The mates who have met for a pint every Thursday for 56 years

It’s Thursday night in the White Swan where, in one corner, songs by Cliff Richard, Derek and the Dominoes and Rick Astley are among those being belted out through the speaker – and by some of the less sober punters.

At the other, quieter end – huddled around a table of half-full glasses of Stones beer and alcohol-free Guinness – are Paul Haynes, Bill Munden, Ken King, Peter Thirlwall, Brian Ayres and Dick Cotton.

None of them can imagine being anywhere else in the world right now, as Thursday night has been pub night every week for the last 56 years.

The group, all now in their early eighties, reckon they’ve scarcely missed two dozen meet-ups since 1968.

“It’s very, very rare we miss a Thursday,” retired electrical engineer Peter says with pride. “Sometimes we’re all on holiday and we can’t manage it. We might be down to three of us if it gets really desperate.”

“There have been times when we’ve made every Thursday in the year, two or three years in a row,” Dick adds. “It’s quite impressive.”

The pub trips started with then students Ken and Paul, who used to take advantage of free study periods to play golf and have a crafty pint afterwards.

The habit quickly morphed into an immovable tradition, with Ken joking that a school-style written note of absence is necessary for anyone who dares bail without good reason, although one member of the group is legitimately absent this week due to a holiday.

The group’s numbers have changed over the years, as friends, colleagues and neighbours came and went.

The conversation too has moved with the times.

“We once talked about soccer and sex. These days it’s more prostates and pensions,” Peter jokes, surrounded by his friends in the pub about five miles south of Sheffield city centre.

The group alternates between pubs in Sheffield and Rotherham to account for the geographical spread of the friendship group, but they have tried to remain loyal to their inns of choice.

“I’d say we average just over nine years a pub,” Peter explains. “Most of the pubs we’ve stopped going to are because they’ve shut down.”

Even a global pandemic couldn’t drive a wedge between them as Thursdays became a virtual pub night over Zoom for several months during 2020.

Although a departure from the norm, it meant that for the first time in years former group members who had left South Yorkshire for new climes as far flung as Australia, Canada and East Sussex could properly catch up with their old pals on a regular basis.

“We still do Zoom once a month, because we didn’t want to drop them after Covid,” Ken explains.

A reunion to mark the group’s 55th anniversary, which ended up being delayed for a year, was held last month for the benefit of the expats.

Given the length of time, it is almost astonishing to hear Dick muse that “we’ve never really fallen out have we?”.

But it’s corroborated by everyone at tonight’s get-together.

“Around this table none of us are the same,” says Paul, who is one of four Sheffield United season ticket holders in a group which also has its football sceptics.

“Everybody is different. We have incredibly contrasting political views, which leads to the most incredible, illogical arguments.”

Perhaps crucially though, the friends have ensured the arguments never get personal or followed them out of the pub door at closing time.

“We are quite different people but I suspect we’ve all got the same fundamental values,” Brian says.

“If we argue with each other, it’s not about critical things.”

In 56 years there hasn’t even been an argument about whose round it is.

Well, there has, but it’s borne out of generosity and a desire from each member to get the drinks in, rather than through any tight-fistedness.

Even the gatecrasher representing the BBC tries to buy a round at one point in an effort to repay the warm welcome he has received, and is duly rebutted.

It is closing time anyway.

“We used to do three pints at one time, but it’s two these days,” one of the group explains.

So what does each of them personally get out of Thursday nights?

“It stops me being boring,” Peter answers.

“I wouldn’t go that far!” Ken interjects in a flash, to chortles around the table.

“You have to do things,” Paul adds on the importance of keeping friendship fresh.

“You can’t just meet up as a group for a reunion because all you discuss is the past. But if you keep on doing things, then it continues and there’s always something new to talk about.”

When the group met for the first time in 1968, Labour were in power, Manchester City were champions of English football and England had fallen narrowly short of their pursuit of a maiden European Championship title.

So some things don’t change.

And despite having had 17 children, 33 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren between them since that first drink 56 years ago, the togetherness of this evergreen and happy-go-lucky group hasn’t either.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.