Grandma's Last Wish: A Pub and Ale

We;re all going to miss Grandma Dorothy when she departs tomorrow to return to the states. It seems like just yesterday that she arrived, and although we've run hard every day, it hardly seems that we've shown her any of London at all. For her final night in town, we asked what she wanted to be sure to see or experience before she left. Her answer surprised us all: "I want to see a real English pub and have a glass of ale." Given Grandma's Calvinist leanings, that really shocked us, but you have to remember that pubs in England are a far cry from the stereotype we've assigned them in the states. The pub is simply the neighborhood restaurant. Children are usually welcome at least in the daytime, afternoon and early evening, although they are not served liquor. You are as likely to go to the pub for food as for a pint, and chances are if you do indulge, you'll have one or two and walk home. Most Brits have a favorite pub. Our is the Crabtree overlooks the thames and is just around the corner from our house, so indulging Grandma's wish was no problem. Once there Grandma settled on a hard cider, of which she managed to drink about half . (Don't worry: there were plenty of volunteers for the other half!)