Sometimes strange notices appear in inns. The following rather
remarkable one was seen by our artist at the "County Arms," Stone,
near Aylesbury:--
"A man is specially engaged to do all the cursing and swearing
that is required in this establishment. A dog is also kept to do
all the barking. Our prize-fighter and chucker-out has won
seventy-five prize-fights and has never been beaten, and is a
splendid shot with the revolver. An undertaker calls here for
orders every morning."
Motor-cars have somewhat revived the life of the old inns on the great
coaching roads, but it is only the larger and more important ones
that have been aroused into a semblance of their old life. The cars
disdain the smaller establishments, and run such long distances that
only a few houses along the road derive much benefit from them. For
many their days are numbered, and it may be useful to describe them
before, like four-wheelers and hansom-cabs, they have quite vanished
away.
[Illustration: Spandril. The Marquis of Granby Inn, Colchester]
CHAPTER XI
OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
No class of buildings has suffered more than the old town halls of our
country boroughs. Many of these towns have become decayed and all
their ancient glories have departed.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297