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
You must live in the same area as me,I remember the Kestrel well,what a dump that turned out to be as you say to start,fine,then it became a no go area.The Victoria cross was originally a lovely pub but went down hill,became an iIndian restaurant,and then got burnt down.What is now The Oak was for many years The Sherwood Oak,now a nice family pub.When I first moved to Medway many years ago,it was a meeting place for local traveller gangs who rarely disappointed those who link these people to the love of fighting,every friday night(When I was there)something would kick off,windows broken,police being called,governor getting punched when intervening.Luckily it all happened in the old public bar,so those of us in the saloon bar were not affected. Back to the Antigallican,when I first met my now wife of 57 years,her father was never at home in the evening,he had a job at the Anti,an inoffensive man,even he sometimes came home with a black eye or a cut lip. I had a somewhat traumatic experience in the lovely city of Dundee,up there for business,my host must have had a warped sense of humour,in we went,no windows,just boards,told not to speak,and then after a trouble free evening,the last bell went.On the counter there was a box marked Boris the Bouncer,i asked my host whats that all about ,he said its fine all of a sudden the barman lifted the lid and this enormous tarantula marched up an down the bar,he pissed himself laughing I nearly fainted.
I knew Dick, the boss for years of the Sherwood. Little mashed up Scottish bloke not dissimilar in appearance to Yoda from star wars. I was split between the VC and the snooker club as a geographical local. The VC falls into the scumbag category rather than the rough category but I do have a story or 6 about that place none of which I'll share as, to be honest it wouldn't take a lot to identify who I'm talking about and there could be consequences legally. Mo, when he had it the food in the restaurant was excellent, he sold it to another Indian bloke who just set about doing a Southall/Duchatalet on the place and the the predictable fire broke out and its now a block of newly built empty flats that will remain empty for a while as the whole building was done with a very fast and loose approach to planning and subsequently building regs
Went to Blackburn away with a mate years ago, probably about 2003? Missed a train, had an hour to wait until the next one, went to the nearest pub and it was awful, really 'local', and they were filling up beer from cans as I assume they'd not been supplied by the breweries.
Would have walked straight back out but it was a Monday night in January or something and freezing so felt the lesser of two evils.
We lost too.
Other one was in Wales, in a village near Newport that I can't remember the name of - was over that way with work and wanted to watch the football. Literally spent 45 minutes trying to watch the game whilst about 6 locals stared at us making comments about being English etc.
Left at half time.
Sounds like the pub we went to near West Brom's ground a few years back. There was a small fellla pouring out of cans whist the barman pretended to pour the pint. The pub was rough as fuck
Some cracking posts on here fortunately or unfortunately never been to any of them.
As i originate from Gravesend i cant let these go without a mention.
The Dickens inn...now gone but full of rough yobbos and the traveling community who would come over and drink your pint and go yerr what you gonna do about it, with 6 of their mates behind them
The Admiral Beatty, also gone but full of those that thought they were tough. but weren't brave enough to try the dickens.
The Somerset Arms, my brothers pub, when ever i pop in there, there are always the same people sat in the same seats, wonder if they ever go home.
The General Gordon, on the notorious Kings Farm council estate full if those scum you would want to live next door to our politicians, Mysteriously burnt down one night.
The Gravesend Boat, Another estate pub housed next to one of the biggest estates in the country, Riverview Park. Whoever thought that moving so many people in an area all at once with young families was mad. They all grew up together and had hundreds of bored teenagers milling the streets and using that as an underage boozer. If you’re lucky you might avoid a bottling on a Saturday night but keep using it and your turn will come.
There was a pub in Gravesend years ago - tiny place, beside the ‘docks’ - was on the river near where Asda is now (and the bowling alley, but don’t know if bowling alley is still there) - it was on the road leading to the Red Lion ‘nightclub’ pub - what was that called (if you know what I am talking about) ?
My mates and I went in there once - a fucking shit hole !!!
Great... Lots of memories in some of those pubs including the Westcourt Inn, in St Hildas Way, it was where i met the other half. Both our parents still live in St Hilda's Way.
I was in the Norfolk Arms once and the landlord was very prejudice against anyone he deemed not normal, including Asians, an Indian guy walked in and went to the bar and he got a deodorant and sprayed it around him . You could hear a pin drop. Ironically i believe it was closed and is now a Muslim centre.
He did supply all our beer for my wedding reception at cost price.
