The Firkin pub chain - sorely missed

[Goring Gull]

Anyone else remeber the glory days of the Firkin pub chain? They had one in most towns around the country - My local one used to be the Fathom and Firkin in Worthing, Big barrel table, wooden stools, The famous Dogbolter Ale, Massive Jenga games and i even remember they used to have competiton in which you could win a minute (possibly 3 minutes) being the bar to pour as much booze as you could which you then got to drink although they made sure you were out by 11.30 back in the day when pubs stopped serving at eleven and you didn't get behind the bar till 22.45! so you'd have to bolt it down and end up feeling sick.

Was it the Font nd Firkin in Brighton which seemed to hang in there a while after most of the chain had gone to the wall.

A shame these places went to the wall bit like a fun wetherspoons.

 

[JBizzle]

The Font and Firkin was excellent. There was an upstairs bar with a theatre-esque viewing circle upstairs with a sensational view of the big screen.

I genuinely miss it as a footy pub.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham was a cracking pub often went in there on my travels to London and had several pints too many of of good ol "Dog Boulter" PSYCHO BEER !!!!

 

[BensGrandad]

They were part of the Allied Breweries chain and when that went by the wayside so did they.

 

[Goring Gull]

They were part of the Allied Breweries chain and when that went by the wayside so did they.

A shame though. I remember it was a welcome improvement on the old Fountain in Worthing where i used to do my underage drinking. I even remember my year at Sixth form college taking the Fountain over on last day before Xmas one yea poss 1994 0r 95 can't remember which. There was no trouble but word got round under age drinkers were in causing trouble, the police turned up and turfed everyone out. It even made the front page of the Worthing Herald, needless to say very little of interest happened in Worthing.Not long after that though the Fountain became the fathom and Firkin.

 

[sully]

Phoenix my pint, I'll firkin thump him.

Denmark Hill was my regular Firkin pub back in the day when a couple of female friends of mine lived just round the corner.

After one night on the Dogbolter, I let the hamster out of its cage and it jumped from the kitchen table.

I was never forgiven and she remains one that got away!

 

[Biscuit]

The Font and Firkin was excellent. There was an upstairs bar with a theatre-esque viewing circle upstairs with a sensational view of the big screen.

I genuinely miss it as a footy pub.

You're joking?! It's gone?! What's there now?

 

[vegster]

Mnnn.... Dogbolter .....I was normally trousered by my 4th pint. Would love a couple tonight.

 

[Ken Livingstone Seagull]

a couple of female friends of mine lived just round the corner. After one night on the Dogbolter, I let the hamster out of its cage and it jumped from the kitchen table. I was never forgiven and she remains one that got away!

Splendid euphemism there Sully
"Time to let the hamster out of its cage", wink wink, will deffo use when the opportunity next arises...

 

[JBizzle]

You're joking?! It's gone?! What's there now?

Its still a pub sort of. Its more of a poncy bar now and its just The Font. Not very good anymore.

 

[rouseytastic]

Its still a pub sort of. Its more of a poncy bar now and its just The Font. Not very good anymore.

Correct it's not the same anymore. The Font and Firkin was my all time fav after the Bristol Bar on the seafront went to the wall. Great memories of a miss spent youth

 

[clapham_gull]

Absolutely, I met my wife in a Firkin pub in Manchester.

 

[pauli cee]

Correct it's not the same anymore. The Font and Firkin was my all time fav after the Bristol Bar on the seafront went to the wall. Great memories of a miss spent youth

haha, bristol bar, (with the twirly mesmorising disco balls), and the font with often good live music, was always a good saturday night out

 

[Stinky Pete]

The font and firkin was a great pub. Amazing during world cups and great live music at weekends from people like Mike Dobie and Adam Temple. It was dirty and a bit shabby but such a great atmosphere. But like most great places it's been turned into hen party hell now. Avoid avoid avoid!

 

[The Auditor]

The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham was a cracking pub often went in there on my travels to London and had several pints too many of of good ol "Dog Boulter" PSYCHO BEER !!!!

Had a t shirt with "For Fox sake give us a firkin pint" on it

 

[British Bulldog]

Mnnn.... Dogbolter .....I was normally trousered by my 4th pint. Would love a couple tonight.

Dogbolter was a superb pint, I actually fancy one right now.

 

[vegster]

Dogbolter lives ! done some research and its brewed by Gadd's in Ramsgate......

Gadds' Beer Shop: Gadds' faithful Dogbolter Porter

 

[wendy's tackle]

The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham was a cracking pub often went in there on my travels to London and had several pints too many of of good ol "Dog Boulter" PSYCHO BEER !!!!

That was my regular back in the late 80s when I lived around there. I can recall many dogbolter drunken nights singing along to the piano music of Mike Hayes and helping by handing out song sheets and going round later with a collection glass. He used to show his appreciation by playing Sussex by the Sea for me, which drew some stick from the many Millwall guys that drank there. In those days it was an independant brewery with just a handful of pubs around London, but from the time the owner sold out to Allied (for a fortune if I remember correctly) it started going downhill. All good fun though, great memories with good people.