Madness frontman Suggs raises a glass to some of Britain’s national treasures – our pubs

IS THERE anything more British than the pub?

From friendly, funny or fierce landlords and landladies to the unforgettable moments shared over a pint, the local boozer has touched all our lives and shaped our history.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, there’s roughly one pub for every 1,500 people in the UK.

To put it plainly – we’re obsessed with them.

That’s why Sky History has enlisted the help of none other than living Madness legend Suggs to look into exactly why the public house so enthrals us.

It’s part of Britain’s Greatest Obsessions, a brand new series which started Monday, September 12 at 9pm on Sky History, in which we see celebrities take a detailed look at Britain’s great passions and preoccupations.

The results are a fascinating, comfortingly familiar web of history, culture, jokes and British identity.

And if my recommendation isn’t enough, here are five reasons to pour yourself a glass and settle down to watch.

What it tells us about the past

Suggs starts his journey at the oldest pub in England, which is also a contender for the title of oldest pub in the world.

Brewing took place on the site more than a thousand years ago, but the landlord humbly points out that the current pub “only” dates back to the 18th century.

Watching the show, you soon realise that the history of pubs mirrors the history of Britain, with all the myth, legend and social commentary that entails.

It’s a fresh and fascinating way to look at our past.

What it tells us about ourselves

It’s no surprise that one of the oldest pubs in the world is in Britain. Over the course of Suggs’ journey, he delves into why pubs are so closely linked with a sense of Britishness.

Modern technology may have made the pub less of a focal point of social life than it once was, but the hold of the local boozer remains strong.

For most of us, it’s the place we go to for weddings and wakes, birthdays and celebrations.

It’s where we meet friends and, if you’re like Suggs, your spouse.

Pubs feature in many of the remarkable moments of our lives and so the stories of the local – who goes there and why, who gets served and who doesn’t, and how that changes – in many ways tell us the story of ourselves. 

The unexpected turns

Suggs’ investigation takes a remarkable number of twists and turns – from tales of witches to musical interludes and feminist protests.

At the Old Cheshire Cheese, he learns about the role pubs played in the work of literary legends such as Shakespeare and Dickens, while at the French House, he reminisces about childhood moments spent in his mother’s favourite watering hole – watching famous writers pass through.

As he puts it, “You could be a bandit, a burglar, a bigamist – you just couldn’t be boring,” and this tale certainly isn’t.

The Suggs of it all 

The programme’s glorious guide is perfectly chosen. Suggs’ Soho charm – a uniquely British blend of the cheeky and deferential – gives this show its heart.

Regardless of who he’s speaking to – esteemed historians, beer sommeliers, pub locals – he brings the same smiling authenticity to draw them out.

But, above all, he’s perfect because he understands pubs like few others.

Pubs are where he grew up and his life is studded with significant moments in bars.

Suggs recalls his mum pulling pints, early gigs and meeting his wife in a boozer.

For him, pubs were a place where you could “learn your craft, learn about yourself and how you make a living out of something you want to do”.

Post-pandemic, we all appreciate the importance of community focal points more than ever, and there’s a lovely and moving moment as Suggs sits down for a pint at his local, sharing easy banter with the regulars.

As the landlady says, “It goes back to the idea of home, village, community. It’s feeling you belong.”

The group banter 

This series is about more than just Suggs and his pubs. Over the course of the season, beloved celebrities such as Lorraine Kelly and Harry Hill will guide us through British obsessions of all shapes and sizes.

This episode features moments of them together, chiming in with memories and quips as Suggs takes them through his public house exploration, and this dynamic drives the show.

Suggs modestly refers to them as “borderline national treasures”, but the likes of Reginald D Hunter and Liza Tarbuck have long passed that point.

I’d give my back teeth to share a pint with any one of them.

This show is the best (and considerably less painful) alternative. It feels like watching your best friends banter and riff on their favourite topics.

It left me informed, delighted and eager for more. 

Britain’s Greatest Obsessions on Sky History, Mondays 9pm or watch the full series now on demand.