Thanks for that.
In Gravesend? He must have been uptight and angry a lot
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
You must live in the same area as me,I remember the Kestrel well,what a dump that turned out to be as you say to start,fine,then it became a no go area.The Victoria cross was originally a lovely pub but went down hill,became an iIndian restaurant,and then got burnt down.What is now The Oak was for many years The Sherwood Oak,now a nice family pub.When I first moved to Medway many years ago,it was a meeting place for local traveller gangs who rarely disappointed those who link these people to the love of fighting,every friday night(When I was there)something would kick off,windows broken,police being called,governor getting punched when intervening.Luckily it all happened in the old public bar,so those of us in the saloon bar were not affected. Back to the Antigallican,when I first met my now wife of 57 years,her father was never at home in the evening,he had a job at the Anti,an inoffensive man,even he sometimes came home with a black eye or a cut lip. I had a somewhat traumatic experience in the lovely city of Dundee,up there for business,my host must have had a warped sense of humour,in we went,no windows,just boards,told not to speak,and then after a trouble free evening,the last bell went.On the counter there was a box marked Boris the Bouncer,i asked my host whats that all about ,he said its fine all of a sudden the barman lifted the lid and this enormous tarantula marched up an down the bar,he pissed himself laughing I nearly fainted.
I knew Dick, the boss for years of the Sherwood. Little mashed up Scottish bloke not dissimilar in appearance to Yoda from star wars. I was split between the VC and the snooker club as a geographical local. The VC falls into the scumbag category rather than the rough category but I do have a story or 6 about that place none of which I'll share as, to be honest it wouldn't take a lot to identify who I'm talking about and there could be consequences legally. Mo, when he had it the food in the restaurant was excellent, he sold it to another Indian bloke who just set about doing a Southall/Duchatalet on the place and the the predictable fire broke out and its now a block of newly built empty flats that will remain empty for a while as the whole building was done with a very fast and loose approach to planning and subsequently building regs
I just about remember Dick being there.
Then Malcolm had it for ages. I got quite friendly with Malcolm and went to quite a few of his places after he finished at the Sherwood.
Some cracking posts on here fortunately or unfortunately never been to any of them.
As i originate from Gravesend i cant let these go without a mention.
The Dickens inn...now gone but full of rough yobbos and the traveling community who would come over and drink your pint and go yerr what you gonna do about it, with 6 of their mates behind them
The Admiral Beatty, also gone but full of those that thought they were tough. but weren't brave enough to try the dickens.
The Somerset Arms, my brothers pub, when ever i pop in there, there are always the same people sat in the same seats, wonder if they ever go home.
The General Gordon, on the notorious Kings Farm council estate full if those scum you would want to live next door to our politicians, Mysteriously burnt down one night.
The Gravesend Boat, Another estate pub housed next to one of the biggest estates in the country, Riverview Park. Whoever thought that moving so many people in an area all at once with young families was mad. They all grew up together and had hundreds of bored teenagers milling the streets and using that as an underage boozer. If you’re lucky you might avoid a bottling on a Saturday night but keep using it and your turn will come.
There was a pub in Gravesend years ago - tiny place, beside the ‘docks’ - was on the river near where Asda is now (and the bowling alley, but don’t know if bowling alley is still there) - it was on the road leading to the Red Lion ‘nightclub’ pub - what was that called (if you know what I am talking about) ?
My mates and I went in there once - a fucking shit hole !!!
Great... Lots of memories in some of those pubs including the Westcourt Inn, in St Hildas Way, it was where i met the other half. Both our parents still live in St Hilda's Way.
I was in the Norfolk Arms once and the landlord was very prejudice against anyone he deemed not normal, including Asians, an Indian guy walked in and went to the bar and he got a deodorant and sprayed it around him . You could hear a pin drop. Ironically i believe it was closed and is now a Muslim centre.
He did supply all our beer for my wedding reception at cost price.
Thanks for that.
In Gravesend? He must have been uptight and angry a lot
I know they used to all congregate in the railway tavern and a lot lived near his pub, so used to avoid it.
Was in Riga on a stag do and on way back to hotel couple of went into this bar that was serving pizzas etc that looked ok and to be fair it was.
