back to article Larry Ale-ison institute invests in Oxford pub linked to Tolkien, CS Lewis

Newcomers to the tech industry may feel like they have entered Narnia, with its abundance of strange language, mythology, and clothing. Now its own King Aslan – Oracle founder Larry Ellison – has stepped into the story by investing in an Oxford pub where Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis and his mate JRR Tolkien shared pints …

  1. UCAP Silver badge
    Pint

    I've had many a drink and meal in The Eagle and Child (its also know locally as "The Bird and Baby"). Use to be a lovely pub with a great atmosphere and equally good beer/food. Was very sad to see that it had closed; my son was at St John's college so it was handy when visiting at lunchtimes. Hope it does reopen again with its original features; I'd hate to see it converted to a Weatherspoons-style plastic pub.

    1. Sir Sham Cad
      Pint

      About a thousand years before the last Ice Age, when I was 18 I spent a week in Oxford doing extra tuition for my maths A-Level. Sank many a pint in that pub with my fellow desperate students. Hope it's restored sympathetically and the beer is good.

    2. Neil Barnes Silver badge
      Pint

      There used to be a Child and Eagle in Wakefield, a long time ago, but everybody called that one 'the Bastard and the Bustard'

      1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

        My favourite of those changes was the Toad and Raspberry in Ipswich, locally known as the Frog'n'Fart.

    3. Red~1
      Joke

      If it was half sold to the french - would it be the Eagle and Enfant? Or even the 3 e's - Eagle et Enfant? :D

  2. abend0c4 Silver badge

    Struggling DBAs...

    At least they can say they're joining a union with plausible deniability if the pub landlord should threaten to ban them.

    1. cyberdemon Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Struggling DBAs...

      > At least they can say they're joining a union with plausible deniability

      Only if they remember to start an atomic transaction first. Then they can roll back that union

  3. Howard Sway Silver badge

    Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

    With Ellison in charge there may well be regular lock-ins.

    1. Paul Herber Silver badge

      Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

      1. You enjoyed that pint 10% more than standard. That'll cost you extra.

      2. Pints must be drunk in one go, sipping your beer slows down your next purchase. That'll cost you extra.

      3. Your pint glass stuck to at least one beer mat. That'll cost you extra.

      4. Half-pints actually cost us more than serving you a full pint. That'll cost you extra.

      5. Discussion of other beers/pubs is forbidden. That'll cost you extra.

      6. You have not eaten the minimum required number of peanuts/cheesy wotsits/pork scratchings per pint. That'll cost you extra.

      7. You have eaten more than the maximum required number of peanuts/cheesy wotsits/pork scratchings per pint. That'll cost you extra.

      8. You made an enquiry about how many peanuts/cheesy wotsits/pork scratchings should be consumed per pint. That'll cost you extra.

      9. You have tasted your drink companion's beer. That'll cost you extra.

      10. Your drinking companion tasted your beer. That'll cost you extra.

      11. More than one beer mat was used to stop the table from rocking on the uneven floor. That'll cost you extra.

      Drop beer. Drop table.

      Error 0, beer not found.

      1. Vulch

        Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

        "You're only buying three beers in this round but there are five seats at your table, we'll be charging you for five beers"

        1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
          Joke

          Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

          You made me remember ... "I saw a notice which said, 'Drink Canada Dry' and I've just started." - Brendan Behan. But I used to go there when I lived in Oxford and it's always been just a pub, virtually nothing was ever seen to make the drinkers remember the wonderful history of the pub! But I loved just being there as a drinker with a rolling a joint problem in the old days.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

            >You made me remember ... "I saw a notice which said, 'Drink Canada Dry' and I've just started." - Brendan Behan. But I used to go there when I lived in Oxford and it's always been just a pub, virtually nothing was ever seen to make the drinkers remember the wonderful history of the pub! But I loved just being there as a drinker with a rolling a joint problem in the old days.

            I used to frequent it when I lived near Oxford in the early 90s. I remember a Tolkein/Lewis photo on the wall, but we visited more for the jukebox - which was heavier than the standard pub one of the time.

          2. ITMA Silver badge
            Devil

            Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

            I trust that your joint rolling technique has much improved so that it is no longer a problem?

