We had a pint in one of the last remaining 1960s estate pubs in the Bristol area

Like many purpose-built 1960s estate pubs in and around Bristol, The Jolly Cobbler stands on a crossroads surrounded by interwar houses near a small row of shops.

It first opened in 1966 and it nearly didn’t open at all as local residents opposed its licence at the time, although 57 years on and it’s still going strong.

The Jolly Cobbler is one of those pubs named after a local trade. At the time, the Kingswood area was associated with the boot and shoe industry.

In many ways, these 1960s pubs named after trades are the last of their type because they were linked to the manual jobs local people had at the time. Most of those jobs have gone.

I often wonder if new pubs opened in the city today, would they be called ‘The Project Manager’s Arms’ or ‘The Delivery Drivers’. What a horrible thought.

A large red-brick pub built in a similar style to some of the houses of the time, The Jolly Cobbler has two bars.

One is more lounge-like with 1970s-style floral carpet and a small ‘stage’ where the karaoke nights take place. The other is more of a sports room with pool table and dart board.

On a Monday, the pool table is free all day and there’s a meat raffle every Sunday at 4pm - always the mark of a ‘proper’ pub, like The Sandringham in Brislington or The Mardyke in Hotwells.

This is very much a locals’ pub and the range of draught beers, lagers and ciders is basic and fairly priced, with the likes of Foster’s, Carling, Thatcher’s Gold and Doom Bar. I ordered a pint of Wadworth 6X, which was reasonably priced at £4.

A pub that clearly has its loyal regulars, the bar staff know most of the people coming through the door and they don’t even wait to start pouring their pints. They know exactly what they want and no words are really required.

At 3pm on Thursday, the pub was predictably quiet but there was a steady trickle of drinkers coming and going.

Some were paint-splattered tradesmen either enjoying a late liquid lunch or even on their way home after an early finish.

When I arrived, three men of retirement age were on separate tables, all glued to the large screen in total silence.

They were watching a nature documentary about an endangered species in a desert.

‘How does it survive here?’ asked the presenter of the programme. It could have been a question about the pub itself.

There aren’t many of these 1960s estate pubs left in the Bristol area but they are still vital community hubs for the locals who can’t be bothered to drink outside the area where they live.

Like any endangered species, they survive because they adapt and evolve, which is obviously what The Jolly Cobbler has done since it poured the first pint in 1966. Long may it continue to do so.

The Jolly Cobbler, Chiphouse Road, Bristol, BS15 4TR.