However I hear music coming from down some stairs and walked down by myself and I walked down and into the room and it was a lap dance place. I turned to go back upstairs and big bouncer said to me I have to pay money. I said I came down there by mistake and he started insisting I had pay for a drink and pay for a dance at some exorbitant price that I didn’t have on me. I made a bolt for the stairs and he blocked me and all I could think to do was to fake an asthma attack on the stairs and then ran up them when his guard was down. Shouted to my mates let’s go as I ran past them on my way out and I wasn’t seen for dust.
Looked the place up on the internet the next day and it had warnings about it being a Russian mafia owned place and tourists should not venture in there !!
Was in Riga on a stag do and on way back to hotel couple of went into this bar that was serving pizzas etc that looked ok and to be fair it was.
However I hear music coming from down some stairs and walked down by myself and I walked down and into the room and it was a lap dance place. I turned to go back upstairs and big bouncer said to me I have to pay money. I said I came down there by mistake and he started insisting I had pay for a drink and pay for a dance at some exorbitant price that I didn’t have on me. I made a bolt for the stairs and he blocked me and all I could think to do was to fake an asthma attack on the stairs and then ran up them when his guard was down. Shouted to my mates let’s go as I ran past them on my way out and I wasn’t seen for dust.
Looked the place up on the internet the next day and it had warnings about it being a Russian mafia owned place and tourists should not venture in there !!
I guess its not that strange we know quite a few of the same pubs, being from the same sort of area but I never believed someone would mention a bar in Riga. Went to a bar similar sounding to the one you were in. Owned by Russian Mafioso's. All of them are or at least were. My cousin in law is Latvian so have been to Riga a few times.
One evening I went out by myself into the smallish city centre. Noticed there was a happy hour in a bar not far from the river. Had a nice drink in the near empty pub and headed to the loos afterwards. Turns out it wasn't the loos but a full on lap dance/prostitution area of the pub. There was acts going on that you would only find on certain websites. Being typically British I apologised for disturbing them and made my way back. I was then confronted with a bouncer saying something but i didn't understand what he was going on about. I kept going on about where the loo was and he kept holding his hand out wanting money for this information. I said don't bother and walked out. He followed me. It was a bit scary. bloke was like Hightower in police academy. made it to the street where i briskly walked to a pub i did know. no happy hour though.
You must live in the same area as me,I remember the Kestrel well,what a dump that turned out to be as you say to start,fine,then it became a no go area.The Victoria cross was originally a lovely pub but went down hill,became an iIndian restaurant,and then got burnt down.What is now The Oak was for many years The Sherwood Oak,now a nice family pub.When I first moved to Medway many years ago,it was a meeting place for local traveller gangs who rarely disappointed those who link these people to the love of fighting,every friday night(When I was there)something would kick off,windows broken,police being called,governor getting punched when intervening.Luckily it all happened in the old public bar,so those of us in the saloon bar were not affected. Back to the Antigallican,when I first met my now wife of 57 years,her father was never at home in the evening,he had a job at the Anti,an inoffensive man,even he sometimes came home with a black eye or a cut lip. I had a somewhat traumatic experience in the lovely city of Dundee,up there for business,my host must have had a warped sense of humour,in we went,no windows,just boards,told not to speak,and then after a trouble free evening,the last bell went.On the counter there was a box marked Boris the Bouncer,i asked my host whats that all about ,he said its fine all of a sudden the barman lifted the lid and this enormous tarantula marched up an down the bar,he pissed himself laughing I nearly fainted.
This is something I was told so can't confirm the authenticity but she was a solicitor so must have been telling the truth Was in a pub in Bloomsbury & it had these decorative glass window/hatches round the bar underneath the glass shelves & the girl I was with said they reminded her of a really rough pub she went to in Dundee that had similar hatches & this was quite some time ago & the memory isn't what it was but I'm sure she said they opened a hatch to serve drinks then closed the hatch again. Anyway not 100% on that but what i am sure of is she said there was actually a urinal running around the base of the bar & men were openly pissing while sitting there drinking their beer. Anyone come across this anywhere ?
Not rough, but an absolute lunatic asylum - The Crystal Palace Tavern in Deptford. Think its gone now, but by christ the place was insane. To say there were some characters in there is an understatement. I remember the dwarf bouncer trying to stop some slam dancing to a Sex Pistols tribute act one night, he ended up being paraded round the bub on some blokes shoulders! The BBQ was legendary as well - no idea what they were cooking but you got massive portions for little or no money. The landlord had no copncept of closing either.
