As a student I worked behind the bar in the Woodman Blackfen. Within a few months i got bitten by Frank the gypsy, cs gas in my eyes, saw a pikeys bum hole, got kicked off my bike, punch ups and dodgy notes all day long, plus a massive street brawl which left us with no working pool cues.
I used to play football for the woodman so drunk in there most weekends and you could guarantee a fight at least once a night. I remember being in there and Lee Murray was with a few mates and they were all just doing gear off the table right next to the bar but no one was going to tell them to stop.
Another vote for the barge pole in thamesmead or the pub on the big roundabout near Crayford dump on the industrial estate. Can’t remember it’s name but only went in there cos you could get served at 15.
Old Friends in Greenwich - not sure that it was rough as in clientele, as the times we went in there were no problems - but it definitely needed a lick of paint towards the end!!
Got chatting to a bloke sitting in the corner with The Times newspaper. He told me he was doing the cryptic crossword in his head as he found it too easy with the completed clues filled in.
I thought he was bullshitting me until about 10 mins later he told me he had finished it. I must have looked a bit sceptical cos he then took a pen out and filled in every answer in about 30 seconds.
Dog and Truck, Back Church Lane Whitechapel. Worked nearby early 1980s. Surrounded by old bonded warehouse’s and a big housing estate. Proper Jack the Ripper territory. Landlord gave us the ground rules on first visit so we behaved. Just as well considering the regulars it attracted from that part of East London at the time. Still trading as a pub although I’m told it’s been gentrified now given all the new glass and steel redevelopment of E1.
Cant remember the name of the pub but it was in a mining village nr Dunfermline called Valleyfield. Probably a block of flats now.
My workmates at the dockyard told me to avoid it as they don't like the English in there, and we also had a slinger that lived there and he told me that too.
Wasn't having that. so the Mrs and me walked in one Saturday lunchtime asked the Mrs what she wanted, walked to the bar all happy with myself and as soon as i opened my mouth, the landlord said we don't serve English people in here. I looked around the room and in deadly silence we were given a guard of honour to the door out of the pub.
Never went near that village again.
There's a pub there called The Valley. Surely you could of got served there?!
Mark Steel reckons people who travel to Switzerland to end their lives are wasting their time when they can just go to the Lullingstone in Swanley and say, 'I'm not from around here'.
The New Inn in Bar and Ball, Sevenoaks was an easy place to get into trouble. All the local wannabe hardmen drank in there. With the benefit of hindsight, I don't think any of them were that tough. Doesn't take much to be the hardest man in Sevenoaks! But full of idiots wanting a scrap, claiming to be related to Kenneth Noye and so on.
That takes me back. Quite a fearsome reputation in the late 80s when I was in 6th Form.
Went to go into the temple bell on temple hill estate in Dartford. Never actually got in so don’t know if it rough generally or just an off day. As we approached a glass flew out the slightly open door, a chair came a window, quickly followed by a jet propelled human being, all you could hear was breaking glass and furniture. Carried on passed and found a slightly more quieter pub. Never went back.
Someone took the piss out of me once for wearing a suit in the Antigallican.
It was a weekday, roughly 7pm. I'd just come from work. I didn't understand the controversy.
I used to live in Dagenham Heathway (don't ask) and there weren't many drinking options close by. There was a spoons by the tube that was a fucking shit hole but convenient and of course cheap. It was also fucking rough. Open drug dealing, stolen goods exchanging hands, people selling meat (they used to set up a table in the corner ffs!) etc. Some bonehead took exception to me wearing a suit in there one night and I had to make a very sharp exit! Again what's the controversy haha! Think he thought I was either OB or a bailiff lol
When I was a student lived on White Hart Lane in Tottenham. There was a pub called The Bank on the corner of WHL and Tottenham High Road. There were frequent incidents there that resulted in the pub and surrounding area being cordoned off due to a "major incident". Most notably, someone getting an axe buried in their head. Genuinely dangerous place.
