44 replies to this topic

[stephen nulty]

I was looking through a Prescot local history book last night and reading about pubs, and it made me realise that the town is (or was, until quite recently) spoilt for watering holes.

I know that when I used to go out on the town on Friday nights in the early and mid-1980’s. I would start as The Eagle & Child around 6:00 for an hour or two, then walk past the Plough and Royal Oak and pop into Tommy Hall’s, where I would have a drink with my dad. Then ignoring the Reform Club over the road, I would pop into the Fusilier for one then the Hope and Anchor followed by a trip to the Long Pull (Victoria). Maybe a quick one at the Deanes House then bypassing the Red Lion and the Crown, I’d end up in the Bath Springs for the last hour.

I would also miss out the British Soldier and the Clock Face because they were both down roads that I would have to come back along, whereas everywhere else was en-route.

The Imperial was too far out of the way, as was the Manor. On rare occasions, I might jump the late 96 down to Prescot Labour Club, then chippy and home.

That’s really quite a large number of places to drink in such a small area, although I know that at least four of the above are no longer open.

Anybody have any particular fond memories of any of the Pubs?

[MikeB]

I used to mainly drink in the Baths springs when I was younger and the Deanes house.

The long pull (victoria) is now called the old mill and what was the old prescot reporter office near the registry office is now a wine bar called The Print house.

I have never been in The Crown The Sun Inn or The reform club as they was classed as old mans pubs ...bear in mind when I was drinking in Prescot I was underage

[stephen nulty]

I had my stag night in thre Bath Springs

None of those trips to Prague/Tallin/Barcelona, etc. when I was getting married. I finally crashed out in the gents and had to be taken home. The plan had been to go to a club but I think they all went without me.

I forgot about The Sun Inn. I haven't been in there for 25 years. I was last in the Reform Club after my dad's funeral in 2004. The Vic was my first "local" when I was about 16 and working at the BI. Probably cos the 97 still ran in those days and I used to jump it at the top of Fazackerley Road and get off at the council offices, the Vic being 30 seconds walk away! Joe Apter used to have it back then.

[gilly]

I know it's not Prescot but in the early 80's ,Fingerpost took some beating. Ilived in Graham St.It was possible(though unlikely )to follow this route Start at the Victoria then 100yds the Furnacemans 20 yds the Red Lion 200yds the Queens 50 yds the Round House 100 yds the Northern Union 100yds back Holy Cross 200 yds the Black Horse 50 yds the dog track 50 yds the Primrose cross over and walk back 50 yds the Hardshaw 250 yds the Star 200yds back to the Furnacemans then finish up back in the Vic .A 3/4 mile round trip taking in 12 different drinking holes .In the 60's before the redevelopement,you could probably add at least 10 more pubs to that route,without exceeding a mile of walking.

[gypsygeoff]

Eagle was my favourite watering hole,still can't remember the two sisters who had it.The long Pull has always been the long pull to me,even when it was the Vic.Never been in the Sun,went in the Engine a bit Barry Dennet a guy I worked at Fiddlers Ferry with.Spent me wedding afternoon in the Crown,the wife had to go to WHiston Hospital to she her aunty her wedding dress,Whizzy hozzy or the pub,no contest.The soldier was my uncles favourite watering hole,and the Welly,bit far out my mate has it now or had it,Harold Stuart.
Christmas eve in the Kings Arms(fusilier)was magic.

[NIMROD]

stephen nulty, on 22 May 2009 - 09:29 AM, said:

I was looking through a Prescot local history book last night and reading about pubs, and it made me realise that the town is (or was, until quite recently) spoilt for watering holes.

I dont whether this is of interest quoted from a book Inns of Prescot & Whiston by Jack Knowles 1981.

Old House at Home Ecccleston Lane Ends,corner of grammer school fields.known as Copples.
The 1891 directory mentions John Copple Eccleston Brewery and John Copple jnr known as a
beer retailer Eccleston (this district was a part of Eccleston).

Harry Houlgrave had brewery in High Street Prescot.

Nimrod

[dotcomdan]

When I became a licensee in 1977, I had to undergo a period of relief management in the Greenall Whitley pub's in Prescot. The list in 1977/78 was,
The Royal Oak, the Bath Springs, the Red Lion, the Hope and Anchor, the Deanes House, The Rocket (Black Horse), the Wellington and the Plough. My wife and I had some good times in Prescot and I enjoyed Ray's pies. I remember Paul Dean in the Rocket, a reputed "hard man" in the area. I didn't like the Wellington at Lane Ends due to the difference in the licensing hours in the Prescot District and St Helens, St Helens closing half an hour later. the result being drunken Prescotians coming in at closing time looking for trouble. Other than that it was alright in Prescot.

