Rough pub stories
Discussion
whitesocks said:
Portsmouth is good for drinking. So I might have been in that one at some point.
Went to Uni in portsmouth late 90s. We were warned not to go to the sailors pubs, but those few I did meet seemed..well like normal people they actually were.There wss also a lovely flat roofed pub on a dodgy housing estate that had the best real ale jn Portsmouth at the time, and was a lovely pub..
..our local for 2 years was callex 'the gravediggers". Now that was a rough pub. Students and locals did not mix in that pub. The locals disliked our spending habits, and we had nothin in commen with them.
I used to stay in the Laurel in Middlesboro when I was at college.
The first day we left college the driver asked us where to....when we told him the Laurel he laughed and asked again. We were 16 at the time.
We got really well looked after though. The bloke that owned it had told all his mates to keep an eye on us. We had our own table in the corner of the pub that nobody else was to sit in. Saw all sorts of stuff go on in there. That Brian Cockerill (see google) used to come in abit as he was mates with the lad that ran it called Rob. Someone told me his was inside for murder now.
A couple of times we got hassel when we were out and about on a night and as soon as we told them we were staying at the Laurel and Rob was looking after us people left us well alone.
The first day we left college the driver asked us where to....when we told him the Laurel he laughed and asked again. We were 16 at the time.
We got really well looked after though. The bloke that owned it had told all his mates to keep an eye on us. We had our own table in the corner of the pub that nobody else was to sit in. Saw all sorts of stuff go on in there. That Brian Cockerill (see google) used to come in abit as he was mates with the lad that ran it called Rob. Someone told me his was inside for murder now.
A couple of times we got hassel when we were out and about on a night and as soon as we told them we were staying at the Laurel and Rob was looking after us people left us well alone.
Bracknell was mentioned earlier, In the late 70s Mrs fox was broody with Fox Jnr
As is a lady expecting, her tastes were rather eclectic, and one Friday night asked me to get a bottle of Guinness
Now back there there were no late night supermarkets let alone ones with alcohol licences, so the only places were off licences or pubs, the only offy i knew shut at 21.30,
I was passing the Jolly Farmer a 'new estate pub' possibly 50/60s build
I walked into the public bar and suddenly the whole place fell silent. A chap was playing pool and was just zbout to take his shot .He stopped and the only thing that moved were his eyes as they followed me to the bar, I say that as i didn't make eye contact but felt the gaze hitting me between the shoulder blades
When i got the the bar there was one guy there on a stool but face down asleep. his cigarettes were floeating in the beer on the bar
Barman eventaully sauntered over and i got the Guinness ,after politely requesting to 'keep the top on',, tuerned and walked towards the dood, the eyes were still on me like a heat seeking guided missile, As i opened the door and walked out ,i heartd the sound of the pool
balls clacking as theshot was taken ,and the conversation level went back to the lrevel it was when i entered.'T
£0 years later i ventured in for the second time... it had gone upmarket a bit!
However the William Twigg is another two visit pub, once when it was the nearest one and i was checking out the locals. It appeared .from memory that Whilst you walked up a flight of steps to the entrance and then IIRC looked DOWN to two other bars.with a 40w bulb as ilumination,I never got there but turned and went out, I took my BiL there to show him that there are dives that could give some Glasgow pubs a run for their money, again in/out never been back. It Has a banner outside proclaiming it was 'The home of British Poo'l,
I think the one that was the bikers pub was the Bull again revamped following the regeneration of the town centre, The Red Lion is now a US style steakhouse and the old Manor a Spoons.
BUT travelling outaide for a few miles in \any direction there are some cracking drinking/Eating places So it isn't all bad
As is a lady expecting, her tastes were rather eclectic, and one Friday night asked me to get a bottle of Guinness
Now back there there were no late night supermarkets let alone ones with alcohol licences, so the only places were off licences or pubs, the only offy i knew shut at 21.30,
I was passing the Jolly Farmer a 'new estate pub' possibly 50/60s build
I walked into the public bar and suddenly the whole place fell silent. A chap was playing pool and was just zbout to take his shot .He stopped and the only thing that moved were his eyes as they followed me to the bar, I say that as i didn't make eye contact but felt the gaze hitting me between the shoulder blades
When i got the the bar there was one guy there on a stool but face down asleep. his cigarettes were floeating in the beer on the bar
Barman eventaully sauntered over and i got the Guinness ,after politely requesting to 'keep the top on',, tuerned and walked towards the dood, the eyes were still on me like a heat seeking guided missile, As i opened the door and walked out ,i heartd the sound of the pool
balls clacking as theshot was taken ,and the conversation level went back to the lrevel it was when i entered.'T
£0 years later i ventured in for the second time... it had gone upmarket a bit!