The New Inn in Bar and Ball, Sevenoaks was an easy place to get into trouble. All the local wannabe hardmen drank in there. With the benefit of hindsight, I don't think any of them were that tough. Doesn't take much to be the hardest man in Sevenoaks! But full of idiots wanting a scrap, claiming to be related to Kenneth Noye and so on.
Knew The New Inn (now closed and turned into flats) as my mate lived above it. Got into an altercation in there once with a bloke who had some of his brain taken out in surgery, showed me the scar. He told me that to excuse his earlier threatening behaviour towards me.
Did have a reputation but my mate said it was mainly fine when he lived there.
The Flying Scotsman at Kings Cross , now a restaurant but used to be a strippers joint , pound in the glass pub . The toilets were that disgusting that there were stalactites of male bodily fluid hanging off the walls and ceiling. All the strippers looked like crack heads . A truly revolting pub.
Why was it your local when in London 😱
It was the only place within a few miles where he could get crack AND strippers in the same place. A sort of one stop shop.
I went to South Africa a few years ago for a friend's wedding in Durban. We stayed with an English girl who used to live out there and knew the area really well. She had some local friends who were a bit shady. One was a bit of a boat and may have been a dealer, the other was a copper! One night they took us out to a pub in a carpark on like the 5th floor of a multistorey! It was fucking rough and really smokey, but we seemed to be accepted due to our "friends". I would never have gone in there in my own though!
Old Friends in Greenwich - not sure that it was rough as in clientele, as the times we went in there were no problems - but it definitely needed a lick of paint towards the end!!
Got chatting to a bloke sitting in the corner with The Times newspaper. He told me he was doing the cryptic crossword in his head as he found it too easy with the completed clues filled in.
I thought he was bullshitting me until about 10 mins later he told me he had finished it. I must have looked a bit sceptical cos he then took a pen out and filled in every answer in about 30 seconds.
Another vote for the barge pole in thamesmead or the pub on the big roundabout near Crayford dump on the industrial estate. Can’t remember it’s name but only went in there cos you could get served at 15.
Can't be many pubs left where someone isn't selling gear or at least snorting it in the toilets? I know they're few and far between but it would be good to have a few names so I can give them a wide berth.
Saw a thread on this on Twitter, someone said they were in a boozer in liverpool and were accused of being undercover police, because he was reading a book 🤣
As a student I worked behind the bar in the Woodman Blackfen. Within a few months i got bitten by Frank the gypsy, cs gas in my eyes, saw a pikeys bum hole, got kicked off my bike, punch ups and dodgy notes all day long, plus a massive street brawl which left us with no working pool cues.
I used to play football for the woodman so drunk in there most weekends and you could guarantee a fight at least once a night. I remember being in there and Lee Murray was with a few mates and they were all just doing gear off the table right next to the bar but no one was going to tell them to stop.
After reading your posts lads I got away lightly. Myself and my wife went in there one Saturday afternoon and sat by the fire. A local walked up and deposited a mouthful of gob into it. I do like a pub with a good family feel to it.
Some of these pubs especially the flying Scotsman I have a real fondness for!
Its always hard to judge a pub on its appearance, been in some genuine shitholes or that you think are going to be shitholes and find them class. When people talk to me about rough pubs, like genuinely you need your bumps felt for choosing to go in and remain 2 spring to mind
1) The Kemsley Arms in Sittingbourne. It was the first place I had a regular spot DJing every Friday and I witnessed first hand some astonishing violence. After working there I've never been intimidated whilst DJing
2) The Hogarth, Isle of Grain. This place actually looks ok, but can turn into the wild west in a heartbeat and the response police aren't getting there anytime soon of it goes off big time so the landlord would take names and ask questions later.
Great shout whoever said the Chatham Chest, yeah Chatham wasn't short of spicy pubs but the Chatham chest was a tinderbox. The command house always used to be a heady mix of locals and squaddies from Kitchener barracks. Seen about 5 people thrown in the Medway from there one of them was a laugh the rest were people being dragged over to the river and thrown in.
