35-604: Griffin inn may refer to: Griffin Inn, a popular Pub name Griffin Inn, Nantwich , England, an 18th-century inn The Griffin, Widnes, England, now a Chef & Brewer pub, an 18th-century inn See also [ edit ] Fuller's Brewery#Griffin Brewery The Griffin, Monmouth , Wales, a public house Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
70-426: A blackletter y , and it was never pronounced with a y sound. Similarly, other archaic spellings such as "olde worlde" are not distinguished below. Names like Fox and Hounds , Dog and Duck , Dog and Gun , Hare and Hounds , etc., refer to shooting and hunting. Animal names coupled with colours, such as White Hart and Red Lion , are often heraldic. A white hart featured as a badge of King Richard II , while
105-790: A Wetherspoons pub Yr Hen Orsaf The Old Station and received a National Railway Heritage Award in 2003. The first Wetherspoon pub in Northern Ireland was The Spinning Mill in Ballymena , County Antrim , which opened in 2000. The first Wetherspoons pub in the Republic of Ireland , The Three Tun Tavern, opened in Blackrock , County Dublin , in 2014. Another opened in Cork in 2015. The Three Tun Tavern closed in January 2022 after it
140-655: A former public swimming pool, with many properties being listed buildings . Pubs are furnished thematically according to the heritage of the building or location, and have routinely won design awards. Wetherspoons has opened outlets in the passenger terminals of some UK airports, including Doncaster Sheffield Airport , Edinburgh Airport , Gatwick Airport , Heathrow Airport , and Stansted Airport , as well as at several major railway stations, including Leeds , Liverpool Lime Street , London Cannon Street , London Liverpool Street , and London Victoria . The main station buildings at Aberystwyth railway station were converted to
175-518: A judge described as "the stereotypical assumption that Irish travellers and English gypsies cause disorder wherever they go". On 16 April 2018, Wetherspoons deleted all of its social media profiles. Chairman Tim Martin cited the "current bad publicity surrounding social media, including the trolling of MPs and others" as a reason for the decision. The chain, whose founder is a strong supporter of Brexit , replaced champagne with British and Australian sparkling wines on 9 July 2018. The firm stated that
210-673: A pub and hotel in Camden Street, Dublin , Ireland. Every Wetherspoons in Great Britain was visited by Mags Thomson from 1994 to October 2015. She visited 972, which included 80 that had subsequently closed. In 2018, the company announced plans to open a National JD Wetherspoon Museum in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. The existing pub, The Moon Under Water on Lichfield Street, would be expanded to take in
245-524: A red lion was a badge of John of Gaunt and the Dukes of Bedford amongst others and a blue boar of the Earls of Oxford . Exceptions do exist, however, along with less obvious examples of the form - a combination of both features being Cross Foxes (a name most commonly found in rural Wales), referring to a darker-furred breed of the common Red Fox whose pelts were considered more valuable and sometimes worn as
280-591: A sign of status. Some pub chains in the UK adopt the same or similar names for many pubs as a means of brand expression. Examples include "The Moon Under Water", commonly used by the JD Wetherspoon chain (and inspired by George Orwell 's 1946 essay in the Evening Standard , " The Moon Under Water "), and the "Tap and Spile" brand name used by the now defunct Century Inns chain. The "Slug and Lettuce"
315-443: A time when most of their customers were illiterate, but could recognise pub signs . The use of signage was not confined to drinking establishments. British pubs may be named after and depict anything from everyday (particularly agricultural) objects, to sovereigns, aristocrats and landowners (shown by their coats of arms ). Other names come from historic events, livery companies , occupations, sports, and craftsmen's guilds . One of
350-598: Is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland . The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford . It operates the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and 56 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises, such as former cinemas and banks, into pubs. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of
385-590: Is another example of a chain of food-based pubs with a prominent brand; founder Hugh Corbett had owned a small number of pubs, to which he gave humorous or nonsensical names, with the effect of differentiating them from competitors. Before painted inn signs became commonplace, medieval publicans often identified their establishments by hanging or standing a distinctive object outside the pub. A fictional example of this otherwise real-life practice can be found in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books, where
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#1732780448866420-514: Is the combining of businesses, for example when a landlord of one pub moved to another premises. Fashion, as in the rise of intentionally amusing paired names like ' Slug and Lettuce ' and 'Frog and Firkin' (see Puns, Jokes and Corruptions below) in the late 20th century, is responsible for many more recent pub names. The most common tree-based pub name is the Royal Oak, which refers to a Historical event . Many traditional pub names allude to
