5 replies to this topic

[dotcomdan]

Does anyone remember a true town centre character we called "Johnnie Demo", so called because he was a demolition man who worked for "Lancashire Demolition", the company who demolished Newtown area and the town centre. His real name was Johnnie Marsh and when I was in the Police I would find him sleeping in the derelict houses in Lyon street etc. He married and settled in St Thomas Square and had a son "little Johnnie". One of the things he did was to make a parachute from a handkerchief and attach it to his cat in case the cat fell off the balcony.
His marriage broke up and when I left the Police he drank in the Angel in Barrow Street where I was the manager, he insisted on having his pint of Mild drawn flat with no head at all, due to his having lived down South a long time.
One day he was sitting outside waiting for the pub to open when a passer-by asked him if he knew of any good boozers in the town ( meaning pubs), Johnnie replied " You are talking to one" His other nickname was "Sabu" because of his looks when he was younger, but I didn't now him then. Is he still around?

Edited by dotcomdan, 05 June 2009 - 11:43 PM.

[gangad]

sadly he has passed onthe young lad whowas murdered a few weeks ago washisgrandson i remember you as the landlord of the angeland also the grange

[RATTY]

Didnt know you worked in the Grange Dotcomdan? Loved that pub,great food, great disco. One of the stand out nights of my life was the queens silver jubilee party there, used to be in there a lot around that time with a group of mates playing pool,where you there then? what a small world eh.

[dotcomdan]

gangad, on 24 December 2009 - 08:22 AM, said:

sadly he has passed onthe young lad whowas murdered a few weeks ago washisgrandson i remember you as the landlord of the angeland also the grange

I'm glad somebody remembers me, I had the Black Bull after the Angel. I am sorry to hear about Johhny Demo, I don't know anything about a grandson as I have been away 15 years in Scotland. You must be getting on if you remember me in both pubs.

RATTY, on 27 December 2009 - 01:02 AM, said:

Didnt know you worked in the Grange Dotcomdan? Loved that pub,great food, great disco. One of the stand out nights of my life was the queens silver jubilee party there, used to be in there a lot around that time with a group of mates playing pool,where you there then? what a small world eh.

I left the Police in Dec 1977 and started as a trainee with Bernard Appleton at the Grange Park Hotel and then took it over when he went to the Rifle Corps as a tenant. It was then leased to Swindells Roofers, and I took over the Angel in town.

[DJGAZZA]

I used to do the disco @ the Grange in about 1984, always had trouble with the neighbours regarding the noise

Gazza

[johnny demo junior]

dotcomdan, on 05 June 2009 - 11:40 PM, said:

Does anyone remember a true town centre character we called "Johnnie Demo",

Hi mate, The bloke is my dad. i think i know you, he used to take me in the angel when i was a kid, he sadly passed of a heart attack in 1986. he was a charachter and a good bloke. I'm really made up that someone has asked about him. cheers. little johnnie.