Well ain't that something. The Red Lion's not just a name, it's a slice of history. That's why I love going to these old pubs, they've got stories in the walls. And, of course, usually some decent ales on tap!

Fun fact - Some pubs that are centuries old have the Red Lion name but zero to do with James I. A lot of them probably just took the name because it was popular and thought, why not? If it works, it works. Still, it's a good story for a pub quiz.

So now we're giving James I the credit for our lack of originality in pub names? No wonder our high streets all look the same.

Haha, every uni town has a Red Lion. It's like an unwritten rule. They should teach this stuff in lectures, might actually remember it over the weekend then!

Brilliant bit of info! King James I doesn't get enough credit for his efforts to unite the UK. It wasn't just pubs, the red lion was meant to signify unity everywhere. Given how many of these pubs are still standing, you could say he left quite the mark! And let's not forget, a good number of those pubs are cracking places to grab a pint.

Every town's gotta have one, don't they? The Red Lion down our way is the old hangout spot. Can't beat the classics 🍻

Is that right? Feels a bit too tidy of an explanation to me. I mean, can't something just be popular because it sounds good? Bet if you check in some places, there's no historical link at all. Just a name that stuck. But it's a decent story, cheers for sharing.

Love a bit of pub trivia! Actually dug a bit deeper on this and found that the Red Lion is also associated with John of Gaunt, 14th-century royal. He was a big deal back in the day and his heraldic symbol was the red lion. Loads of pubs were named in honour of him even before James I. Pretty cool how these names have such a legacy, isn't it?