However the William Twigg is another two visit pub, once when it was the nearest one and i was checking out the locals. It appeared .from memory that Whilst you walked up a flight of steps to the entrance and then IIRC looked DOWN to two other bars.with a 40w bulb as ilumination,I never got there but turned and went out, I took my BiL there to show him that there are dives that could give some Glasgow pubs a run for their money, again in/out never been back. It Has a banner outside proclaiming it was 'The home of British Poo'l,
I think the one that was the bikers pub was the Bull again revamped following the regeneration of the town centre, The Red Lion is now a US style steakhouse and the old Manor a Spoons.
BUT travelling outaide for a few miles in \any direction there are some cracking drinking/Eating places So it isn't all bad
MiniMan64 said:
craig r said:
MiniMan64 said:
Never went but apparently there was pub in Keyham in Plymouth that had topless barmaids at the weekend.
Mother and daughter...
Avondale Arms...Keyham is generally rough thoughMother and daughter...
Spare tyre said:
Supernova190188 said:
Are there still any pubs about with sawdust on the floor I wonder?!
As a youngish bloke, was that really a thing, what’s the purpose soak of various juices and blood?Stratties in gorgie was a roughish pub. Use to pop in at 6am with my mate after we had finished nights at the RIE. Always people in who looked like it was home! Never any bother tho. Someone would always come in selling bacon/steak etc from the scotmid across the road...lol. Nothing beats drinking in the morning!
gazza285 said:
silverthorn2151 said:
As a young Building Control Officer in the early 80s we had to inspect licenced premises to check condition, means of escape and so on in relation to licence renewals.
At that time the area I covered ran from Stratford down through Plaistow to Silvertown and North Woolwich. Feck me there were some rough pubs down the back streets. Proper dodgy places for a young chap from the Council to turn up at. Never once was there an issue though. Join in a bit of banter and on to the next one. Very easy to accept the proffered drinks though and be pissed by 11:00 am.
The Tidal Basin Tavern in Silvertown though.......definitely not somewhere to linger in.
I was working on the DLR back in the late nineties, we had digs in the Royal Standard just up from the Woolwich Ferry, proper cockney dive.At that time the area I covered ran from Stratford down through Plaistow to Silvertown and North Woolwich. Feck me there were some rough pubs down the back streets. Proper dodgy places for a young chap from the Council to turn up at. Never once was there an issue though. Join in a bit of banter and on to the next one. Very easy to accept the proffered drinks though and be pissed by 11:00 am.
The Tidal Basin Tavern in Silvertown though.......definitely not somewhere to linger in.
C4ME said:
Regarding topless barmaids, I remember the Bierkeller in central Leeds used to have them at lunchtime in the mid 1980s. A pie and a pint and a nice pair of bristols were all you needed as a young man to be happy.
Eurgh, the pint pot being passed round for the "collection". I posted earlier about a pub being the last flat roofed one I'd visited apart from Scotland but that's generally because the sort of things everyone is describing is still readily available in Scotland. Venture over the Clyde for 2 mins walk and you'll have your eyes opened (by a stanley knife if you're unlucky), it's a hell of an experience as far as I know since the last five years.
Venture further and you'll find even more "laughs". I had previous with a girl from Port Glasgow, I won't say more than that. Lovely family but, well Port Glasgow. First time I drove up and managed to make my way to the local flat roof but got stuck there, couple of boys in the car park so I pull up and ask for directions (I still remember the street) while they're sorting something out at their car boot.
Nice as pie, they helpfully pointed the way with one of a couple of shotguns they had after I told them who I was looking for.
Upon arriving and telling the story her mother exclaimed "ah that'll be XXXXX and XXXXXXXX, couple of saft wee bastids and dinnae be feart about some wee pee shooters they nuggets had! You'd s
te them if ye raised your voice".Right oh.
RonaldMcDonaldAteMyCat said:
RonaldMcDonaldAteMyCat said:
stevesingo said:
The Grand Prix Club, Brough Cumbria. Fought a fighting retreat! Hilarious in the dysfunctionality of the clientele.
Haha, one of my old haunts. Appleby lads versus Kirkby. Pissed up scrap and a bus ride home.The 'club' was a combination of garage, bus company (Cliff would drive the school buses), truck stop, indoor football pitch and squash courts.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Allison
carreauchompeur said:
skilly1 said:
I’ve always...wondered about that place!
Plenty of pubs around Hartcliffe and Withywood were worth avoiding too.
In fact most places in South Bristol. Oh, and anything on/near Stapleton Road.
GCH said:
Dead Rabbit, McSorley's (perhaps the closest thing to a proper pub here) and a couple of others still do that here in NYC...
