Coventry Pubs

Out of interest, has anyone been in the Aardvark down in the Butts lately. I really struggle to see how they can still serve food. There's no way I would ever eat there. The toilets are seriously the worst I have ever seen, and if they can't keep those clean, I dread to think how bad the kitchen is. And that is saying something. Apparently they were having a refurb in June. Never happened. We went in last night and it's just nasty. How this place can still legally be open is a question that I just can't answer. Sadly, unless the students stop going there, it will not change. I thought the days of places like that were long gone............

Hi Heathite, the Barrass was known as the Bolshie because it was the venue for meetings of various groups of political left wingers during the 30s to 70s. Bolshie being the soubriquet for Bolsheviks.

I remember a few years ago when it was called the Fowl 'n' Firkin (a bit like the weather we're having ) they put a banner outside which read "No Travellers". The students union threatened a boycott of the pub and it was quickly taken down again.

Pleased to hear that the Biggin Hall Hotel is to be listed. Had many a good pint there in the late 50s and early 60s. It was a favourite venue at half time during the dances at the GEC ballroom. If you weren't a member of the GEC club all you could get during the break was tea and cakes so it was a mass exodus to the Biggin. We used to drink in the back room which was a lovely oak panelled place and had a massive oblong table that used to be commandeered by the local pensioners and woe betide anyone who had the temerity to occupy one of their seats. Talking about the GEC ballroom, it was arguably the best dance hall in Coventry with a superbly sprung floor. Before the dance proper started on a Saturday night a dance class was taken by a married couple named Knight and all for the price of one shilling. All the top bands of the time used to play there including Ted Heath, Ken Mcintosh, Johnny Dankworth, Eric Delaney and others I can't recall at the moment. Does anyone know if that back room at the Biggin is still in its original condition?.

The Hen and Chicks was the first pub where I partook of alcoholic liquor at the tender age of 15. The barman frightened the life out of me by announcing that he saw me most mornings catching the bus to KHVIII at the Forum! He was a decent bloke though and served me my bottle of Manns Brown for 22p and let me sit quietly in the corner to drink it! Happy Days!

Blimey, Beesman, 22p sounds a bit much for a bottle of Manns Brown. The first pint I bought was in the Fox & Vivian in Gosford Street about 1969 for around 2/6d. It was Ansells Bitter, I believe. I acquired a taste for beer quite young, which is rarely the case now as most people start on lager which was always bottled then and seen as a ladies' drink. The first pub I frequented regularly was the Albany which was just far enough from KHVIII to ensure no teachers drank there. A couple of times a week would see me in there for a pint of Pedigree after a bag of chips from Stan's Plaice across the road.

The Fox & Vivian was an M&B pub MisterD-Di so I doubt it was Ansells Bitter?

I think you are correct, Dutchman. There was an Ansells pub somewhere around there, I'm sure. What I do remember about the Fox & Vivian was when you opened the door into one of the bars you were on the darts oche and risked an arrow in your head if you were unaware!

The Peacock, MisterD-Di?

Hi Mr D-Di, Lager was on draught circa 1969 generally Carling Black Label in the M&B Pubs of the day (Black Horse in Spon End being one). Incidentally, 'Allsopps Lager' is seen advertised on old Tram and Horse Carriages in Victorian Times brewed at Burton-on Trent and sold across the region hand pumped I understand

My recollection is that lagers were generally not available on draught until a bit later than that, certainly in the pubs I frequented. It was usually only sold in half pint bottles, accompanied by a "ladies' glass". I did some bar work in a busy working men's club in 1972/3 and we certainly never had draught lager. By about 1973/4 most pubs did have a draught lager, usually the awful Black Label in M&B pubs, Skol in Ansells, and there was also one called Lamot in some pubs. The first pub in Coventry to sell draught Stella, I believe, was the Rose & Crown in High Street, a notorious pub for other reasons.

Carling Black Label on draught was introduced in 1965

I worked at the Edgwick Trades Hall in Cross Road 1969. Mild (Ansells & M&B) had just gone up from 1/7d to 1/9d and bitter from 1/9d to 2/1d. Carling Black Label was 2/3d and a whisky/rum/vodka or gin was 2/8d

My bar work was at the Stoke Aldermoor WMC, Carter Road, in 1972/3. We sold Ansells Mild at 10p a pint, Ansells Bitter at 12p and Youngers Tartan at 13p. As I said, no draught lager there in those days. I suppose 'working men' were not seen as lager drinkers then.