In message , John C
writes
The problem is that this isn't quite true. Waiter service is rare nowadays,
although it used to be very common in large multi-roomed pubs in which not
every room had a bar. It still exists in a few places, most notably the tiny
number of pubs which have no bar or beer pumps, in which beer is served by
gravity from barrels kept in a cellar or tap room. An example is the Lord
Nelson at Burnham Thorpe, where you come in, sit down (or stand around) and
the gaffer asks you what you want. He then goes off with tray and glasses to
fetch your beer.

Alan Harrison

The wonderful Circus Tavern in Manchester (the smallest urban pub
anywhere?) has also introduced waitress service to reduce crowing at
the very small bar.

There are a surprising number of pubs with bell-service buttons still
visible. I think my closest pub used them up till the 1930s. Even more
civilised than trying to catch the eye of an often elusive waiter!

I wonder what foreigners make of the bells often hanging by our bars,
especially since only the pub locals know if it should be rung for
service or not (and many of us never do find out!).

--
Paul Shirley: email anti-spammed