Murray, my imagination is not running riot - I too, have been a waitperson in a pub, and the sleeves were stacked 4 high on the top shelf... mainly because it was a proper southern pub and had jugs under the bar and hanging along the top of it. They had to have some under the bar because I was too short to reach the hanging ones.

If you would like to come to London one day, I will take you to a couple of pubs where sleeves are still stacked. Admittedly the design of the sleeves has changed to where they are a bit more robust (again, can't be glassed with them) so stacking isn't too much of a problem.

Trouble with stacking is, if they were hot and wet when stacked, they formed a vacuum when dry and cold, so it was hell's own job to prise them apart - another good reason for having jugs!

(and I'm sure Spaw would like to make some remark about that last comment....)

LTS