the artist gives an account of her experience of sketching the picture: of a day spent at her easel on the pavement and how the drawing evolved; of boiling hot, freezing cold, or rainy days; of an aborted attempt due to building work; of time spent having a drink – on one occasion with a Tower of London Beefeater – while waiting for a parked vehicle to move on; of narrow escapes when tides came in while sketching riverside pubs. The illustrations are the raison d’être for its publication, but it is the engagingly written text that make this such an agreeable book.

There are the many conversations with inquisitive passers-by, pub landlords, staff, and the regulars. As Lydia discovered on her journey, a pub isn’t just somewhere for strangers to quench their thirst.  “The locals I have met throughout my journey so far have greatly enhanced the project of this book,” she says. “They are the ones who lead me to new pubs in the city, offer kindness when perhaps my energy wavers, share knowledge which I then impart through these pages and they are the ones who keep their pubs and communities alive. These locals are the souls of their pubs and are at the heart of every drawing I do. After all, what is a pub without its people?”

My photo of The General at The Seven Stars

Locals is divided into themed chapters. It starts with the author’s own locals over the years. Another chapter tells us about pub cats (including my own favourite: The General, the fifth generation of resident ruff-coloured felines of The Seven Stars behind the Royal Courts of Justice). I note that every pub in the chapter ‘Alleyways’ features in my list of favourite pubs.

Despite my knowing each of them individually, it had never occurred to me until I read this book that there are six pubs named The Coach and Horses, all within a short walk of each other in Central London. “I’ve found trying to compare them a fruitless task,” writes Lydia. “Apart from the name and proximity, it’s clearer than ever to me that they have such distinct personalities. The people who run them, drink in them and have preserved them have given these six unique boozers their individual charm and each one continues to serve its own locals and tread its own path through London’s pub history.” I think that perfectly sums up not just those six but so many of the capital’s wonderful and characterful drinking establishments.

This is a handsome book, well written and beautifully illustrated. It isn’t a guidebook in the normal sense, concentrating instead on the exterior of each pub. There is just enough detail in the text about the interiors to give us a flavour of the establishment: maritime, military, or sports memorabilia that provides each establishment with its unique character.

During my reading of Locals I’ve already been inspired to return for a pint to places I know well and to begin discovering some of the many of those included that aren’t already familiar to me. The book now finds itself in pride of place on the London pub section of my bookshelves.

You’ll find the section with some of my favourite London pub here.

Here is a video about several historic pubs I made with pub tour guide Vic Norman.