The Plough and Stars...

The Plough and Stars is one of the oldest Irish pubs in the Boston area... Established in 1969. 912 Massachsetts Ave. in Cambridge... halfway between Harvard and MIT.
I was introduced to the place about 1978 by my girlfriend of the time, Lucinda. We lived in Brookline but would truck our laundry across the river to the Laundromat next door and have a few pints while the laundry washed, rinsed and tumbled dry. Was a cool place and whenever I was in that neighborhood I'd stop in. My attendance there was rather spotty during the 80's... my dentist was across the street and I'd stop in for a rinse after most dental procedures, but that was about it. In the mid 90's it became more of a destination, as I got to know the staff and clientelle. Then... horror of horrors, I became a "regular". This became apparent when I was invited to the stage (well, actually, just the floor next to the gents) to sing backup for a song during a benefit for one of our ailing friends. I'm a late afternoon kind of guy... between work and home... I rarely go out for the music. But, the afterwork crowd is brilliant. Everything is there... architects, builders, painters, scientists, poets, business types, politicians, writers, students and lots of musicians. Some of my favorites are, Richard, a black Baptist preacher, John Lincoln Wright, a professional country singer, Derek, a fine carpenter and good pal, Paul, who I work with (and who's always carrying a BIG book about Nazis). There's tall Paul and Paul Scanlon. Big Dave and bald Dave... all a good lot. And clever.
It's a small room and I usually sit or stand at the front, near the windows for both light and scenery walking along Mass Ave. The place has recently been "redone" new floor, paint, etc. We're guessing on the insistance of George's (the owner) new wife... who also fired all the old staff (some are missed, some aren't). Happily they've replaced that staff with at least one guy, Mitch, who fits right in.
Anyway it's home... maybe more profiles of these barflies later...