Now as debates go between Peter and me the discussion whether to include the Seymour in the Chorlton Pubs and Bars book went on for some time.
On one level leaving it out made perfect sense.
It was after all never in Chorlton and its only claim to Chorlton is that it stood on Upper Chorlton Road.
But then there will be many who having tired of the Royal Oak and the Lloyds set off on the adventure which took them to West Point and the Seymour.
I suppose there will be some who do not know that once there was a pub at the junction of Manchester Road, Upper Chorlton Road and Seymour Grove.
It stood on the site of what is now a block of flats and was a pretty impressive pile, which is just as it should be, given that from sometime in the early 1860s if not earlier it was the home of Samuel Gratrix.
Mr Gratrix was a wealthy old cove and in his large garden of 17 acres his wife grew orchids which drew special attention from The Orchid World, which having praised Mrs Gratrix for “looking after the wants of these delicate and youthful Orchids” , turned to Mr Brown their gardener, “who has charge also of the 17 acres of grounds and shows fully his capabilities as an experts Orchid grower, and the many rare and beautiful plants which he is entrusted to care for”.*
All of which offers up more than a few stories about the Seymour and so perhaps we should have included it in the last section on the lost pubs of Chorlton and that bit of Whalley Range which is very near to Chorlton.
Had we done so, we might have written about the origins of the name West Point and reminded people that the area had also been known as the Flash, and was for a while where the trams terminated.
Of course all these interesting historical facts along with how we wrote the Chorlton Pubs and Bars book will be revealed this coming Saturday, when we will be in the Lloyds Hotel.
The plan is simple.
From 2 in the afternoon till 6, we will be in the pub signing that new book which can be purchased from us for just £14.99, which Peter tells me is the price of a round of drinks and is cheaper than a train ticket to Wigan.
Pictures; The Seymour Hotel circa, 1960 from the Lloyd Collection, the house when owned by Mr Samuel Gratrix, from The Orchid World, Vol 1 no. 1910-1911,
*The Orchid World, Vol 1 no. 1910-1911, pages 154-8
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| The Seymour, circa 1960 |
It was after all never in Chorlton and its only claim to Chorlton is that it stood on Upper Chorlton Road.
But then there will be many who having tired of the Royal Oak and the Lloyds set off on the adventure which took them to West Point and the Seymour.
I suppose there will be some who do not know that once there was a pub at the junction of Manchester Road, Upper Chorlton Road and Seymour Grove.
 |
| Mr and Mrs Gratrix's house, 1910 |
Mr Gratrix was a wealthy old cove and in his large garden of 17 acres his wife grew orchids which drew special attention from The Orchid World, which having praised Mrs Gratrix for “looking after the wants of these delicate and youthful Orchids” , turned to Mr Brown their gardener, “who has charge also of the 17 acres of grounds and shows fully his capabilities as an experts Orchid grower, and the many rare and beautiful plants which he is entrusted to care for”.*
Had we done so, we might have written about the origins of the name West Point and reminded people that the area had also been known as the Flash, and was for a while where the trams terminated.
Of course all these interesting historical facts along with how we wrote the Chorlton Pubs and Bars book will be revealed this coming Saturday, when we will be in the Lloyds Hotel.
The plan is simple.
From 2 in the afternoon till 6, we will be in the pub signing that new book which can be purchased from us for just £14.99, which Peter tells me is the price of a round of drinks and is cheaper than a train ticket to Wigan.
Pictures; The Seymour Hotel circa, 1960 from the Lloyd Collection, the house when owned by Mr Samuel Gratrix, from The Orchid World, Vol 1 no. 1910-1911,
*The Orchid World, Vol 1 no. 1910-1911, pages 154-8
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