Sunday Music at Carriers Quarters

Barb and I found a bar we like and it is only a five minute walk from our Sit, it is called The Carriers Quarters. 

On our initial visit, there was a black dog in the entrance way looking up and down the street as though he was waiting for someone. We patted him on the head and strolled up to the bar. The room may have been about 13’ X 13’ with a bar to the left of the entrance with seven bar stools and a bench along the wall parallel to the bar with four tables and a chair at each. 

There was one man in his 30’s at the bar just behind the entrance with his bar stool blocking the passage of an old golden retriever from venturing out into the bar. There was a second man beside him at the end of the bar. There was no bartender so we looked over the beer and gin selections thinking the bartender was in the back. After just a few minutes the man blocking the golden, standing on the bar stools bottom rung, leaned over the bar and yelled,

“Customers are here!”. 
A muffled voice came from behind the bar something to the effect of “I’m coming”. 
The man retorted with, “So is Christmas.”

In a few moments, a woman walked up steps from below and behind the bar until she stood midway between the length of the bar, she reached forward pulling a door closed over the steps down under the bar. She smiled and I asked for a Williams’ Joker IPA and Barb requested a Hendricks gin and tonic.

We walked the few feet to one of four tables sitting in front of a cushioned bench along the entire wall with one seat opposite the bench. We enjoyed our drinks and watched the interaction between the bartender, Hannah, and the two younger men talking with two much older men at the other end of the nine foot bar. It was difficult to understand much of what they said because when the locals talk among themselves their pace of speech and choice of slang is not easily understood. They talked for almost 45 minutes before the older men wished them a good day, giving us a nod, and left. Shortly after that the two other men gathered their dogs and departed as well.

We talked briefly with Hannah and after telling her would be in town for about a month she suggested we come back on Sunday for the music in the back. We told her we enjoyed going to shows and might take her up on the suggestion. I looked down a hall to where I assumed the bathrooms were and noticed a room at the end of the short hall with tables chairs and couches. On the wall above the bar a chalkboard listed “hand pies £2 2-4p”, “Music Sundays 6:30-8:30”. I made a calendar entry so I would be less likely to forget.

On Sunday morning we discussed our plans for the day and agreed we would like to walk to The Carriers Quarters around 17:45 to get a good seat for the music. We arrived earlier than we intended so we sat in the same seats as our initial visit with our drinks. That section of the bar was almost full, 11 people at the bar or at tables. As we were close to finishing our drink I noticed a young man and woman order a couple of drinks and walked down the hallway and around that time Barb pointed out a man coming into the bar with a guitar case so we thought it was time to claim a seat.

The room was small, perhaps the same size as the bar room, with about two dozen places to sit and two green leather couches along the far side of the room along the entire wall. We opted for a table in the far corner with Barb taking the bench and I sat in a chair. The band consisted of three men in their late forties with a bass guitar, acoustical guitar and a saxophone. They tipped the couches on their end and leaned them both against the opposite walls to make way for their two 2’X3’ speakers. By then people began to fill up the seats with a group of young ladies in their 20’s taking tables and chairs in the center of the room. One of them had a milar balloon with “WE’RE GOING TO MISS YOU” on it. She was moving away to London. A group of eight young men occupied a few tables and seats in the front of the room in the area just as you enter the room. Then immediately in front of that group were four older men probably in their 50’s. The couple I noticed earlier were a few seats in front of us toward the stage. Three older men asked if they could sit on the bench beside Barb so that meant all the seats in the room were occupied.

Considering the equipment for a three man band, compared to the size of the room, we were sure it was not going to be the intimate acoustic guitar and singing we anticipated. The crowd was mixed ages so we didn’t think it was going to be a heavy metal show either. But the room was full and the groups talked easily between themselves and the tables always seemed to have full and empty glasses of beer or wine and it was enjoyable just being there.

I guess it was around 18:30 because the band started to play a familiar tune and the singer started with,

"Well I guess it would be nice

If I could touch your body

I know not everybody 

Has got a body like you"

Some talking continued but several people were singing along with the George Michael tune and by the end most of the room was participating. They played two sets covering popular songs and as the first set ended there were more singers than separate conversations but each competed and the room got louder and louder.

The young couple I first noticed were on their second bottle of wine and the men next to us were on their third and fourth rounds. I only noticed a few faces disappear but the room maintained full capacity with several people standing in the remaining spaces. There was no table service so it was tricky maneuvering between the people and chairs to get back to the bar but I managed it successfully a few times.

The second set started and most of the room was singing along with the songs and before we expected the singer thanked everyone and their playing time was over. Then the crowd all stood imploring them, “1 MORE SONG, 1 MORE SONG….”.

Immediately after that song concluded the room emptied, some to the bar but most left for home or their next stop. It was about 21:00 and we decided to get some dinner so we left feeling pretty good from the beer and drinks, listening to familiar tunes but mainly from being in a room full of people enjoying a couple of fun hours. 

We plan on returning next Sunday.  

Cheers from Edinburgh!
John