Not rough, but an absolute lunatic asylum - The Crystal Palace Tavern in Deptford. Think its gone now, but by christ the place was insane. To say there were some characters in there is an understatement. I remember the dwarf bouncer trying to stop some slam dancing to a Sex Pistols tribute act one night, he ended up being paraded round the bub on some blokes shoulders! The BBQ was legendary as well - no idea what they were cooking but you got massive portions for little or no money. The landlord had no copncept of closing either.
It used to be my regular go to pub back in the early eighties when I was attending South East London College as an apprentice. By the time I was in the 4th year of my time I was waiting for it to open at 10:30 and not coming out until 2:30. I remember the two pool tables that were squeezed in either side of the pub, you had to use a cut down cue on one side of the tables. I don't remember there ever being any trouble in there but I was only in there during the day and probably a little drunk most of the time anyway to notice. I also used to get my jeans, (lois), opposite in Rock Bottoms, cheapest shop in South East London.
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
You must live in the same area as me,I remember the Kestrel well,what a dump that turned out to be as you say to start,fine,then it became a no go area.The Victoria cross was originally a lovely pub but went down hill,became an iIndian restaurant,and then got burnt down.What is now The Oak was for many years The Sherwood Oak,now a nice family pub.When I first moved to Medway many years ago,it was a meeting place for local traveller gangs who rarely disappointed those who link these people to the love of fighting,every friday night(When I was there)something would kick off,windows broken,police being called,governor getting punched when intervening.Luckily it all happened in the old public bar,so those of us in the saloon bar were not affected. Back to the Antigallican,when I first met my now wife of 57 years,her father was never at home in the evening,he had a job at the Anti,an inoffensive man,even he sometimes came home with a black eye or a cut lip. I had a somewhat traumatic experience in the lovely city of Dundee,up there for business,my host must have had a warped sense of humour,in we went,no windows,just boards,told not to speak,and then after a trouble free evening,the last bell went.On the counter there was a box marked Boris the Bouncer,i asked my host whats that all about ,he said its fine all of a sudden the barman lifted the lid and this enormous tarantula marched up an down the bar,he pissed himself laughing I nearly fainted.
I knew Dick, the boss for years of the Sherwood. Little mashed up Scottish bloke not dissimilar in appearance to Yoda from star wars. I was split between the VC and the snooker club as a geographical local. The VC falls into the scumbag category rather than the rough category but I do have a story or 6 about that place none of which I'll share as, to be honest it wouldn't take a lot to identify who I'm talking about and there could be consequences legally. Mo, when he had it the food in the restaurant was excellent, he sold it to another Indian bloke who just set about doing a Southall/Duchatalet on the place and the the predictable fire broke out and its now a block of newly built empty flats that will remain empty for a while as the whole building was done with a very fast and loose approach to planning and subsequently building regs
I knew Dick well,thought he was ok as a governor always very sociable but did like a drink and was not averse to the odd brawl.When I first moved ,the VC was really a nice pub,lovely meals and a very strict landlord,when they went,that was it,the place just went down hill and as you say was frequented by people who I shall not name,but probably the same ones a you.Time goes by,some of the guys who 50 years ago were kicking shit out of each other are still sometimes seen at the Oak,now on walking sticks and mobility scooters.There was a quirky pub up where the big junction was built on the M2 called the Bridgewood Tavern,it was run by two old people who were permenantly engaged but never married,iwhat seating was there consisted of old park benches and the like,but I have to say served a superb pint of beer.Sadly the lady turned up for work one night and found the old man dead behind the bar.
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
You must live in the same area as me,I remember the Kestrel well,what a dump that turned out to be as you say to start,fine,then it became a no go area.The Victoria cross was originally a lovely pub but went down hill,became an iIndian restaurant,and then got burnt down.What is now The Oak was for many years The Sherwood Oak,now a nice family pub.When I first moved to Medway many years ago,it was a meeting place for local traveller gangs who rarely disappointed those who link these people to the love of fighting,every friday night(When I was there)something would kick off,windows broken,police being called,governor getting punched when intervening.Luckily it all happened in the old public bar,so those of us in the saloon bar were not affected. Back to the Antigallican,when I first met my now wife of 57 years,her father was never at home in the evening,he had a job at the Anti,an inoffensive man,even he sometimes came home with a black eye or a cut lip. I had a somewhat traumatic experience in the lovely city of Dundee,up there for business,my host must have had a warped sense of humour,in we went,no windows,just boards,told not to speak,and then after a trouble free evening,the last bell went.On the counter there was a box marked Boris the Bouncer,i asked my host whats that all about ,he said its fine all of a sudden the barman lifted the lid and this enormous tarantula marched up an down the bar,he pissed himself laughing I nearly fainted.
