To retain customers some pubs cleverly copied the retail establishments who offered tokens for folk to save up for Christmas and the like. Of course, once purchased the tokens could only be spent in the pub from where they were purchased, so if you could catch a weaver on his way home with wages in his pocket then a certain percentage of his wages could be guaranteed to be spent on ale.
Most pubs consisted of a number of small rooms each with a warm coal fire and a particular name and purpose – the lounge, the snug, the games room. Over the years the community spirit was encouraged through the development of the pub teams. Some of these were concerned with indoor activities such as dominoes, darts and snooker and town leagues between pubs grew steadily. Later, pubs became the headquarters for football and cricket teams in the local amateur leagues with publicans often sponsoring the team.
Changes to the way in which people spend their leisure time have meant that pubs have had to change with the times or face closure as customer numbers dwindled. The number of pubs in Darwen has dwindled in recent times, but some have shown a level of adaptability and diversity necessary to retain their place in society.