Monday, December 09, 2013

Hot Lips Pub in Merthyr


There are theme pubs and then there are theme pubs. You can keep your faux oirish bars, give me a drinking-hole based upon '70s television show M*A*S*H any day of the week. As I'm sure you'll recall that programme featured the exploits of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the carnage of the Korean war. Where better, then, to situate the Hot Lips public house than in Merthyr Tydfil? The pub in Swan Street was, of course, named after one of the show's central characters, Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan. Murals of Hot Lips and other leading characters from M*A*S*H such as Hawkeye Pierce, Klinger and Trapper John adorned the walls. The pub also contained lots of M*A*S*H-related paraphernalia. Some of the male locals, though, weren't keen on the name - they thought it was a bit effeminate. When a new landlord took over the establishment in 1985 he was in agreement. He'd already gotten fed up of answering the phone and having to say: "Hello, Hot Lips here" - so, the brewery was called in to paint over the murals and remove the M*A*S*H memorabilia. The Hot Lips pub sign outside was taken down. The locals were much happier with the crushingly dull new name - The Log Cabin.

*Anyone got any pictures of the Hot Lips public-house in Merthyr Tydfil in its pomp?