I knew Dick, the boss for years of the Sherwood. Little mashed up Scottish bloke not dissimilar in appearance to Yoda from star wars. I was split between the VC and the snooker club as a geographical local. The VC falls into the scumbag category rather than the rough category but I do have a story or 6 about that place none of which I'll share as, to be honest it wouldn't take a lot to identify who I'm talking about and there could be consequences legally. Mo, when he had it the food in the restaurant was excellent, he sold it to another Indian bloke who just set about doing a Southall/Duchatalet on the place and the the predictable fire broke out and its now a block of newly built empty flats that will remain empty for a while as the whole building was done with a very fast and loose approach to planning and subsequently building regs
I knew Dick well,thought he was ok as a governor always very sociable but did like a drink and was not averse to the odd brawl.When I first moved ,the VC was really a nice pub,lovely meals and a very strict landlord,when they went,that was it,the place just went down hill and as you say was frequented by people who I shall not name,but probably the same ones a you.Time goes by,some of the guys who 50 years ago were kicking shit out of each other are still sometimes seen at the Oak,now on walking sticks and mobility scooters.There was a quirky pub up where the big junction was built on the M2 called the Bridgewood Tavern,it was run by two old people who were permenantly engaged but never married,iwhat seating was there consisted of old park benches and the like,but I have to say served a superb pint of beer.Sadly the lady turned up for work one night and found the old man dead behind the bar.
That must have been before my time, I remember the upper bell before it closed down for good I loved it there. That holy trinity of pubs in bluebell village was something the area misses, the upper bell, lower bell and the Robin Hood even if two of them are still open the upper bell is missed
Dick was the type of landlord a pub like the oak needed. Didn't take any bullshit off anyone and built friendships, understood the importance of getting to know people (or just having drinking partners) I do my best to avoid it now, its a nicely decorated place but has no real character and is still only a spilt pint away from kicking off in the back room.
Anyway back to rough pubs, I forgot the Woodsman Tavern in Weedswood. That place was run for years by a friends dad and eventually by someone who had two massive German Shepherds who filled the entire beer garden up with their shit so with that full the landlord used the back bar as somewhere for them to drop anchor. That was a very rough and violent pub and isn't missed at all
The Wat Tyler, Ferrier Estate. A picture paints a thousand words.
I Lived there for over 20 years , just off the top of my head a couple of things , Smoke bombs thrown through the door and the fruit machine taken , and the annual BBQ outside everytime the sun came out , just turn up with your own chairs and grill and your set , it was like the wild west when you walking there for a drink , the music stopped and everyone turned around to look at you . Ah happy days
Been said before but I was in the pub the day this happened. It was funny.
Nephews stag do back end last season, cut a long story short, about 20 of us veered of the Bermondsey beer mile to watch the grand national in an empty pub in the ‘blue’ - plenty of time before the millwall final whistle - of cause the start was delayed and by the time we left the pub was full of growlers - my nephew, who is 6 foot 4 was dressed in a pink tu tu - it felt pretty rough
The talk of bikers has reminded me of a pub I went to last year in Derby. A good mate of mine, also a Charlton fan but a well and truly lapsed one is part of a 1% club and also in a band. He took me and another one of the blokes to the pub they were playing in and it was stuffed with 1% bikers. Now I can tell you about tv programmes featuring biker gangs but I am absolutely not mental enough to be part of one. Surrounded by these blokes I had to revert to type as a borderline asbo boozer and embrace the chaos. A hells angel asked me how many times he would have to hit a nail with his hand to get it flush into a table. I said six times, turns out it was 3. Another one I watched vomit into a pint glass, not quite fill it so pissed in it and necked it, that is making me feel sick as I write this as I can still smell what he puked up about an hour later!
One of the barmaids looked like a docker in drag love and hat tattooed on the knuckles, the e was missing along with her pinkie. For what its worth the pub wasn't a shithole, it was functional, made for mess and the clearance of mess caused by these lunatics so they could do it all again. The bands were brilliant, there is a big scene in the east Midlands for delta and swamp blues bands (think seasick Steve, Gary Clarke jnr type stuff).
