Department S: Is Vic There?

With apologies to Ros.

Which 'remembers me', as my daughter Emma used to say, of the time the art department of Vole were thrown out of a pub in Sidcup, one lunchtime about thirty years ago. The editor, one Richard North (not the famous blogger, as far as I'm aware) asked the landlord what the problem was and was informed by the latter that he did not like our sort and would not have us in 'his' pub (we were wearing black leather motorcycle jackets). Shortly afterwards, back in the office, he telephoned the brewer's publicity department and introduced himself, as an editor on The Observer news desk, which he was at the time. Naturally he was welcomed, thanked, assured of co-operation and asked how he might be helped. HE explained that the paper was preparing an article on English pubs and asked whether anyone could answer a few questions. Naturally, again, the brewer was only too happy to help and put Mr North through to a suitably qualified spokesman. 'How can I help you', the spokesman asked. 'You can tell me why three friends of mine have just been thrown out of one of your pubs simply because they were wearing leather jackets', he was was told. Eventually, after a prolonged bout of coughing, spluttering, breathless gasps and obvious sounds of near seizure, the suitably qualified spokesman struggled to reassure said editor that ' ... we value ... etc ... and do not ... etc '. The art department laughed at the tale and went on with its work, and never entered the pub again.