OSWESTRY has always had a reputation as a drinking town.
While some of the pubs which made the Shropshire border town famous over the years have long since closed their doors, every weekend the town provides the setting for friends and families to meet and enjoy themselves.
We asked readers to describe a night out in Oswestry and received a raft of replies.
Chris Davies said: "Well myself and family where in Oswestry last New Year's Eve went to a few pubs and I must admit we had a great couple of nights.
The Griffin Inn in Oswestry. Picture: Geograph.
"The Griffin was our venue for the new year and staff and management where fantastic and we had a great night."
Ben Hughes said: "Working class people enjoying themselves. Everyone knows everyone in a small town, so there's no false pretence.
"I enjoy a night out every time I go back to Oswestry and that'll be no exception this Christmas.
"Mates, cheap beer and a Star Kebab at the end of the night."
The Oak won four awards at Oswestry Pub Scene Awards 2022
John Mark Hartshorn said: "The town has a good music scene. It’s what you make it I guess but business is very hard for small businesses at the moment."
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Pete Hughes said Oswestry had declined over time, saying: "I enjoyed nights out in town years ago. Prefer a walk around the park in daylight these days." Love Oswestry but time has been hard on the town recently."
Fancy dress at the Golden Lion in 1989.
Delta Barker said: "I lived in Oswestry from the age of 12 till about the age of 20. Very found memories of The Vic, Bonkers Bar and Gibsons. A good selection of pubs to start the night off with too."
The Bailey Head pub in Oswestry.
Al Sharpie agreed, saying: "Back in the day it was a great night out at places like Gibsons, Vic, Boxing Club. Like most towns I hear it's gone a bit flat now which is a shame as its actually still a nice town."
The Sun Inn. Picture by Oswestry Pub Scene.
Jennifer Bassom said the town did not have a good vibe these days.
"It is absolutely awful. I go out anywhere but Oswestry. The vibe is not good. It was a great night out years ago."
Nikki Hughes insisted the impact of the cost of living crisis had changed habits.
She said: "Oswestry’s night scene is actually really good. The problem is that Covid has changed the landscape immeasurably. Add that to the current cost of living crisis and nightlife has changed everywhere. People aren’t going out as much."
The Plaza Nightclub in Oswestry in 1975.
Meanwhile Donald Mackerel stuck up for the town.
He said: "It's a small market town and yet it still has some of the nicest bars I've ever been to.
"There's always stuff on yet people never attend and then complain that nothing ever happens."
"If it's really so bad in Oswestry, please move somewhere else as I love it here and the only downside is the habitual moaners that would whinge about how full their wallets were if they won the lottery."
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