455-616: The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). As pubs have closed in response to changing habits, numbers have fallen, so the historic surveys remain of interest. According to BBPA in 2007, the most common names were: According to CAMRA in 2007 they were at that time: A more current listing can be found on the Pubs Galore site, updated daily as pubs open/close and change names. In 2019,
490-582: The Commonwealth ). It demonstrated the landlord's loyalty to authority (whether he was loyal or not), especially after the restoration of the monarchy . An authoritative list of the most common pub names in Great Britain is hard to establish, owing to ambiguity in what classifies as a pub as opposed to a licensed restaurant or nightclub , and so lists of this form tend to vary hugely. The two surveys most often cited, both taken in 2007, are by
525-732: The FTSE 250 Index . Tim Martin opened his first pub in 1979 in Colney Hatch Lane in Muswell Hill , London. Many of the other early Wetherspoon pubs were also in the western part of Haringey . The name of the business originates from JD , a character in The Dukes of Hazzard , and Wetherspoon, the surname of one of Martin's teachers in New Zealand, who had told him that he thought he would never amount to much. During
560-588: The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 , The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Health Act 2006 in England and Wales became law in 2006. In 2015, Wetherspoons was ordered to pay a total of £24,000 in damages for "direct racial discrimination" to eight individuals who were refused admittance to one of its pubs in north London (The Coronet on Holloway Road , Islington ) based on what
595-453: The 1990s, Wetherspoons began a policy of routinely closing its smaller or less profitable outlets, often replacing them with larger premises close by. In 1998, Wetherspoons introduced the oversized pint glass to promote the "full pint". This initiative was withdrawn, supposedly because customers were still asking for top-ups, but arguably because other pub chains did not follow its lead. Wetherspoons pioneered non-smoking areas in pubs before
630-573: The Fiddle" (Caton Fidele) and "The Bull and Bush", which purportedly celebrates the victory of Henry VIII at "Boulogne Bouche" or Boulogne-sur-Mer Harbour. The amount of religious symbolism in pub names decreased after Henry VIII 's break from the church of Rome. For instance, many pubs now called the King's Head were originally called the Pope's Head. Royal names have always been popular (except under
665-755: The Government furlough scheme after its announcement. Wetherspoons told its suppliers in March it would not pay them until its 874 pubs were allowed to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown. In October 2020, Wetherspoons reported its first loss in 36 years. For the year ending in July 2020, the company published a pre-tax loss of £34.1 million; the previous year, it reported a pre-tax profit of £102.5 million. In March 2021, Wetherspoons reaffirmed its expansion plans including 75 projects, comprising 18 new pubs and 57 significant extensions to existing venues. Martin said that
700-503: The arms of a London Livery company or trade guild : Many landowners' coats of arms appear as pub signs. Some "Arms" signs refer to working occupations. These may show people undertaking such work or the arms of the appropriate London livery company . This class of name may be only just a name but there are stories behind some of them. An "arms" name, too, can derive from a local authority. Images from myths and legends are evocative and memorable. Common enough today,
735-805: The beer available inside, or items used in its production like the Hop Pole and the Barley Mow. Other pub names refer to items of food to tempt the hungry traveller. For example, The Baron of Beef in Cambridge refers to a double sirloin joined at the backbone. Although puns became increasingly popular through the twentieth century, they should be considered with care. Supposed corruptions of foreign phrases usually have much simpler explanations. Many old names for pubs that appear nonsensical are often alleged to have come from corruptions of slogans or phrases, such as "The Bag o'Nails" (Bacchanals), "The Cat and
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#1732780448866770-782: The country. Wetherspoons objected to the value-added tax (VAT) rates on food sales in pubs and restaurants in the United Kingdom, and the fact they are higher than those paid by supermarkets. VAT rates on alcoholic drinks were the same in both pubs and supermarkets. When VAT was temporarily reduced from 20% to 5% during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Wetherspoons was one of several chains to pass some of that saving to customers. Though some are new-build or late twentieth century properties, many Wetherspoon pubs are conversions of existing historic buildings which have become redundant, including banks, churches, post offices, theatres and
805-407: The goal was to reduce prices for its two million weekly customers. In mid-March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom , the government advised the public to avoid areas like pubs, clubs, restaurants, and gyms. As a result, many pub chains closed. However, Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin rejected the government's advice and initially did not close any pubs, saying that his instinct
