I grew up during the 1960s and 1970s, the golden age of the British pub. At weekends it was standing room only and a significant number of houses, especially in the early 1960s, still had singsongs around the piano.

Pub food didn’t really take off until the mid 1960s and then many locals complained about the smell of cooking.

The 1970s saw the piano replaced by the jukebox.

Even in the week there would be good houses, with lively conversation. The great thing about the chat was that it covered a wide range of subjects and had a lot of good-natured banter between different generations.

It’s this aspect that makes the demise of the British pub so sad.

Make no mistake there’s unlikely to be a revival, but something’s gone from our society and it’s not being replaced.

Some would say social networking websites have replaced it, but their anonymity simply encourages intemperate comment, which in a pub would have risked an invitation to step outside.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland.

SO pleased to hear that the dear old Half Moon pub in Northgate, Darlington is to be re-opened by two very sympathetic people (Echo, May 5).

My mother will be 90 in November and was very upset by the sad look of her old home – she was born in the back bedroom of the pub as her parents owned the premises. Her mother had inherited it from her father, John Smith Henderson, who added the third storey to the house, so there has been a long family connection and many happy memories for her.

I wish the new owners every success in their new venture.

Tina Lupton, Coatham Mundeville, near Darlington.