The Diggers

[Dawnrazor]

5 minutes ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

👍

It's a lovley pint, there's a few pups around me have that and it's always the one I go for.

[The Real Maroonblood]

5 minutes ago, Dawnrazor said:

It's a lovley pint, there's a few pups around me have that and it's always the one I go for.

It is and it’s also an ale that has to be treated well in the cellar.

🍺👍

Edited October 4, 2020 by The Real Maroonblood

[Tazio]

43 minutes ago, Dawnrazor said:

Timothy Taylor Landlord?

I like Landlord but if I’ve not drank it for a while the first few mouthfuls always seem not so good and I wonder why I like it. Then it all clicks into place again. 

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

It is and it’s also an ale that has to be treated well in the cellar.

🍺👍

Definitely, takes a bit longer to settle properly and be ready to sell. Slightly more expensive to buy than others but well worth it. 

[Stuart Lyon]

3 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

Is this wee John or Davy. 

That's wee John from Drylaw. Davy was bald as a coote!

[The Real Maroonblood]

44 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

Definitely, takes a bit longer to settle properly and be ready to sell. Slightly more expensive to buy than others but well worth it. 

[Des' Dad]

The overflow return system was what made this beer exceptionally good but unfortunately the EU, which I fully support and wish we were still members, decided that this method had to stop as it was unhygienic because the beer poured over the barman's hands and into the overflow tray and was then drawn back up into the next poured pint.

[Pasquale for King]

2 hours ago, Stuart Lyon said:

That's wee John from Drylaw. Davy was bald as a coote!

I was getting mixed up with this guy, who isn’t either. So there’s no photo of Davy. Cheers 👍🏽. 

Edited October 4, 2020 by Pasquale for King

[Pasquale for King]

2 hours ago, Des' Dad said:

The overflow return system was what made this beer exceptionally good but unfortunately the EU, which I fully support and wish we were still members, decided that this method had to stop as it was unhygienic because the beer poured over the barman's hands and into the overflow tray and was then drawn back up into the next poured pint.

The traditional Scottish Aiken fonts, still have them. It’s not that difficult to keep your fingers out the pints. A lot of English visitors don’t realise it’s cask ale, had to explain to someone yesterday. It’s pushed up by generator and a pump, we used to have compressed air on it but realised it didn’t need it, which helped with the taste which is slightly different with air in it. 

[the general]

The salad rolls they sold late 70s early 80s were awesome..3 pints and one of these at lunchtime then back to work

[inspector]

41 minutes ago, the general said:

The salad rolls they sold late 70s early 80s were awesome..3 pints and one of these at lunchtime then back to work

The steak pies from Anderson's(?) were the dogs as well

[Enzo Chiefo]

49 minutes ago, the general said:

The salad rolls they sold late 70s early 80s were awesome..3 pints and one of these at lunchtime then back to work

Only 3 pints on a Friday lunchtime? I'm assuming you were a bus driver or a surgeon or something 😂. 

Seriously though, we used to take a taxi out from George St to the Diggers  of a Friday and made full use of the 2hr lunch. 3 or 4 pints and a steak pie made the afternoon fly by👍

[Enzo Chiefo]

17 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

I was getting mixed up with this guy, who isn’t either. So there’s no photo of Davy. Cheers 👍🏽. 

I remember being told that the gentleman above was the scout who initially discovered wee Robbo. Don't know his name 

[ericthepen]

43 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

I remember being told that the gentleman above was the scout who initially discovered wee Robbo. Don't know his name 

I couldn't tell you his name either, other than he was London Bob's dad. It was either his 80th or 90th birthday and on a Sunday, his private party sponsored by LB, was a free bar.

He used to sit where the books are at the window, and his shoe heel wore a hole in the lino, that's a regular ! Some folk, think they can sit anywhere these days !!!😃😃😃

 

[davemclaren]

21 hours ago, Stuart Lyon said:

That's wee John from Drylaw. Davy was bald as a coote!

Davy was the bald guy with limited teeth iirc? He once shouted at a fellow student I was with for asking for a lager. 😂

[Stuart Lyon]

18 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

Davy was the bald guy with limited teeth iirc? He once shouted at a fellow student I was with for asking for a lager. 😂

That would be him.

