The headlines of the Oxford Mail dating back to March 1983 read: The Anchor - still a 'real' pub, and the accompanying pictures show the then licencees, Tom and Joan Robinson, pulling pints for customers crammed together in what was then probably one of the smallest bars in the country.

The serving space in the Old Anchor Inn, St Helen's Wharf, Abingdon, was then twice the size of the drinking area, but that didn't stop it being one of only half a dozen pubs in the country to have appeared annually in every edition of Camra's Good Pub Guide, for more than a decade.

Sadly, although this Abingdon pub been extended and now boasts a large bar area, a great little room tucked away at the back and a small patio area overlooking the Thames, it no longer appears in the guide, even though it serves a jolly good pint of Morland's Original.

I'd braved the Abingdon traffic jams to talk to a few licensees about the ban on drinking in public which may be introduced across Abingdon soon to curb anti-social behaviour. I was sure that licensees such as Paul White who runs The Old Anchor Inn, would have something to say on the subject.

He said that if the ban has got to come, then it's got to come, though he was concerned that this would prevent genuine picknickers on Abbey Meadows from enjoying a glass of wine with their meal, which he would rate as responsible drinking. He's right of course, like so many laws, in order to curb the behaviour of a few, others are often deprived of innocent pleasures that harm no one.

Sandbags are still piled up against the walls of this red bricked pub, a rather grim reminder that pubs situated alongside the Thames are now accepting the fact that they could be needed at any time. The Old Anchor missed the January floods, but as Paul said, who knows what will happen next time. Keeping a small pub, such as The Old Anchor, is certainly not getting easier.

It was good to see a lively group of pensioners ordering their lunch at The Old Anchor the day we called. They were really enjoying themselves and taking advantage of the pub's Senior Citizens Special offers which provide smaller portions for smaller appetites at lower prices. These meals include a 5oz gammon steak with egg or pineapple served with chips and salad at £4.25 and plaice or cod and chips at £3.95. Ham, egg, chips and peas are also £3.95.

My colleague Chris and I sat in the atmospheric little room at the side of the main bar area and admired once again its old settles, ancient stove and the table from the original bar bearing a brass plaque dated 1990 which states it's a gift from the regulars of the original pub to the regulars of the new one. (It was in 1990 that the pub was revamped and extended).

I ordered home-made spicy chicken curry, with chips (£7.50) and was delighted, I couldn't have cooked it better myself. Chris ordered scampi and chips (£6.50) and ate his meal slowly and with delight because he found it so agreeable. Other dishes on the menu included traditional ploughmans costing £5.95 for ham and £5.50 for cheese. The price of baguettes or large filled soft baps start at £3.75 and vegetarians can enjoy a home-made sweet potato and vegetable bake for £7.95.

These meals are not available Monday and Tuesday by the way, as I discovered when arriving on a Tuesday by mistake.

I like this pub and the fact that it hasn't been modernized. There's a warm friendly welcome, the food is unpretentious but good and they serve a jolly good pint. I keep my fingers crossed that those sandbags are never dragged into use.