The pub that changed me: ‘I bonded with a new group of friends there
Ye Olde Swiss Cottage in London was gaudy, draughty and built on a traffic island. But it was just the escape I needed
TL;DR
- The author moved to London and felt socially isolated during a difficult period in her career.
- She took a job writing about textile-industry share prices, a field she found uninteresting.
- Her colleagues on the news desk were equally disenchanted with their jobs.
- They frequently visited Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, a faux Swiss chalet on a roundabout, as an escape from work.
- The pub was described as gaudy, draughty, and peculiar, with a jukebox and a poor ambience.
- Despite its flaws, the pub became a sanctuary where the author and her colleagues bonded, discussed office politics, and supported each other.
- The experience at the pub inspired the author's interest in the history of London's venues, leading to a career change to freelance writing.
- She eventually got her dream job at Time Out magazine, working on the pub guide.
- Ye Olde Swiss Cottage closed in February 2025.
- There is a petition challenging the owner's challenge to the building's status as an asset of community value.