A Friend Like Ben...

No - not the ballad by the diminutive Michael Jackson (which was a blot on my music landscape when I was a youth), but here’s something a bit more highbrow...

Tobacco, nectar, or the Thespian spring,
Are all but Luther's beer to this I sing.
Of this we will sup free, but moderately,
And we will have no Pooley, or Parrot by,
Nor shall our cups make any guilty men;
But, at our parting we will be as when
We innocently met. No simple word
That shall be uttered at our mirthful board,
Shall make us sad next morning or affright
The liberty that we’ll enjoy tonight.

from ‘Inviting a Friend to Supper’ by Ben Jonson.


The Ben Jonson was certainly very inviting on a very dull weekday afternoon during a tedious homeward work journey.  Well worth a brief departure from the A34 for a short rest break.

Weston-on-the-Green and ‘The Black Sheep’ - aka Ben Jonson.  (image Google maps)

This is a classic stone-walled, thatched pub in the Oxfordshire village of Weston-on-the-Green.   Whatpub say the pub is owned by Punch Taverns, but they (and Google maps) still show it in it’s previous 'The Black Sheep' guise.

Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637)  was an English playwright, poet, actor and literary critic (second most important English playwright of the time after the Bard, apparently).

‘Always a Warm Welcome’ it says on the pub sign and with it’s outer porch entrance door open wide and lights shining in the gloom of the late January afternoon, just the kind of cosy country pub welcome you need on such a dreary day.

‘And we will have no Pooley or Parrot’.  I don't know about Pooleys (answers on a postcard please...) but two locals were well into to their lagers at the bar when I arrived.   The lumber jack shirted man of South African accent/origin was referring to a parrot of sorts...well a toucan on the old 'Guinness -Time' plaque behind the bar actually.  He was reminiscing about a South African bar he use to frequent which had a real toucan.

On the bar it was an all Marston’s line up with Pedigree and Ringwood Razor Back on offer (the 3rd hand pull being vacant).

Supping free but moderately, I opted for a  half of Pedigree (good/very good), and packet of Pipers crisps (Tomato).  Serving my beer the barmaid unnecessarily apologised about the time the Ped was taking to settle up the glass.  It looked like a nod to perfection to me, and I couldn’t  see why an apology was required - so I just assumed it was a bit of  excellent customer service.

A crystal clear, but out of focus, half of Ped on Ringwood beermat

Not having quite become accustomed to certain pub blogging essentials, like wandering around nearly empty country pubs taking photos, I took a seat and enjoyed my beer and crisps while firing off a couple of email replies (as you do).

It was a very pleasant half an hour and this was the kind of place where I could have stayed much longer, listening to the intermittent background conversation from the bar and another (rather louder) young couple chatting at the other end of the pub.

Ped going down really well and loudly chatting young couple just visible in murky distance.

However, rest break over, the joys of the A34 and the remaining journey home beckoned, so I popped my empty crisp packet and glass back on the bar said thank you and cheerio to the barmaid, to which the two locals also responded with a friendly ‘cheerio’...

Definitely a very warm welcome (and farewell).....

'at our parting we will be as when we innocently met....'
It’s funny how many parallels you can find between a bit of old poetry and a visit to the pub isn’t it?