O G.
Yelp
Once upon a far, far away time in a far away land, young OG went to college down the road from here and minored in darts and beer drinking.
It was a heady time, finally away from the parental grasp, in a foreign land on my own, discovering different cultures. realizing that the world was far different than I had believed, learning to be an adult.
The Lass quickly became a de facto second home - a British pub is similar yet far different than an American bar - other than just a place to drink it is in fact a second home for most Britons, where they socialize, eat, play darts and billiards, and drink, drink drink. Everyday. Back in that far away time it was actually unbelievably cheap, and the beer flowed.
Us Americans came here as Yanks but we quickly socialized with our British cousins, learnt their games and habits and actually became a lot better at them than they were. Many a dart match was played and won, and at one point we became bold and a friendly rugby game was played, the American lads against the British ringers. Our team only had one experienced rugby player, an Iranian lad educated in the British public school system, and in a half hour he taught us the rudiments of the game. Luckily it's an easy learn and all that is really required is energy, of which we had a lot. We completely destroyed the Lass team, that included a London bobby, the bartender and various other denizens of our fair Lass. At the end of the game we went, where else, to the Lass, to celebrate, our winded British pub competitors in tow. Beer bellies we had not, then.
The Lass is actually a very large pub, with several bar areas, large rooms, a separate dining area, and an outdoor patio for summer carousing. Think King's Head in Santa Monica, and double the size. With a great jukebox. On the top of Richmond Hill, it is across the street from Richmond Park, a former hunting ground for the royal family. Still stocked with herds of European Elk, you have to pay attention during rutting season, and signs are put out warning you to keep a safe distance fro the testosterone filled males. It's a beautiful park, huge, and Richmond is a beautiful suburb of London, situated on the lovely winding Thames, just next door to Wimbledon.
I did come back to the Lass about 12 years ago, and, still buzzing with the convivial cheer I cherished as a student and still do, it had not changed. I expect, like a lovely memory, it never will.