What I'll say, had I not entered with my pal and his pals there is no way either of the two of us visiting would have stayed longer than it took to look round and physically do a 180 out of the door. I cannot remember the name of the place which is annoying me but I can say hand on heart no way would I go there again without an invite and a biker escort
Pure literature
I was in Derby earlier in the year, some great pubs. Don't think I found my way into this one though
I would have had the HAT tatooed through and HATE re-done from my thumb.
Yes a bikers pub because of the handy space at the front to park the motorbikes. Not that far away in Mottingham there is a Harley Davison dealership which attracts ‘characters’ from all over. I think the Palmerston pub in Sydenham was also a pub for a Hells Angels ‘chapter’. Back in the day there was a strong biker culture in South East London, I don’t know how it is now.
I might be wrong about the Sydenham pub. Was it the Duke of Edinburgh? Down the road a bit on the opposite side to the famous axe murder pub.
Duke of Edinburgh is/was in Wells Park Road.
Down the road from the Golden Lion (Axe pub) on the other side was the Man of Kent, apparently front bar was for whites and back bar for blacks or vice versa, never went in there.
The talk of bikers has reminded me of a pub I went to last year in Derby. A good mate of mine, also a Charlton fan but a well and truly lapsed one is part of a 1% club and also in a band. He took me and another one of the blokes to the pub they were playing in and it was stuffed with 1% bikers. Now I can tell you about tv programmes featuring biker gangs but I am absolutely not mental enough to be part of one. Surrounded by these blokes I had to revert to type as a borderline asbo boozer and embrace the chaos. A hells angel asked me how many times he would have to hit a nail with his hand to get it flush into a table. I said six times, turns out it was 3. Another one I watched vomit into a pint glass, not quite fill it so pissed in it and necked it, that is making me feel sick as I write this as I can still smell what he puked up about an hour later!
One of the barmaids looked like a docker in drag love and hat tattooed on the knuckles, the e was missing along with her pinkie. For what its worth the pub wasn't a shithole, it was functional, made for mess and the clearance of mess caused by these lunatics so they could do it all again. The bands were brilliant, there is a big scene in the east Midlands for delta and swamp blues bands (think seasick Steve, Gary Clarke jnr type stuff).
What I'll say, had I not entered with my pal and his pals there is no way either of the two of us visiting would have stayed longer than it took to look round and physically do a 180 out of the door. I cannot remember the name of the place which is annoying me but I can say hand on heart no way would I go there again without an invite and a biker escort
Pure literature
I was in Derby earlier in the year, some great pubs. Don't think I found my way into this one though
I would have had the HAT tatooed through and HATE re-done from my thumb.
Yes a bikers pub because of the handy space at the front to park the motorbikes. Not that far away in Mottingham there is a Harley Davison dealership which attracts ‘characters’ from all over. I think the Palmerston pub in Sydenham was also a pub for a Hells Angels ‘chapter’. Back in the day there was a strong biker culture in South East London, I don’t know how it is now.
I might be wrong about the Sydenham pub. Was it the Duke of Edinburgh? Down the road a bit on the opposite side to the famous axe murder pub.
Duke of Edinburgh is/was in Wells Park Road.
Down the road from the Golden Lion (Axe pub) on the other side was the Man of Kent, apparently front bar was for whites and back bar for blacks or vice versa, never went in there.
Are you Chinese ?
No why?
It was a joke mate, white bar & black bar but you didn't go in.
@Carter I reckon you're going to be able to help me here for some reason even though it's not Medway.
Many years ago I got asked to play football for a team who I guess were based in Falconwood. I'm going to say some 20+ years ago.
After the game we went back to this bar. Now it was opposite the Harvester. I seem to remember it having a name like Summer something, or something related to sunshine maybe. I had a look on google maps and the place I think it is, is now called the Lingfield. The further google maps lets me go back is 2008. Seems to have gone through many names.
Now this place I remember we were there, and a black guy is walking past, and pretty much the whole team start shouting at this guy, definitely offensive stuff, can't remember the details. It seemed like everyone there took this as totally normal behaviour.
So I don't know the name of the place, but this was definitely my worse experience in a pub/bar. I didn't play for them again. Interest to know if this rings any bells for anyone?
Yes a bikers pub because of the handy space at the front to park the motorbikes. Not that far away in Mottingham there is a Harley Davison dealership which attracts ‘characters’ from all over. I think the Palmerston pub in Sydenham was also a pub for a Hells Angels ‘chapter’. Back in the day there was a strong biker culture in South East London, I don’t know how it is now.
