The traditional backstreet Bristol cider pub where Sweet Caroline is banned

Standing at the bar of Bristol cider house The Apple Tree, the first thing I spot is an unusual request from the management.

‘Due to Covid-19, Sweet Caroline is banned’ reads the message, a tongue-in-cheek reference to singer Neil Diamond who changed the lyrics of his famous song during the pandemic from ‘hands, touching hands’ to ‘hands, washing hands’.

Ironically, there is still an industrial-size hand pump sanitiser on the table next to the door to the toilets of this tiny, one-room pub, which is clearly taking no precautions. With its stained and threadbare upholstery, sticky tables and discoloured net curtains, such attention to detail might surprise some but looks are deceptive.

Even more surprising, perhaps, is the fact the pint glass I’m given is gleaming and spotless. It’s far cleaner than many I’ve clutched in posh pubs where the drinks are three times the price as those at The Apple Tree.

But then Bedminster has the lion’s share of ‘proper’ pubs. The nearby Barley Mow on East Street still opens at 9am for extra-thirsty locals and The Little Grosvenor on Coronation Road is always packed when most of us are thinking about morning coffee.

The Apple Tree still keeps ‘normal’ times, opening at midday through to the evening, although whether many of the regulars last the distance is debatable. This backstreet boozer draws a crowd of real characters with hardened faces that tell a thousand stories. And more.

OK, the bad language is premium-grade and most words start with F or C, but there is a real sense of community and camaraderie. Like The Little Grosvenor and London Inn, this is a cash-only pub with no card machine, and most drinks are served in cans at £2 each.

One group of five mates were buying £11 rounds, it’s that cheap. There were at least five ciders available including Stan’s Traditional, Thatchers Haze and Gold, as well as Madri, Foster’s and Guinness on tap.

However, most of my fellow drinkers on this balmy afternoon - predominantly builders on their way home - were cooling down with cold cans of Kronenbourg.

With so much redevelopment planned in the surrounding streets, who knows what the future is for this long-running pub close to Windmill Hill City Farm.

One thing’s for certain, any sniff of change or gentrification is sure to be resisted by the regulars at this old cider house where tradition means everything and Sweet Caroline is, thankfully, firmly off-limits.

The Apple Tree, 27 Philip Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4EA.