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The Pubs
The "Man's World" of Pubs and Clubs is not as it was and by and large the male population are no longer all "Andy Capp's", nor should we mourn it's passing - but it was nice while it lasted!!
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The Station Hotel
 | Postcard from John Bowman
I liked the Station Hotel which had a good clientele, both in the bar (some good dart players) and in the room with the juke box, selling Bass which later changed to Worthington.
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The Royal
The Royal was on the corner of North Street and York Street near the Queens and the Anchor and was popularly known as "The Barney". I only ever went in it once when I was with Ronnie Conway who was a regular. It was run for years by the parents of Matty Innes.
Georgie Holmes's mate was Dagger Clayton who used to play the accordian in the Barney and one night when he was on Georgie came in with a gigantic stick of rhubarb with a huge leaf and started fanning Dagger to keep him cool!
Talking of these two, Georgie went round to Dagger's one day and found him with his head in the gas oven. Fearing the worst he grabbed his legs and hauled him out but Dagger was only getting the meat out of the oven!
Vince Kirkbright was telling me that his parents were landlord's there in the 1930's. I seems that before his parents were married Joe Kirkbright worked at Smith's Dock (notorious for poor pay) and augmented his income with a bar job at night as he saved to get married.
Joe was told that the Barney needed a married couple to take over the pub so they brought forward their wedding date and became the new landlords.
All went well until Hitler interfered with their lives by starting the war. Joe gave up the pub and returned to Smith's Dock and they moved into the South Terrace house where Vince still lives!
Incidentally, Vince remembers another pub at that time in York Street called The Grape and said that there was ornamental stone work decoration on the front depicting bunches of grapes!
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The Junction
Next to Elsie Hinds' scrapyard and "the wooden bridge" over the railway leading to (and from) Smith's Dock, where a lot of men called for a pint on the way home. Also, a lot of seamen berthed at the docks found it very handy as did a lot of the women who went there to meet them! A lively pub which sold Flowers Beer.
Tommy Holvanhill recalled the time when the landlord was Jack Coates. Just on closing time on a quiet night, Jack went into the room and found Harry Phillips crying. A caring man, Jack asked him what was wrong. Harry sobbed out a yarn about having no money or anywhere to sleep and was so fed up he was contemplating ending it all.
Jack sat down and tried to comfort him. Finally, when everyone else had left, Jack told Harry he could stay the night and sleep on the seets in the bar - but obtaining a promise that he wouldn't touch anything in there. Harry readily agreed and thanked his host profusely.
In the middle of the night a noise woke Jack from a deep sleep and he crept downstairs to investigate. He looked in the bar. Nothing had been touched but there was no Harry. Hearing another noise Jack followed it to the cellar. Opening the door he discovered a party in full progress, Harry having let all his mates in the cellar hatch! |
The Anchor
 | The Anchor in 1981. Photo by Jack Sowerby.
Second port of call for the women and the seamen.
Tommy Holvanhill was telling me about his first venture into a pub when he was still under age. With two friends he went into the Anchor and because he was big for his age he was elected to get the beer. He asked for three pints - and nervously asked how much that would be. The barmaid was the mother of Kevin Dodds and she told him how much and, being green, Tommy handed it over. He stood waiting "for ages" and finally said "Hey! Where's me beer?"
Mrs.Dodds, who had recognised Tommy from the moment he went to the bar, said "You'll get no beer here, Tommy Holvanhill, because you're not old enough so you'd better clear off before the police get here!" Tommy and his two mates quickly left without even getting their money back!! |
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The Queens
 | The Queens in 1981
This photo was taken by Jack Sowerby and has the Anchor in the background. |
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The Zetland
 | The Zetland Hotel
The Zetland on Nelson Street was one of the older pubs in South Bank and is mentioned in a couple of stories. Pictured above on the left in this 1930 postcard. |
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The Globe
 | Any more for anymore!
One of the first pubs in South Bank in Nelson Street. This 1910 pic shows a charabanc loaded to the gills with Buffs (The Royal Antidiluvian Order of Buffaloes) for their annual outing - probably to Scarborough. One thing - they won't be bothered with punctures with their solid rubber wheels! |
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The Victoria
 | The Victoria Pub. December 2001.
