by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Ambiance is the key to the success of any bar.
Since London Bridge has plenty of it, consider it a success.
There is no typical day at the British-style pub at the corner of Adams and Ocean. Week nights vary, Thursday is karaoke and Friday afternoons mean the eclectic crowd.
There are the employees having a beer after work, or possibly before. Ownership doesn’t seem to care either way. There are the stray locals starting their Friday night a little early. There are plenty of unemployed and one that’s employed but collecting unemployment. Oh yeah, there’s even a converted Buddhist.
Serving them all is Alan Bradshaw, a transplant from Minneapolis, who is literally bumming his way through life. Bradshaw found his way to Jacksonville via New Orleans via Austin. And, he didn’t drive or fly.
“I’ve been hopping trains,” said Bradshaw, who lives in Riverside and could easily assimilate to the other side of the bar if someone else would pour. “I was hitchhiking and homeless of my own accord. I guess I read way too much Kerouac and Steinbeck.”
Bradshaw has been at the pub since early January and attributes his employment to a stellar resume and interview.
“I walked in and applied wearing really fancy shoes. The owner liked my resume more than anything else,” said Bradshaw, who’s been in the restaurant business for 10 years and has been tending bar for two.
In addition to the usual suspects, London Bridge attracts plenty of the suit and tie crowd. Bradshaw says any given day, a dozen attorneys will file in shortly after quitting time and have a beer or three and discuss the day’s work.
Bradshaw himself thought of one day being an attorney, doing pro bono work, environmental law or helping the less fortunate.
“Later, the kids who drink PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) start coming in,” he said, explaining why PBR is making a comeback. “A couple of years ago, GQ (magazine) said it was good cheap beer.”
Speaking of beer, there’s plenty of it at London Bridge. The on-tap menu includes plenty of beer from Great Britain as well as some hard-to-find drafts from obscure breweries. Then there’s the bar itself.
The walls are a muted bright red and covered with everything from mirrors to pictures of patrons in various states of inebriation to dozens of collectables. There are booths for those seeking a little privacy and even a “regulars” bathroom. Impossible to miss, too, are the hundreds of dollars bills tacked and taped to the walls and ceiling. Some are elaborately decorated, and others are simply signed by the donor.