840-426: The morning", serving breakfast and coffee. The food menu has regularly incorporated additional healthier and allergen-friendly options, and displays a calorie rating next to every item. Wetherspoons hosts ale Festivals every March/April and October during which a larger than usual range of guest ales is available as well as a cider Festival in the summer. The company claims to be the biggest investor in craft beer in
875-537: The most common pub names is the Red Lion. This list contains both modern and historical examples. Although the word "the" appears on much pub signage, it is ignored in the following examples; the word "ye' is likewise ignored as it is only an archaic spelling of "the". "Y" represents an obsolete character ( þ , the letter Thorn , which is nowadays used only in Icelandic ) for the th sound. Its later forms resembled
910-542: The nearest main road has been missing for many years. The Salley Pussey's Inn at Royal Wootton Bassett is said to have been named after Sarah Purse, whose family owned The Wheatsheaf pub in the 19th century. In the 1970s the name was changed to the Salley Pussey's. [REDACTED] Media related to Pubs by name at Wikimedia Commons JD Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons , and colloquially known as Spoons )
945-585: The pairing of words in the name of an inn or tavern was rare before the mid-17th century, but by 1708 had become frequent enough for a pamphlet to complain of 'the variety and contradictory language of the signs', citing absurdities such as 'Bull and Mouth', 'Whale and Cow', and 'Shovel and Boot'. Two years later an essay in the Spectator echoed this complaint, deriding among others such contemporary paired names as 'Bell and Neat's Tongue', though accepting 'Cat and Fiddle'. A possible explanation for doubling of names
980-488: The pub in Ankh Morpork starts off as The Drum, becomes The Broken Drum after a bar fight damages it and then in later books The Mended Drum. This tradition dates back to Roman times, when vine leaves were hung outside tabernae to show where wine was sold. Sometimes the object was coloured, such as Blue Post or Blue Door . Many pubs have heraldic names. Names starting with the word "Three" are often based on
1015-488: The ten-year project would create 2,000 jobs for staff, but that it would be "conditional on the UK opening back up again on a long-term basis, with no further lockdowns or the constant changing of rules". Wetherspoon's low-price food and drink offering is aimed at the mass market. A large standardised menu is available all day in every pub, cultivating a perception of "unpretentious good value". Wetherspoons claims to be "the only large pub firm which opens all its pubs early in
1050-596: The title Griffin Inn . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Griffin_Inn&oldid=1126282042 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Pub names#Heraldry Pub names are used to identify and differentiate traditional drinking establishments. Many pubs are centuries old, and were named at
1085-736: The top 10 were: The pubs with the shortest and longest names in Britain are both in Stalybridge : Q and The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn . The longest name of a London pub, I am the Only Running Footman , was used as the title of a mystery novel by Martha Grimes . There is a "pub with no name" in Southover Street, Brighton , and another near to Petersfield, Hampshire , so known (despite having an actual name), because its sign on
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1120-491: The usual six colours, have to be partially handmade on old fashioned looms, costing up to £30,000 – twice as much as stock designs. These have been the subject of a book, Spoons Carpets , by Kit Caliss and a colouring book, Colour Your Own Spoons Carpet . The company produces a quarterly in-house magazine, Wetherspoon News , which contains information on the company's activities, its employees, pubs, political views and comments on recent media mentions. The chain also offers
1155-528: The whole former Co-Op Department Store , to include a hotel and gift shop. Plans were approved in April 2020. In 2022, the company announced it was selling 32 of its sites, including that at the Beaconsfield motorway service area. Every Wetherspoons pub has one or more unique carpets, inspired by the pub's name, location and building. They are made by Axminster Carpets and, sometimes having more than
1190-529: Was bought by a consortium of former and current Irish rugby players, including Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip. In 2014, Wetherspoons opened a pub at the Beaconsfield motorway service area on the M40. The move was criticised by road safety charities for potentially encouraging drink-driving . Wetherspoons also operates a chain of hotels. In 2015, there were 34 hotels in England, Wales and Scotland, and also
1225-528: Was that "closure won't save lives but will cost thousands of jobs". The government ordered the closure of all pubs from 21 March. Martin suggested that if some staff were offered jobs in supermarkets they should consider taking them and promised that he would give first preference to those who wanted to come back to Wetherspoons. A number of newspapers inaccurately reported Martin's suggestion, adding that Wetherspoons would withhold staff pay also, but later issued corrections. The majority of staff were placed on
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