The people behind this book

Doug Harper - Author

Now, you may be asking yourself why a non-Brit (Canadian) is writing a book about London’s pubs, and you would be right to ask. I have been visiting England, in my mind, since I was a young lad. For whatever reason, I have always felt a pull toward all things British. At first, it was the history. Then, it became the culture. It is fair to say I am an Anglophile. I have been visiting England for over thirty-five years now, and while I enjoy everything about being there, I look forward to the opportunity to spend time in pubs the most.

You may also be thinking that is a long way to go for a beer, and again, you would be right. It has never been about the beer, even though I enjoy a good beer as much as the next person. It has always been about the history, the architecture, and the atmosphere. Every time you cross the threshold of a historic pub, you step back in time. You hear the voices and feel the presence of past lives.

Where else can you go and engage in a setting the same way people did hundreds of years ago? It is today as it was then.

This may well be a romanticized vision, but so be it. I grew up in an era of clubs and bars. It was fun while it lasted. What I did not grow up with was a pub down the street, a place that became a community living room for those seeking the company of others. A place where you can share a table and good conversations with complete strangers. A place, while unfamiliar, that also feels like home.

So, why write a book with my partner, Vic? Many people visit London looking for a good pub experience. My wife Ann and I were and are those people.

Vic came highly recommended several years ago as a knowledgeable pub tour guide, and we jumped at the chance to take our first tour with him. Needless to say, we join him for a tour every time we are in London.

We both want to help people have the best experience possible. We want to show you some of the best pubs to visit, how to get to them, and how to enjoy them.

Most importantly, we want you to fall in love with London’s pubs like we have. Whether you have an hour or a day to spend searching out London’s notable pubs, we will provide everything needed to get you across that threshold.

Vic Norman - Author

In 1984, I went to college in the Midlands to study politics. I received a student grant and had about ten hours of lectures per week. I was eighteen and away from home for the first time. All these things combined meant that I spent a good deal of the next three years in the pub.

I remember a particular conversation with a good friend during one such pub visit. “Wouldn’t it be nice,” I mused, “to work out a way of being paid to stay in the pub.”

It took a little time, but twenty-five years after leaving college, I did precisely that: launching my London Pub Tour business.

Beginning with one tour, I built the business over the next eleven years to include eleven different pub tours, each taking in four to six of the oldest, most impressive, and often tucked-away pubs in a given area.

I first met Doug on one of these pub tours. On subsequent return visits to London, he and his wife, Ann, always ensured that a pub tour was on their itinerary.

There is nothing quite like a pub. Whilst there may be places to buy drinks in venues worldwide, pubs are not simply places to buy drinks; they are so much more. They are a home away from home. They are meeting places. They are a community resource and service. 

They are intricately woven into the fabric of society. All of which I hope I have done justice to, we hope we have done justice to, in the pages of this book.

Some of the best ideas come from conversations held in pubs. We both sincerely hope this is one of them.

Andie Lafrentz - Illustrator

Ever since I could pick up a pencil, I’ve been captivated by drawing the world around me - always trying to capture places in a way that makes them feel a little more magical. Travel has been a huge part of my life, especially in Europe. In high school, I did an exchange in France, then studied abroad in Norway during university, and in 2016, I moved to Galway, Ireland, on a two-year visa.

It was during my time in Ireland that I fell in love with pub culture and felt compelled to capture its essence in watercolour. To me, pubs aren’t just places to grab a drink. They have history, personality, and stories that span generations. They’re where you can sit down as a stranger and leave with new friends, where conversations flow as easily as the pints. That sense of community and tradition is something I wanted to capture in my paintings and has become a subject I keep coming back to.

My journey into illustrating this book began when Doug reached out after his daughter purchased one of my watercolour prints - of, fittingly, a London pub. We got to talking and realized we shared the same appreciation for these spaces and the stories they hold. From there, the idea of collaborating with Doug and Vic on this book just made sense.

With my illustrations, I aim to do more than capture a pub’s exterior. I want to bring out the atmosphere and the feeling of being there. Whether through visits, stories, or other memories, I hope my illustrations help bring these spaces to life, just as they exist in the hearts and memories of those who love them.

Cheers!