This was "our ould fella's" pub and like a lot of the old timers he had his particular seat and even when he was in poor health if he told someone to shift out of his seat - they shifted! Though usually Mrs Breckon, who ran the place then and was Denny's mother, would tell them "You'd better get out of Nick's seat before he comes in" - and they did! It always amazed me because he was such a gentle man in spite of his loud voice.
Popularly known as "The Vic" it was, and still is, situated on Middlesbrough Road opposite the Police Station. It was generally known as an old man's pub with an excellent pint of Vaux. I believe it had always had a Social Committee to run trips and things and had a loyal clientele. My old mate Paddy Betts used it for some years before getting involved with the Erimus Club.
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The Commercial
 | The Commercial in May 2002
This was a great pub and some great fights took place in the room. The way to enjoy them was to stand on the seat around the wall and hang on to your pint of Flower's beer while you cheered one side or the other on, which sometimes dragged you into the affray. Nor was it just the lads who fought. Some of the best battles from a spectator's viewpoint were between the lasses!
I remember Ged Banks once brought a mate in from Middlesbrough who couldn't get over the spectacle. It happened to be an exceptionally violent night with the boss very busy slinging people out. While he was at the door another fight would start. Peter Larkin was sat with us and at one point an argument started over near the door. A big young lad was threatening an old man.
"I can't stand by and watch this!" said Peter and got up, walked over to the aggressor who was bigger than himself, spun him round and hit him. He fell, out cold, just as the boss walked back in. "Aw, not you as well!" he said to Peter, a respected regular. Peter explained the situation which the boss accepted and got the offender by the legs and dragged him outside onto the pavement and left him! He obviously came round but had more sense than to re-enter!
The Boro lad kept saying "I've never seen owt like it! It's like the cowboy pictures!" (Praise indeed!) We said:
"Aw, it's quiet tonight!!"
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The Alexandra
 | The Alexandra known as The Muckypots!
The Alex ...was always known locally as the Muckypots but we can only guess at the origins of the nickname. It was our favourite pub in the 50's and the name was well established even then. There was a piano in the back room and there were some great sing-songs. People tended to sing together (Oh, how we could harmonize...) rather than singly as there was no microphone.
I particularly remember a young couple who were regulars called Rose and Ron Craddy. Rose was small, blond and full of life and her face always lit up with the pleasure she got from singing. Unfortunately, Life being what it is, Rose and her husband split up in the early 60's and her son Keith tells me that, sadly, she passed on eight years ago.
The landlord of the Alexandra then was Albert Smith who was even known to give free pints on birthdays - at least he gave me a pint for my birthday! (Actually, it was for giving him a couple of met balloons which he used to celebrate his son Jim's birthday!) When he retired from the licensed trade he developed his hobby of watch repairing into a little business from a shop in Redcar Road. |
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The Cleveland (The Branch)
 | The Cleveland Hotel at The Branch in the works!
This was the pub "in the works" at the Branch End and was probably the first one in South Bank although Kenny Wicks thinks there may have been another contender between The Junction and the old Railway station.
Blastfurnacemen, after tapping the furnace and finishing the run would pile into the bar where the boss would have all the pints ready along the bar to quench their thirst, regardless of licensing hours. They must have had special dispensation and the landlord must have had prior knowledge. When the pub closed down the license was transferred to a Club in Munby Street using the same name. This Cleveland Club later changed its name to Findlays Club.
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The Princess Alice
 | The Princess Alice
The Alice was/is on Normanby Road near Bennetts Corner and was a popular pub with loyal regulars like Terry Larkin and Big Jim Turner from Grangetown. Although I had used the place I was never a regular and when Alf Larkin, the boss, barred me out for complaining that the beer was cloudy I never went back. A real Bass house.
Geoff Wild wrote in to tell me about a Cup (Trophy) found in the cellar. It was inscribed:
"Working Men's Club & Institute Union Ltd, Cleveland Branch, Whist 1914".
Geoff wondered if anyone could throw some light on it?
I think the clue is in the "Institute". There is a stone set in the wall of the old Post Office, now "South Bank Business Centre" on Bennetts Corner which says "Workingmen's Institute" so it could have come from there. (See Old South Bank page, "The 'Tute").
However, there used to be another Institute in South Bank in Clay Lane opposite The Junction. |
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The Cleveland
 | The Cleveland's sad end
The Cleveland in South Terrace was the first pub to have Groups on under manager Peter Cram, starting about 1959 and coinciding with the explosion of rock'n'roll. The groups were many and varied but I particularly remember "The Midnighters", "Detroits" and one smartly dressed group with the name of "The Rhythm Riders" which nowadays sounds like a Country and Western outfit! I knew one of the members, Ernie Gault, and he later later formed his own group and returned as "Shane North and the Echoes".