I might be wrong about the Sydenham pub. Was it the Duke of Edinburgh? Down the road a bit on the opposite side to the famous axe murder pub.
Duke of Edinburgh is/was in Wells Park Road.
Down the road from the Golden Lion (Axe pub) on the other side was the Man of Kent, apparently front bar was for whites and back bar for blacks or vice versa, never went in there.
Are you Chinese ?
No why?
It was a joke mate, white bar & black bar but you didn't go in.
Oh ok, I see your point, no it never looked the most welcoming of pubs
When I went to poly at Coventry there was some little guide aimed at the freshers as an intro to the place, including the social life. It had a section about the local pubs and in their description of The Three Tuns pub (in the middle of the post-war concrete jungle shopping centre) it said if you if you went in there you might ask for "Two lagers, a packet of prawn cocktail crisps........... and an ambulance please". It wasn't too welcoming to students, like a few pubs up there.
The Bargepole (Thamesmead) and The Harrow Inn (Abbey Wood) are other places I dared not venture. Not sure what the Pegasus was like in the middle of Abbey Wood estate.
I really do not like The Gamecock at West KIngsdown though. Not been in there for years, so it might be different in there now, but it was very clicky and any stranger made to feel very unwelcome.
Another was a pub in Eltham (possibly the Greyhound) where a friend of my Dad's had gone in there one afternoon with a mate. They sat on some stools at the bar and were having a drink when a bloke come over to them and said "that's Harry's seat that you're in". So they were like, okay we'll move if he comes in. The bloke said "no, you really don't want him to catch you sitting in his seat". So with that they reluctantly got up and moved to another seat. Then the guy said "sometimes Harry sits there".... The feeling of welcome was very evident!
Tidal Basin Tavern Silvertown, and the Anglers Retreat Just outside the Ford Dagenham plant. Popular Beers at popular prices, also saw some 3 card brag games go awry on pay days at the Anglers.
There’s a pub near me called the Eagle, CAMRA pub of the year some time ago, and right opposite was another pub, the name of which I’ve forgotten. It had a reputation for fights, and drug dealing, and police cars were often hovering outside. About twenty years ago some bloke was stabbed to death with a pool cue, after a ‘disagreement’.
And not that long ago, a couple of people sitting outside the pub almost killed a traffic warden for giving one of them a ticket. Read about that in a ‘court report’ in the local paper.
Some years ago, (2014?) we had arranged to meet our German friend Boris in the Eagle to watch the World Cup final. Boris turned up in his full German kit, but instead of going into the Eagle, went into the pub opposite by mistake. It’s seems the locals were less than happy to see him for some reason, and he was quite lucky that the exit at the back wasn’t locked. Never seen a big german looking so scared.
Mind you, half the pubs in Camden, where I used to live in the seventies, were like that.
Not a pub, but when I did some training for BT - way back when - at their school in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, a rumour went round that a couple of blokes got shot as they climbed the full sized (dummy) telegraph poles for training.
Our Scottish instructor overheard our misgivings and thought he'd placate us by saying "Oh no, not that old acorn. OK a couple of guys did climb the poles and got shot, but it wasn't as though it was a high calibre round or anything, nobody died".
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.
Those warehouses were converted into offices and up until a couple of years ago I worked in them for quite a while.
Would sometimes (regularly) pop over to the Dog and Truck for a few pints at lunch, was never rough as such but you’d always come out smelling of grease from the grub they’d been cooking.
It has now been gentrified (probably 2016ish), it’s now one of those Pieminister pubs. A lot nicer in there now, not sure what business is like after covid as pretty much all the custom came from the offices.
The concept of a rough/dangerous/no-go zone pub is pretty odd, when you sit and think about it for minutes.
That thought did cross my mind.
I wasn’t of a legal age to drink in pubs until 2005. Would be interested to know what people would attribute the ‘rough’ atmospheres to, especially going back to the 70s-90s.
I guess it’s the same with football/hooliganism from the same timeframe. It baffles me as to why so many people were willing to engage in that during that period.
Were people just more on-edge? Allowed to get away with more? Had less things in life to get a release from?