Do things get a bit tasty in the Dead Rabbit? Always thought it to be quite ‘upmarket’ in a rough round the edges kind of way. I remember dragging the Mrs on a nice stroll there all the way from Bryant Park because I swore it was ‘just round the corner’ 
I give you Brambles Farm Hotel Middlesbrough..
Not doing so well now
There was a pub in Holbrooks, Coventry whereby the local nutter wanted to play pool with his new mate (me..) and subsequently picked the black ball up and put it in the pocket, the locals just backed-off and let us play
It's funny that growing up in these cities makes you street wise.. I feel pretty safe in most places (..except Mexico City where the cost of human life is not so great)
Not doing so well now
There was a pub in Holbrooks, Coventry whereby the local nutter wanted to play pool with his new mate (me..) and subsequently picked the black ball up and put it in the pocket, the locals just backed-off and let us play
It's funny that growing up in these cities makes you street wise.. I feel pretty safe in most places (..except Mexico City where the cost of human life is not so great)
I used to live as a teenager in a complete heroin infested sthole of a local authority housing scheme just outside Falkirk in Scotland. I worked in the local pub, the delightfully named 'Cottages'. One facially tattooed psychopath would order soft drinks every time. I tentatively asked him if he'd prefer a pint. "no, ah've goat liver failure. If ah drink ah'll die." He was about 25. Some middle-aged bloke I recognised came in one day. "Haven't seen you for a while" I said. "Ah've been in Barlinnie fur cerrying oot "enforcement" wi a machete." The same bloke laid into some local lad with a ball peen hammer outside my house one night. Lovely place.
I lived in Edinburgh on and off. Went to a pub in Leith one evening with a mate and our girlfriends in the 80s. There actually was sawdust on the floor. Wouldn't serve the girls. "We've got ID..." "It's no that, we dinnae serve wummin in here".
Years later I find myself living in Maltby in South Yorkshire. Mining village. Like Mos Eiseley but without the lightsabers. Managed to avoid visiting any pubs in the 5 months I was there. Ex-Firearms cop I knew mentioned the Queens Hotel round the corner from my house. Hells Angels haunt, with regular shotgun retribution in the bar. Ideal for families.
thole of a local authority housing scheme just outside Falkirk in Scotland. I worked in the local pub, the delightfully named 'Cottages'. One facially tattooed psychopath would order soft drinks every time. I tentatively asked him if he'd prefer a pint. "no, ah've goat liver failure. If ah drink ah'll die." He was about 25. Some middle-aged bloke I recognised came in one day. "Haven't seen you for a while" I said. "Ah've been in Barlinnie fur cerrying oot "enforcement" wi a machete." The same bloke laid into some local lad with a ball peen hammer outside my house one night. Lovely place.I lived in Edinburgh on and off. Went to a pub in Leith one evening with a mate and our girlfriends in the 80s. There actually was sawdust on the floor. Wouldn't serve the girls. "We've got ID..." "It's no that, we dinnae serve wummin in here".
Years later I find myself living in Maltby in South Yorkshire. Mining village. Like Mos Eiseley but without the lightsabers. Managed to avoid visiting any pubs in the 5 months I was there. Ex-Firearms cop I knew mentioned the Queens Hotel round the corner from my house. Hells Angels haunt, with regular shotgun retribution in the bar. Ideal for families.
Some classics on here. For me 1999 - 2000 working in Paisley in the printing industry so lunch was a pint and pie in the pub a couple of hundred metres down the road from the office. Now Paisley is the type of place a high class bar will hand you a knife on the way in if you forgot one.
Anyway enjoying my beer when there was the lot of sirens outside and screeching tyres, few minutes later a policeman comes in tells the barman to lock the door and not let anybody leave as some lunatic is taking pot shots with a rifle from the flat across the road.
Being in charge of IT I had a company mobile so had to call my boss who was based in another office down in Stockport and let him know I might miss our call after lunch.
Also remember my first Christmas night out in Paisley as the locals take us bar that required stepping over two men wrestling on street outside the door, fun days.
Davie
Anyway enjoying my beer when there was the lot of sirens outside and screeching tyres, few minutes later a policeman comes in tells the barman to lock the door and not let anybody leave as some lunatic is taking pot shots with a rifle from the flat across the road.
Being in charge of IT I had a company mobile so had to call my boss who was based in another office down in Stockport and let him know I might miss our call after lunch.
Also remember my first Christmas night out in Paisley as the locals take us bar that required stepping over two men wrestling on street outside the door, fun days.
Davie
PomBstard said:
carreauchompeur said:
skilly1 said:
I’ve always...wondered about that place!Plenty of pubs around Hartcliffe and Withywood were worth avoiding too.
In fact most places in South Bristol. Oh, and anything on/near Stapleton Road.
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