I also used to enjoy the Saturday afternoons in the bar when Mrs Wilson ran the place. "Two pints of Strongarm, two packets of cheese and onion crisps with two hard boiled eggs followed by either a game of darts or dominoes". Lovely Jubley!
For the history of the building look on the Leisure page - Fleapits!
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The Oakleaf
 | The Oakleaf being built. Photo by Leslie Smith.
The Oakleaf followed the lead of the Cleveland and introduced groups to compete with the Clubs. Being a bigger venue than the Cleveland they were quite successful and having a large room upstairs meant they could put on all sorts of special events such as dances or exhibitions by professional darts players. |
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The Clubs
Amazingly, when I compiled this list I missed some out and Keith Craddy put me right. I was a member of St.Peter's Club for eighteen years, but at various times I was also a member of the Albion, the Citizens and the British Legion. Like everyone else I had been in all the other clubs at times, even getting barred out of the United, I'm sorry to say.
The TRTB Welfare Club (The Snake Pit)
The Citizens Club
The Teesside Social
St. Peter's Club
The Albion Club
The Erimus Club
The United Services Club
The British Legion
The Conservative Club
The Football Club
Findlay's Club - Originally The Cleveland Club.
Smith's Dock Club |
The TRTB Welfare Club
Better known as the Snake Pit in Station Road at the bottom of the bridge. |
The Citizens Club
On Middlesbrough Road opposite Binns Garage it had previously been Skeltons Shop. |
Teesside Social Club
The biggest club in South Bank in it's day. |
St. Peters Club
 | The "New" St. Peter's Club
Taken 11/2/2002. I was a member of "The Peter's" for 18 years, from the old club on Middlesbrough Road to the new. However, after moving to Redcar in 1969 the Drink/Driving laws made things difficult and after a few years of taking chances I had to reluctantly let my membership lapse.
My wife and I always enjoyed the Friday and Sunday nights entertainments - in spite of Tommy Murphy parading up and down. "If we don't get quiet the artist won't go on! I can wait!!"
And then there was my old friend Ted Smith and his wife Mary... And so many more. I wonder what it's like now? It still looks the same outside, unlike a lot of buildings in South Bank. |
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The Albion
 | Trio in the Albion 1968
The nearest to the camera was called Harry Burns but the other names elude me. Yes, I know, I'm getting old!
The old club was in Albion Street where Jackie Twite had his accident (see Remember... page). The new club was built across the sites of Henry and Codd Streets.
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The Erimus Club
 | | The Erimus in the new century |
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The United Services Club
 | The United Club in 1981
The United looking lonely after the surrounding area had been flattened. Photo by Jack Sowerby.
In the space next to the club (in Jackson Street) stood Brian McTurk's house which was demolished to provide parking for a couple of cars!
Sad to say I only visited this club once and finished up barred out! I may tell the story sometime.
Nowadays members include Keith Craddy and Barbara Wilson. |
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The British Legion
Gone completely. I'll be adding a story later. |
The Conservative Club
 | The Cons 11/2/2002
In Redcar Road, the club was always known as the Cons Club as if the full title was embarrassing to some members. I don't know if the change has been made official but it's even up on the wall now.
The upstairs was the domain of Phil Whitcomb with his Dance Academy. Although I never went there I never heard a bad word said of him by those who attended his classes. |
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The Football Social Club
 | Regeneration in the 21st Century!
The Football Social Club bit the dust after it was burnt down and the Amateur Football Club on whose grounds it was built followed suit. Now the site is the home of Golden Boy Green, a project of the 21st Century and named after Wilf Mannion. |
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Findlay's Club
This club was in Munby Street and was formerly the Cleveland Club having inherited the license from the Cleveland pub at Branch End - "the pub in the works"! |
Smith's Dock Club
 | Smith's Dock Football Team 1946
Photo sent in by Steve Gollogly in Canada. The team includes his father Frank at left of front row.
Strictly speaking this club, being in Normanby, should not be here but as a great many South Bankers were members we can bend the rules a bit! |
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Barnacle Bill's
 | The Anchor renamed as Barnacle Bill's
I ask you - what sort of a name is "Barnacle Bill's"?! |
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