LOUGHBOROUGH PUBS BY LYNNE DYER.

This soft back book from Amberley Publishing is well presented with excellent colour photographs on most pages, and compares well with other Amberley books. Author Lynne Dyer has obviously done extensive research on the history of the older pubs in the town, giving details of landlords, sporting events and presentations, inquests and auctions. that took place in the pubs.

The introduction gives a brief overview of the many Loughborough pubs that have disappeared over the years, and the pub buildings that now have alternative uses. Publications such as Bill Wells’ ‘Book of Loughborough Boozers’, CAMRA Guides, and Eric Swift’s ‘Inns of Leicestershire’ are mentioned as sources of information. Not all lost pubs are mentioned, but this was not the intention. Before the introduction there is a colour map showing the location of all the pubs in the book, which will be helpful for readers not familiar with the town.

The main body of the book is split into two sections, the first is ‘Town centre Pubs’, followed by ‘Pubs beyond The Town Centre’. Included are the most modern pubs such as The Amber Rooms, micro pubs Cask Bah and Needle and Pin, plus Moonface Brewery Tap and Charnwood Brewery. There are photographs of all the pub exteriors, plus some interior shots. Where there are three shots of the exterior, perhaps one could have been sacrificed for an interior one. For example, there are three of the rather nondescript Moonface exterior, but not one taken of the quirky inside. Inevitably this book will be a ‘snapshot’ in time, closure of the Moon and Bell, and the sale of the Windmill for other uses has happened since going to press.

Overall an interesting well presented book, which should appeal to those interested in the current pub scene, local history, and possibly some family history researchers. It complements other publications about local pubs.

Philip Thorpe Loughborough CAMRA.