The Beaver & Cucumber was once a marvellous little pub in old London town, merrie England. Forcibly closed by strapping, violent public health officials in 1962, it is often mentioned wistfully by elderly alcoholics when they are afflicted by nostalgia, neuralgia, dementia, or any other condition that ends with “ia”. Among the myths and legends of the B & C are that it served the “best beer in the world” and had the “most attractive barmaids in the world”. This may be romantic nonsense but it seems to make people happy, so why knock it?