Some bad ones in Chatham
The Princes Park, a guy I knew ran it for a short time. He is known locally as someone to not accept a fight, wrestle or game of tiddlywinks with. One Saturday afternoon a couple had gone in there for some food and a couple of drinks. Went over to the bar, told the barmaid there was a naked man asleep on the pool table and could she get the manager. Barmaid looked over and said 'that is the manager'. Seems to be run OK now, the woman who has it is determined to do something to make it work and I wish her well
The Kestrel, once upon a time was a nice pub that you could visit with your family for food and a pleasant evening. Its a tesco express now and just before it closed the nights in there were truly anarchic, last days of Rome stuff
The White Horse, Rainham. This is a shithole but for some reason a functioning one. If you can't get shagging on a Friday night in there send your genitals to someone who needs them. You don't
The Trafalgar Maid. Estate pub, flat roof, local nutters, pissheads lots of frequent low level violence and a big ruckus about every 90 days
The Sir Robert Peel, that was a frightening pub. Everyone who was barred from the other nutter pubs on the white road estate got sent to drink here. They had a cross dressing barmaid. About 6 foot 4 who was capable of very quick extreme lethality when necessary
The White Lion, this place is somehow still going pretty strong. Less of a shithole than it used to be and more of a scumbag pub than a dangerous pub
Pretty much any pub in Slade Green/Erith although the vast majority are gone now.
Took my cousin for a weekday afternoon drink in the Style & Winch once and we both managed to get barred, despite there only being a handful of 'customers' in there.
Got clumped in the face from behind by two gentlemen in the 90s in the Lord Raglan without any provocation, presumably because I had a pony tail at the time.
What was the one called on the corner of the dual carriageway, close to dartford tip.
I only remember it as the stab inn
edit. Closer to Crayford, @ValleyGary mentioned it earlier
I went to the wat Tyler in dartford in the late 90's. I was ever under age or just 18 and probably looked out of place in pubs. A hairy arsed builder sat at the bar told me and my mate to fuck off. We were young and didn't really get what was going on. His mate then shouted, you type aren't welcome here. Fuck off you shirt lifters. Not frequented that establishment since!
Mark Steel reckons people who travel to Switzerland to end their lives are wasting their time when they can just go to the Lullingstone in Swanley and say, 'I'm not from around here'.
I've heard this one often has horses & carts in the car park - for sale.
My other half is from Buckinghamshire, she moved this side of Kent/South East London two years ago for us to move in together. Her eldest son who lived with us at the time when he was internet dating last year, told me he had met a girl and they decided to meet halfway point, which happened to be Swanley area, he said it was at the Lullingstone, he’s not very Street wise and quite timid, I begged him not to meet there, thankfully he listened to this wise old head on “naughty boozers”
I went to the wat Tyler in dartford in the late 90's. I was ever under age or just 18 and probably looked out of place in pubs. A hairy arsed builder sat at the bar told me and my mate to fuck off. We were young and didn't really get what was going on. His mate then shouted, you type aren't welcome here. Fuck off you shirt lifters. Not frequented that establishment since!
I know the current landlord of that pub, still a shithole, full of pissheads and skanks
Some of these pubs especially the flying Scotsman I have a real fondness for!
Its always hard to judge a pub on its appearance, been in some genuine shitholes or that you think are going to be shitholes and find them class. When people talk to me about rough pubs, like genuinely you need your bumps felt for choosing to go in and remain 2 spring to mind
1) The Kemsley Arms in Sittingbourne. It was the first place I had a regular spot DJing every Friday and I witnessed first hand some astonishing violence. After working there I've never been intimidated whilst DJing
2) The Hogarth, Isle of Grain. This place actually looks ok, but can turn into the wild west in a heartbeat and the response police aren't getting there anytime soon of it goes off big time so the landlord would take names and ask questions later.
Great shout whoever said the Chatham Chest, yeah Chatham wasn't short of spicy pubs but the Chatham chest was a tinderbox. The command house always used to be a heady mix of locals and squaddies from Kitchener barracks. Seen about 5 people thrown in the Medway from there one of them was a laugh the rest were people being dragged over to the river and thrown in.
