Postcard Of The Week : The Black Lion, Ireby

This week seems to have turned into "News From Nowhere Pub Week". This was not my intention : however if there is one thing I have discovered in my years of blogging it is to go where the current takes you. At the moment the current is sweeping me towards the pub and I am not prepared to swim against that particular current. My vintage postcard for this week features a photograph of the main street of the township of Ireby in Cumbria. I have never visited Ireby, but from what I have read it is a charming spot with a 12th century church and fine views towards the Lake District mountains. According to what records I have been able to find, Ireby used to have two pubs : the Sun and the Black Lion. In keeping with the sad trend I seem to be highlighting this week, the Sun closed down a few years ago, but the Black Lion is still going strong  - although it has now been renamed "The Lion". I am not sure why it was thought necessary to change the name : the Black Lion is not an uncommon name for British pubs and relates to the heraldic sign of Philippa of Hainault, wife of King Edward III (1312 - 1377). Name changes aside, the Lion has a good reputation these days and gains an coveted entry in the annual Good Beer Guide published by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).

The postcard is from the collection put together by my Great Uncle Fowler. It was published by the firm of Beaty's of Carlisle in the first decade of the twentieth century. It was postally used in January 1907. It does look like a nice little place and a grand little pub. It is still snowing here at the moment, but in a month or twos time, when Spring is on a promise, maybe I will just take a trip up to Cumbria and pay both place and pub a visit.