[Lee_Mellon]

11 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

Davy was the bald guy with limited teeth iirc? He once shouted at a fellow student I was with for asking for a lager. 😂

Davy was certainly follically challenged, but I never noticed his teeth. 

 

One of our unwritten rules was you only went to order lager* when you knew Davy was otherwise engaged!

 

 

* Not a frequent occurrence - it was Skol as I remember...

[davemclaren]

3 minutes ago, Lee_Mellon said:

Davy was certainly follically challenged, but I never noticed his teeth. 

 

One of our unwritten rules was you only went to order lager* when you knew Davy was otherwise engaged!

 

 

* Not a frequent occurrence - it was Skol as I remember...

Probably just my memory. Seems a long time ago now. 

[Sharpie]

Its a pub I was in once in my life, the last time I was in Edinburgh 2007, and the only guy I spoke to was home from Canada on holiday. Used to walk past it on the way to games with my father, because of the time and 3.00pm game starts quite a few people coming out. Never went in on the way home from games the old man was a non drinker, and if I was on my own usually stopped in at the Market Bar. When married went home in the opposite direction living in Corstorphine area.

[DaveyT]

On 04/10/2020 at 10:08, The Real Maroonblood said:

I’m a real ale drinker and I agree.

My favourite is Landlord.

I agree. Landlord is quality

[The Real Maroonblood]

2 hours ago, DaveyT said:

I agree. Landlord is quality

👍

[the general]

21 hours ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

Only 3 pints on a Friday lunchtime? I'm assuming you were a bus driver or a surgeon or something 😂. 

Seriously though, we used to take a taxi out from George St to the Diggers  of a Friday and made full use of the 2hr lunch. 3 or 4 pints and a steak pie made the afternoon fly by👍

 

It was every day mostly as we were on flexi

A Friday was up to Tony's for the gogos

[CJGJ]

3 hours ago, the general said:

 

It was every day mostly as we were on flexi

A Friday was up to Tony's for the gogos

Ahh Tony's ....'weather for the ducks' was one of his favourite sayings.  Always tried to warn his customers re traffic wardens at lunchtimes as well

 

Every 3rd dance seemed to be the routine !!.....I got that from a friend 🤐

[the general]

20 hours ago, CJGJ said:

Ahh Tony's ....'weather for the ducks' was one of his favourite sayings.  Always tried to warn his customers re traffic wardens at lunchtimes as well

 

Every 3rd dance seemed to be the routine !!.....I got that from a friend 🤐

 

Your friend is correct

Pilgrimage ended when the Last Furlong started with the exotic dancers

[otterjohn]

Does anyone remember the mad Sunday Diggers bus trip to Ayr.They were some days.Bill Farmer used to donate a few crates of

bottled beer. We would stop in Darvel for a pre booked lunch. We always took a fantastic bagpipe player with us called Frank Mcue.

I cant remember very much of arriving in Ayr but I think we played football near the beach then went to a Social Club for a cabaret night. One year the bus broke down on the way home.Wee Davy was going mad in case he would get in trouble from Bill for being late to work but im sure Ayr wasnt any further away than he imagined.There cant be many of the folk that went on those trips left. 

[willie wallace]

On 03/10/2020 at 08:56, Stuart Lyon said:

I don't recollect McEwan's No3 but I do remember Younger's No3 a darker beer than the 80/- and a very nice pint.

 

The Doo'cot used to sell McEwan's 80/- ale who I worked there in the late 60s early 70s. The public bar beer came from 10 barrel tanks that's 360 gallons or 2880 pints and there were 2 of these tanks! The 80/- in the games room came from traditional barrels. The 80/- was every bit as good as the Diggers. What Stewart's Brewery call Digger's Heavy is nothing like the original.

Was the Doo'cot not one of the busiest pubs in Scotland back then.

Bar,lounge and the Birdcage which was surely Edinburgh's top night spot at the time😀 were all popular places.

Thanks by the way for not asking for ID back in those days.👍

[otterjohn]

Another thing I remember was someone asking for a Lager Shandy and Davy telling them to F Off along the road if they want something fancy

[Stuart Lyon]

36 minutes ago, willie wallace said:

Was the Doo'cot not one of the busiest pubs in Scotland back then.

Bar,lounge and the Birdcage which was surely Edinburgh's top night spot at the time😀 were all popular places.