Some bad ones in Chatham
The Princes Park, a guy I knew ran it for a short time. He is known locally as someone to not accept a fight, wrestle or game of tiddlywinks with. One Saturday afternoon a couple had gone in there for some food and a couple of drinks. Went over to the bar, told the barmaid there was a naked man asleep on the pool table and could she get the manager. Barmaid looked over and said 'that is the manager'. Seems to be run OK now, the woman who has it is determined to do something to make it work and I wish her well
The Kestrel, once upon a time was a nice pub that you could visit with your family for food and a pleasant evening. Its a tesco express now and just before it closed the nights in there were truly anarchic, last days of Rome stuff
The White Horse, Rainham. This is a shithole but for some reason a functioning one. If you can't get shagging on a Friday night in there send your genitals to someone who needs them. You don't
The Trafalgar Maid. Estate pub, flat roof, local nutters, pissheads lots of frequent low level violence and a big ruckus about every 90 days
The Sir Robert Peel, that was a frightening pub. Everyone who was barred from the other nutter pubs on the white road estate got sent to drink here. They had a cross dressing barmaid. About 6 foot 4 who was capable of very quick extreme lethality when necessary
The White Lion, this place is somehow still going pretty strong. Less of a shithole than it used to be and more of a scumbag pub than a dangerous pub
Comments
Still trading as a pub although I’m told it’s been gentrified now given all the new glass and steel redevelopment of E1.
Knew The New Inn (now closed and turned into flats) as my mate lived above it. Got into an altercation in there once with a bloke who had some of his brain taken out in surgery, showed me the scar. He told me that to excuse his earlier threatening behaviour towards me.
Did have a reputation but my mate said it was mainly fine when he lived there.
A local walked up and deposited a mouthful of gob into it. I do like a pub with a good family feel to it.
Its always hard to judge a pub on its appearance, been in some genuine shitholes or that you think are going to be shitholes and find them class. When people talk to me about rough pubs, like genuinely you need your bumps felt for choosing to go in and remain 2 spring to mind
1) The Kemsley Arms in Sittingbourne. It was the first place I had a regular spot DJing every Friday and I witnessed first hand some astonishing violence. After working there I've never been intimidated whilst DJing
2) The Hogarth, Isle of Grain. This place actually looks ok, but can turn into the wild west in a heartbeat and the response police aren't getting there anytime soon of it goes off big time so the landlord would take names and ask questions later.
Great shout whoever said the Chatham Chest, yeah Chatham wasn't short of spicy pubs but the Chatham chest was a tinderbox. The command house always used to be a heady mix of locals and squaddies from Kitchener barracks. Seen about 5 people thrown in the Medway from there one of them was a laugh the rest were people being dragged over to the river and thrown in.
Some bad ones in Chatham
The Princes Park, a guy I knew ran it for a short time. He is known locally as someone to not accept a fight, wrestle or game of tiddlywinks with. One Saturday afternoon a couple had gone in there for some food and a couple of drinks. Went over to the bar, told the barmaid there was a naked man asleep on the pool table and could she get the manager. Barmaid looked over and said 'that is the manager'. Seems to be run OK now, the woman who has it is determined to do something to make it work and I wish her well
The Kestrel, once upon a time was a nice pub that you could visit with your family for food and a pleasant evening. Its a tesco express now and just before it closed the nights in there were truly anarchic, last days of Rome stuff
The White Horse, Rainham. This is a shithole but for some reason a functioning one. If you can't get shagging on a Friday night in there send your genitals to someone who needs them. You don't
The Trafalgar Maid. Estate pub, flat roof, local nutters, pissheads lots of frequent low level violence and a big ruckus about every 90 days
The Sir Robert Peel, that was a frightening pub. Everyone who was barred from the other nutter pubs on the white road estate got sent to drink here. They had a cross dressing barmaid. About 6 foot 4 who was capable of very quick extreme lethality when necessary
The White Lion, this place is somehow still going pretty strong. Less of a shithole than it used to be and more of a scumbag pub than a dangerous pub
I only remember it as the stab inn
edit. Closer to Crayford, @ValleyGary mentioned it earlier
wildfowler Thamesmead
Barge pole Thamesmead
Wat Tyler Kidbooke
buildings