Working From The Pub

I got up this morning feeling that familiar winter chill that settles into our homes this time of year. You know the one; the type that makes you negotiate with yourself about whether turning on the heating is worth the hit to your energy bill. It’s the day after Boxing Day, so the world around me is still in that strange between-time where nothing feels fully switched on yet, including me.

So I did what any sensible person trying to conserve electricity (and sanity) would do: I went to the local pub.😅

This particular pub has embraced the remote-working era in a rather charming way. Instead of only having the usual scatter of tables and chairs, there are also these little cubicle-style booths — almost like miniature offices tucked into a pub atmosphere. Each one has just enough space for a laptop, a coffee, and the illusion of productivity. It’s quite brilliant really. Whoever came up with the idea clearly understands both British weather and British wallets. Not only that, they compete really well with the local cafes which are just as loud anyway.

I ordered a traditional English breakfast and a tea, because it felt like the proper thing to do. The plate arrived in all its familiar glory: eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, toast — the full ensemble. Not the healthiest meal ever devised, but definitely one of the more comforting ones. I ordered "tea" but really I got an empty cup in which I could put any thing I wanted except chocolate based drink, thanks to Government policy - long story :). It's also infinitely refillable at the machine so, of course, the second filling was coffee.

There’s something oddly cosy about working from a pub in winter. You get the low murmur of background conversation, the soft clink of cups and cutlery, and the reassuring hum of the heating that you’re not personally paying for. People drift in and out — locals greeting each other, staff chatting cheerfully, the occasional dog wandering past like it owns the place. It’s social, but not intrusive. You can be alone and among people at the same time. I like that.

Sitting in my little cubicle with my laptop open, it almost felt like a co-working space, but with better food and more character. You catch small slices of human life as you work — the elderly couple sharing tea, the lone reader tucked into a corner, the group of friends laughing at something that probably wouldn’t be funny outside the warm glow of this place. It all adds to the atmosphere.

Peace & Love,
Adé

Peace & Love,

Adé