[stephen nulty]

Ah, the extra half hour drinking time in St Helens pubs!

Like you say, it made the Welly, Rocket, etc. prime targets at 3:00 for us lot, especially on Bank Holiday afternoons. If we could get to either of those in time to buy a couple of pints before 3:30, then by the time we'd drunk them, been thrown out and made our way back to Prescot, it would be 5:00 and they would be open again!

But if you didn't get to a St Helens pub, then you would have to go and sit in Sayers for an hour with a pasty and a cup of tea.

They don't know they're born these days with all day drinking

[dotcomdan]

Nice one Stephen.

[dickie mint]

dotcomdan, on 25 May 2009 - 11:38 PM, said:

When I became a licensee in 1977, I had to undergo a period of relief management in the Greenall Whitley pub's in Prescot. The list in 1977/78 was,
The Royal Oak, the Bath Springs, the Red Lion, the Hope and Anchor, the Deanes House, The Rocket (Black Horse), the Wellington and the Plough. My wife and I had some good times in Prescot and I enjoyed Ray's pies. I remember Paul Dean in the Rocket, a reputed "hard man" in the area. I didn't like the Wellington at Lane Ends due to the difference in the licensing hours in the Prescot District and St Helens, St Helens closing half an hour later. the result being drunken Prescotians coming in at closing time looking for trouble. Other than that it was alright in Prescot.

Memories DMan, i frequented one or two of those pubs, the pick being the hope and anchor. My watering hole was the green dragon, the hard man you mention and his family and other notorious families used to sup there without any trouble. Remember joe davies-the old landlord of the dragon, he ran a good establishment. And Rays pies-legendary, without doubt the best pies for miles especially those steak pies filled with best beef and running gravy.

Stephen, i used to like the victoria on a friday night- buzzing with the ladies ( i still couldnt pull though, perhaps the long pull was an appropriate name)

[stephen nulty]

Dickie

Yes, the Long Pull was my favourite when I started going to the pub back in the early 1970's. I much preferred a pint of Skol lager to the stuff they offered in Greenall's pubs (Grunhalle !!!)

The landlord was Joe Apter and he had taken over, as I recall from his dad, also Joe. I remember one night when old Joe was behind the bar and after a few pints, I'd started drinking rum and black (what a horribel thought these days). Do you remember when you used to get shorts in those little glasses? Well old Joe served me a few times then told me that for a laugh, he'd just put blackcurrant in the glass and no run - I hadn't even noticed, although I think I became a bit more drunk !!

And if you couldn't pull at the pull.......

[dickie mint]

True i never pulled at the long pull, Was it the eagle where you could get a pint of double diamond. And its strange you mention rum and black, along with purnod it was the in drink at the time although i prefered a bull bitter myself, and the drink for the ladies as i recall was cherry b and cider. I drank at the dragon for a few years in the early seventies, different days back then- a night of darts in the bar and cross the road for a chinese. Always prefered the bar to the best side myself.

[stephen nulty]

dickie mint, on 27 May 2009 - 02:26 PM, said:

Always prefered the bar to the best side myself.

Hence the reason you never pulled!



Funny that about pernod, cos people used to drink it with lemondae, wheras now that I am grown up and sophisticated (!!!!!) and have been to France, I know that you should drink it with water.

You could get DD at the Pull and at the Eagle cos they were both Tetley houses and that was their "best bitter". Greenalls did a "best botter" as well, but I can't quite think of its name.

[gypsygeoff]

Ah Memories,the Greenhalls bitter was ''Festival'',and yer right only a queer couldn't bag off in the pull.You missed the Holt as a Greenalls pub, Roy Bibby had it,one miserable get too,he could turn the ale to vinegar with his face pulls.. I went to school with the Deans,there must have been 12 of them.Paul worked with my Dad in the paint shop at Stovies.They ended up running parts of prescot.
Me Dad was a regular in The Rocket (maggies to us but thats another story)for nigh on 40yrs.

[dotcomdan]

gypsygeoff, on 27 May 2009 - 09:02 PM, said:

Ah Memories,the Greenhalls bitter was ''Festival''
Paul worked with my Dad in the paint shop at Stovies.They ended up running parts of prescot.
Me Dad was a regular in The Rocket (maggies to us but thats another story)for nigh on 40yrs.

It was called "Maggie Sharkeys" when I was there but the real name at that time was the Black Horse. Greenalls also brought out a top bitter called Thomas Greenall's Original which was quite strong. Going back to Paulie Dean he had been arrested for attacking a man he thought had just raped his wife, apparently she had gone out to borrow some bread or something and came back in claiming she had been raped. He grabbed the first man he saw in the street dragged him back and tied him up before finding a Police warrant card in his pocket, (so he told me). If I remember correctly it was around Christmas time. He never caused me any trouble.