            :)

        2. Dave Null

          Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

          bravo sir

    2. hittitezombie

      Re: Licensing authorities should regularly inspect it

      Licensing terms and audits might be very different compared to what Licensing Authorities are used to.

  4. theOtherJT Silver badge

    I'm just praying they don't rip out the front rooms...

    I mean, sure, they're both about big enough to put 3 people in each, but they've got real character.

    I've been drinking in this place for over 20 years. Was a big part of my life while my ex worked there. I really miss it. Please don't spoil it. Please.

    1. Ian Johnston Silver badge

      Re: I'm just praying they don't rip out the front rooms...

      I'm pretty sure the original front rooms were ripped out many years ago. the current ones are recreations (ie fakes) from the 80s.

  5. jmch Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    subhead!!

    "DBAs come in for beer but struggle to find a table"

    Very well done!!

  6. Piro

    Anything to keep old pubs alive

    It's an absolute tragedy that they've closing down.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ellison does something positive

    Shocker

  8. Ynyss
    Pint

    Beer clusters

    One beer for 500 quid? You're kidding me!

    Ah... but you *could* have had any of the drinks in the pub...

  9. GreyWolf

    Bring back the Aunt Sally!

    There used to be an Aunt Sally (alley? course? track? lane?) in the back garden, the only only Aunt Sally I have ever seen (this was 1960s).

    [In an Aunt Sally, there are painted heads perched on top of posts, and you throw hard balls the size of tennis balls at the heads to knock them off. I have no idea how scoring worked].

    Some owner since vandalised the back garden, tiling it, and putting tables put there, in order to cram in more drinkers.

    I would like to see heads painted as current politicians, for us to throw rocks at.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: Bring back the Aunt Sally!

      "I would like to see heads painted as current politicians, for us to throw rocks at."

      I suspect that was the traditional way of decorating them

    2. Bebu
      Windows

      Re: Bring back the Aunt Sally!

      《only only Aunt Sally I have ever seen (this was 1960s).》

      There was the character in the original Worzel Gummidge tv series ca about the same time. Might be the same one :)

      When you think about lobbing large heavy spherical chunks of wood at an effigy of a woman today you would be pretty much automatically handed a AVO banning you from approaching any female within 50m. (Members the UK cabinet exempted :)

    3. ICL1900-G3 Silver badge

      Re: Bring back the Aunt Sally!

      I lived in Sydenham near Thame. The Sun had an Aunt Sally team (side?) so probably an Oxon thing. Sun is no longer a pub, sadly.

  10. 43300 Silver badge

    Given that the article reports that they are employing a top-rank architects' practice for work on it, that rather suggests that the pub will be aiming at the expensive end of the market when it reopens!

  11. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
    Pint

    Oracle ale

    Maybe they'll be serving this (which isn't a bad pint).

  12. Roger Kynaston
    Pint

    Will Postgres aquire another pub

    I don't know Oxford well enough to suggest one though.

    They could have another pub just down the road where the beer is free but you pay for the seat you sit on and have to pull your own pint (and sometime change the cask).

    I would suggest Mysql but they are owned by the (L)Aslan

  13. This post has been deleted by its author

  14. steelpillow Silver badge
    Joke

    Tolkien, eh?

    I'm really surprised that Palantir did not snap the place up years ago. What a great way to meet and greet future cabinet ministers!

    I'll get my coat...

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Baggot Inn, Dublin

    With the passing of Bobby Charlton last week, The Baggot Inn came to mind, as Jack Charlton once had a small stake in it, around the time I was there last, many moons ago - since then, it has been demolished and rebuilt/reopened...

    In the past the likes of U2, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy and Christy Moore played at the pub, which was closed after it was bought by Louis FitzGerald.

    https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20030383.html

  16. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Pint

    Old Peculiar. The Legend

    No, I didn't mean Larry.

    https://www.theakstons.co.uk/pages/theakstons-old-peculier

  17. Bebu
    Windows

    Makes you think...

    Compared with the likes of Larry, Musk, etc etc the White Witch (Jadis) wasn't all that bad... maybe not... but she had more style and arguably more brains. Even Sauron was more organized... :) These villains are all half arsed and not properly evil.

    1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Makes you think...

      (Jadis) wasn't all that bad

      I find their music mostly boring..

      Oh - not the neo-prog band?

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