Thanks by the way for not asking for ID back in those days.👍

It sure was busy specially Friday and Saturday! It had a public bar, lounge bar, Family bar, games room and the Birdcage at ground level with the Cocktail Bar upstairs! It was reputedly S&N's biggest beer selling pub in Scotland! Can't recollect ever asking anyone their age!!!

[Morgan]

1 hour ago, otterjohn said:

Another thing I remember was someone asking for a Lager Shandy and Davy telling them to F Off along the road if they want something fancy

By ‘along the road’ I think he was usually referring to the Blue Lagoon.

 

Which was a dive.

[I P Knightley]

4 hours ago, Morgan said:

By ‘along the road’ I think he was usually referring to the Blue Lagoon.

 

Which was a dive.

I'm not sure it was that bad. I'm pretty sure I'd have been in there a couple of times, maybe if I had some female company who might have wanted something other than a pint of 80. Did the bar used to be at the opposite end - longways - to the door (i.e. perpendicular to the street)? Obviously not as upmarket as Davy might have believed but I think that was enchanted by the idea of a 'Lagoon' and decided that the Blue Lagoon must have been the poshest, most exotic and  lah-di-dah place in the whole of Scotland. After all, it had a carpet.

[Morgan]

Just now, I P Knightley said:

I'm not sure it was that bad. I'm pretty sure I'd have been in there a couple of times, maybe if I had some female company who might have wanted something other than a pint of 80. Did the bar used to be at the opposite end - longways - to the door (i.e. perpendicular to the street)? Obviously not as upmarket as Davy might have believed but I think that was enchanted by the idea of a 'Lagoon' and decided that the Blue Lagoon must have been the poshest, most exotic and  lah-di-dah place in the whole of Scotland. After all, it had a carpet.

Yes, that’s exactly where the bar was, IP,.

 

I’m a wee bitty biased against the place as I briefly worked with the son of the owner, he was a bid of a nutter, to be honest.

 

Ran with the Hibs casuals, that sort of thing.  

[Smoked-Glass]

On 01/10/2020 at 16:39, Craig_ said:

 

I mean, it's obviously bollocks. Would've been folk intercepting it in the graveyard!

 

Pretty sure a couple of other pubs in the area claimed the same thing too...

 

I do know for a fact that Stewarts are now providing the Heavy, rather than McEwans, which might account for the drop in quality.

Be good if your dead there and can have a drink in the after life. 

[the general]

21 hours ago, Stuart Lyon said:

It sure was busy specially Friday and Saturday! It had a public bar, lounge bar, Family bar, games room and the Birdcage at ground level with the Cocktail Bar upstairs! It was reputedly S&N's biggest beer selling pub in Scotland! Can't recollect ever asking anyone their age!!!

 

I'm sure it was between you and some pub in Glasgow that was slap bang in the middle of an otherwise dry area

[the general]

15 hours ago, I P Knightley said:

I'm not sure it was that bad. I'm pretty sure I'd have been in there a couple of times, maybe if I had some female company who might have wanted something other than a pint of 80. Did the bar used to be at the opposite end - longways - to the door (i.e. perpendicular to the street)? Obviously not as upmarket as Davy might have believed but I think that was enchanted by the idea of a 'Lagoon' and decided that the Blue Lagoon must have been the poshest, most exotic and  lah-di-dah place in the whole of Scotland. After all, it had a carpet.

 

It was an ok boozer and I'm sure it was one of the few places to have a late licence in the area

Was quite notorious for being full of folk having affairs meeting there

[Beni]

12 hours ago, Smoked-Glass said:

Be good if your dead there and can have a drink in the after life. 

 

Ghosts would really enjoy it, they're renowned for being fond of boos.

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

Just now, fancy a brew said:

 

Ghosts would really enjoy it, they're renowned for being fond of boos.

 

[whodanny]

Great wee clip of Diggers on Reporting Scotland tonight. An item on the 6pm closing, good to see regulars keeping a sense of humour about it.

[VikingHeart]

I think I've dreamt about having a pint or two there more than once since I first got the taste for the 80/-😀 We have lots of quality beers here in Norway as well (and some awful tennants clones) but your 80/- had in trad bars such as Diggers is up there with the best.