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I guess its not that strange we know quite a few of the same pubs, being from the same sort of area but I never believed someone would mention a bar in Riga. Went to a bar similar sounding to the one you were in. Owned by Russian Mafioso's. All of them are or at least were. My cousin in law is Latvian so have been to Riga a few times.
One evening I went out by myself into the smallish city centre. Noticed there was a happy hour in a bar not far from the river. Had a nice drink in the near empty pub and headed to the loos afterwards. Turns out it wasn't the loos but a full on lap dance/prostitution area of the pub. There was acts going on that you would only find on certain websites. Being typically British I apologised for disturbing them and made my way back.
I was then confronted with a bouncer saying something but i didn't understand what he was going on about. I kept going on about where the loo was and he kept holding his hand out wanting money for this information. I said don't bother and walked out. He followed me. It was a bit scary. bloke was like Hightower in police academy. made it to the street where i briskly walked to a pub i did know. no happy hour though.
Was in a pub in Bloomsbury & it had these decorative glass window/hatches round the bar underneath the glass shelves & the girl I was with said they reminded her of a really rough pub she went to in Dundee that had similar hatches & this was quite some time ago & the memory isn't what it was but I'm sure she said they opened a hatch to serve drinks then closed the hatch again. Anyway not 100% on that but what i am sure of is she said there was actually a urinal running around the base of the bar & men were openly pissing while sitting there drinking their beer. Anyone come across this anywhere ?
Dick was the type of landlord a pub like the oak needed. Didn't take any bullshit off anyone and built friendships, understood the importance of getting to know people (or just having drinking partners) I do my best to avoid it now, its a nicely decorated place but has no real character and is still only a spilt pint away from kicking off in the back room.
Anyway back to rough pubs, I forgot the Woodsman Tavern in Weedswood. That place was run for years by a friends dad and eventually by someone who had two massive German Shepherds who filled the entire beer garden up with their shit so with that full the landlord used the back bar as somewhere for them to drop anchor. That was a very rough and violent pub and isn't missed at all
Many years ago I got asked to play football for a team who I guess were based in Falconwood. I'm going to say some 20+ years ago.
After the game we went back to this bar. Now it was opposite the Harvester. I seem to remember it having a name like Summer something, or something related to sunshine maybe. I had a look on google maps and the place I think it is, is now called the Lingfield. The further google maps lets me go back is 2008. Seems to have gone through many names.
Now this place I remember we were there, and a black guy is walking past, and pretty much the whole team start shouting at this guy, definitely offensive stuff, can't remember the details. It seemed like everyone there took this as totally normal behaviour.
So I don't know the name of the place, but this was definitely my worse experience in a pub/bar. I didn't play for them again. Interest to know if this rings any bells for anyone?
"Two lagers, a packet of prawn cocktail crisps........... and an ambulance please". It wasn't too welcoming to students, like a few pubs up there.
The Bargepole (Thamesmead) and The Harrow Inn (Abbey Wood) are other places I dared not venture. Not sure what the Pegasus was like in the middle of Abbey Wood estate.
I really do not like The Gamecock at West KIngsdown though. Not been in there for years, so it might be different in there now, but it was very clicky and any stranger made to feel very unwelcome.
Another was a pub in Eltham (possibly the Greyhound) where a friend of my Dad's had gone in there one afternoon with a mate. They sat on some stools at the bar and were having a drink when a bloke come over to them and said "that's Harry's seat that you're in". So they were like, okay we'll move if he comes in. The bloke said "no, you really don't want him to catch you sitting in his seat". So with that they reluctantly got up and moved to another seat. Then the guy said "sometimes Harry sits there".... The feeling of welcome was very evident!
Our Scottish instructor overheard our misgivings and thought he'd placate us by saying "Oh no, not that old acorn. OK a couple of guys did climb the poles and got shot, but it wasn't as though it was a high calibre round or anything, nobody died".
Very comforting.
Would sometimes (regularly) pop over to the Dog and Truck for a few pints at lunch, was never rough as such but you’d always come out smelling of grease from the grub they’d been cooking.
It has now been gentrified (probably 2016ish), it’s now one of those Pieminister pubs. A lot nicer in there now, not sure what business is like after covid as pretty much all the custom came from the offices.
I wasn’t of a legal age to drink in pubs until 2005. Would be interested to know what people would attribute the ‘rough’ atmospheres to, especially going back to the 70s-90s.
I guess it’s the same with football/hooliganism from the same timeframe. It baffles me as to why so many people were willing to engage in that during that period.