the old pubs of brum

[tramp]

As you all know - I've never legally drunk in brum so am completely unqualified to comment on its pubs - except for the externals such as the Swan, at Yardley, an inn that really looked the part.

In Scotland the pub where we met up every Thursday was reckoned to be ''a man's bar''.  There wasn't any trouble once in six months and any idiot that got stroppy/mouthy was quickly ''ushered out'' and some in the large main bar wouldn't have been aware of more than one briefly raised voice.   As Phil said it was down to the management and the regulars rapidly nipping things in the bud by way of backing the management up with ''a nod'' from the boss.   Any of duty police that came in expected to pay for their own drinks, they liked the atmosphere.   I only once saw uniforms in the pub, and they were asking for help which was given at once.

That pub is still going strong a generation later, and 'our lot' still meet on Thursdays.

[Tom Ward]

Hi Phil, Thanks for nice welcome to the forum, and as you may gather i have a bit of a sense of humour, as the "White Swan" in Ickneild St i was refering to was the one on top of "Bulpitts" I think it was the original swan brand logo, hope it makes you smile anyway! Tom

[ynot14]

Phil,
I have to agree with you. I spent a fair few nights on the door's in Brum and it was all the same three pints of shandy and they were worldbeaters, only problem was they were the only one's who thought it, and wanted to fight everyone.

I knew the Speedwell in the 1970s on a now and again basis as well as seeing so many problems in The Gladdy and The Maypole and most of it was drink related and council estates from the 1960s being filled with problem families and decent families hoping the decent would prevail..unfortunately they were overwhelmed and everyone ended up in the nearest pub

You got the same in Redditch and Telford, with the Brum overspill, to a certain extent and now it's ridiculous with all this "you dissed me" when people are trying to enjoy an evening.

Anyway as I have pointed out I spend most evenings in now as our local pubs in Llanelli are either closing down, the same as Brum, or have three "under new management" banners a year...can anyone explain why they don't look at the books for the places they take over?
 
Well that's  another moan from ynot

[sheldonboy]

Ynot
Sorry mate don't know the Druids heath area at all, or the Gladiator.  SB

[sheldonboy]

Phil how in Gods name do you do it
The pub in the picture, The Matchmaker was built by Watneys (yes Watneys) on land previously owned by M&B.   M&B owned most of the pockets of undeveloped land around these parts, they bought them partly for investment and partly to stop other breweries getting into the area.
Wiggins Teape paper reps from Granby avenue used to use the place and named a copier paper after it. Anyone who ever used Matchmaker copier, that's where the name came from. The pub was situated at the junction of Garretts Green Lane and The Meadway, the name Matchmaker refered to cupid as it's sign depicted.
It was never a really busy pub but kept going reasnably well, later it changed to The Boars Head and was run by an Irish Guy called Bernie. The Boars was the first pub in the area to sell Fosters Lager. It unfortunately closed quite a few years ago. The site is now home to a Kwik Fit branch. Some of you may well remember an old garage on the opposite corner, this corner has housed a Macdonalds for about the last 18 years ish.  SB

[Phil]

SB

Its just that its one of the pubs in that area that I never used. I didn't drink round that way for long but I got into most of the pubs. Never stayed long enough in any pub to get a bad name .

Back then I was out at the pub 9 times a week and at least 5 of those would be somewhere other than my local.

Phil

[sheldonboy]

That's it then

As they say where I was Brunged up.  "Oim gooin T bed."

[berniew]

The story locally when the Speedwell was closed was that the bikers who frequeted the place drugged the gaffer stole his keys and sent for an ambulance , the gaffer spent two days in hospital and the bikers two days in his pub. You'r right Phil they were a nasty lot and the bar best avoided. Bernie

[sheldonboy]

Berniew
Where have you been?

What I would like( actually what tramp would like to know) is how you know so much about a pub like The Speedwell.

[berniew]

Sheldonboy Haven't been anywhere I just lose interest now and then  ,as for the Speedwell , we used to use a wholesalers in Speedwell Road and have a drink with the manager a couple of times a week , it was not too bad in the lounge , but there was a pool table in the bar and one night we decided to play , seemed safe enough no bikers around ,anyway we won a few games and time rolled on and we were on the pool table when the bikers arrived . Sure enough they put their money down and our next game was against two of them to cot a long story short we won and the biker threw his cue at the optics rail . this left us in a dilemma as there were now loads of them , we discussed leaving but the nutter we had just beaten was standing by the door looking menacing ,so we decided to play on  and lose ,unfortunately I [censored] the black and this time the white ball went through the window  ,anyway we sat down drank up and said goodnight expecting to be pulped but the cue thrower said he would be in the following lunchtime and would play us again to get his own back . I Still don't know if we put on a really brave face or they could just see the terror and left us alone  ,never did have the return match   Bernie

[tramp]

Bernie,

It sounds as though you made a very wise decision...