A 'gang' of 'teenagers' ........... just before the War outside the Horse and Jockey

Now I like the way that people continue to be generous with both their family pictures and the memories.

So I was very pleased when this one was sent to me by Yvonne.

The Horse and Jockey will always be special to me, not only because as one of our oldest pubs it featured in my first book and was the venue for its launch but also because as the “Pub on the Green” it has been at the centre of much of Chorlton's history.*

But rather than ramble on I will share Yvonne’s description of the picture.

"Hello Andrew!  I enjoy reading your post on the Chorlton Blog.  

I was born there - leaving when I was 8.  I have a photo of my mother and sister with their 'gang' from about 1936 outside the Horse and Jockey.  

It’s of a 'gang' of 'teenagers' just before the War outside the Horse and Jockey. 

My mum Dilys on the left, her sister Gwen on the right. She used to tell us all their names but the only one I can remember is Joe Rook!”

And that is a pretty good start.

Yvonne hopes it will “stir some memories up” and so do I.



All of which just leaves me to thank Yvonne.
Location; Chorlton

Picture; A 'gang' of 'teenagers' outside the Horse and Jockey circa 1936 courtesy of Yvonne Richardson

*The Story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 

Mrs Martha Thorpe, the slaughter house and a new row of shops on Beech Road

Now when Mrs Thorpe opened her “slaughter house” in 1879 on Beech Road I doubt she thought that she would still be there selling cuts of meat, mince and tripe at the dawn of the next century.

Looking down towards the "slaughter house" circa 1900

But that is just exactly what happened and in the process will have been visited by countless customers in what is now Elk, which given its name is an interesting turn of events for what was originally a shop dealing in dead animals.

Until recently I had no idea of the date of the building and it was only as I trawled the rate books that its age came to light.

The rate books will tell you who owned the property and if it was rented and the estimated annual rent along with its rateable value.

And by slowly tracking back year by year it will be possible to arrive at the date the building was completed and first assessed for rates.

In our case this was 1878, not long after Chorlton Row and been renamed Beech Road, and when there were still farms, and smithy within a few minute’s walk of Mrs Thorpe’s business.

Beech Road, circa 1900

The discovery of the “slaughter house” was not an accident and came out of the research on the bars of Chorlton for the book Chorlton pubs and bars.



Location; Chorlton

Picture; Beech Road circa 1900 from the Lloyd collection

Chorlton Pubs and Bars ........ the gang of '36 at the Horse and Jockey

Now I like the way that people continue to be generous with both their family pictures and the memories.

So I was very pleased when this one was sent to me by Yvonne.

The Horse and Jockey will always be special to me, not only because as one of our oldest pubs it featured in my first book and was the venue for its launch but also because as the “Pub on the Green” it has been at the centre of much of Chorlton's history.*

But rather than ramble on I will share Yvonne’s description of the picture.

"Hello Andrew!  I enjoy reading your post on the Chorlton Blog.  

I was born there - leaving when I was 8.  I have a photo of my mother and sister with their 'gang' from about 1936 outside the Horse and Jockey.  

It’s of a 'gang' of 'teenagers' just before the War outside the Horse and Jockey. 

My mum Dilys on the left, her sister Gwen on the right. She used to tell us all their names but the only one I can remember is Joe Rook!”

And that is a pretty good start.

Yvonne hopes it will “stir some memories up” and so do I.

In the meantime I will go looking for Joe Rook in the historical records.

All of which just leaves me to thank Yvonne.

Location; Chorlton

Picture; A 'gang' of 'teenagers' outside the Horse and Jockey circa 1936 courtesy of Yvonne Richardson

*The Story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 

Stories from the Horse and Jockey ….. tonight in the pub on the Green

When you have a pub that first opened its doors in 1793 in a building which was still new when Henry VIII walked up the aisle with Anne Boleyn there are going to be heaps of stories.

The forgotten pub sign, 2024

And many of those stories feature in our new book on The Horse and Jockey in the series Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors.*

The Horse and Jockey circa 1900

It came out earlier this year and today I can announce that the launch of the book will be on Thursday July 25th at 8pm in the pub and coincides with a recent redecoration and refurbishment of the place.

The interior has been repainted and repapered along with bits you don't see, like rewiring, and new pumps which you can see.

For me one of the crowning features is the collection of framed photographs and Peter's paintings which are taken from our book. 

The rediscovered chimney breast, 2024

And it was during the refurb that one of the former pub signs was rediscovered.  

It has quite correctly been reinstalled as a talking point and the manager Iain hopes it will spark a memory of when it stood outside.

Dining in the restaurant, 2024

Nor is that the only forgotten secret to reappear because back in 2010 a chimney breast and an internal wattle and daub wall were uncovered which will have not seen the light of day for at least two centuries.

To these forgotten bits of the Jockey’s past can be added a varied collection of stories from Samuel Wilton who stole the village green from the community in the early 19th century to the inquest held in the pub to investigate the murder of Francis Deaken in 1847.

Outside the Horse and Jockey, 1936

And added to these is the arrest of young Samuel Warburton at 7 am in the morning outside the pub having a pint and recovering from his participation in an illegal prize fight out on the meadows in the July of the following year**.

I could go on but for the details of these and other stories you will have to buy the book which will be on sale on the night.

The launch will follow our earlier ones and along with a brief few words from the authors we are hoping for performances from two Manchester poets, along with the usual mix of good conversation.

The event is free, is always fun and of course allows you to explore the newly redecorated pub and relax with a drink.

Leaving me just to thank Iain and his assistant Anna for being our hosts on the night.

You can order the book at www.pubbooks.co.uk  or the old-fashioned way on 07521 557888 or from Chorlton Bookshop

In the dinning room, 2024

All for the price of a pint.

Location; The Horse & Jockey, the Inn on Green, Chorlton

Pictures; cover of Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors The Horse & Jockey, designed by Peter Topping, pictures of the newly refurbished Horse & Jockey, 2024, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and the pub in 1900 courtesy of Carolyn Willitts, and  A 'gang' of 'teenagers' outside the Horse and Jockey circa 1936 courtesy of Yvonne Richardson

* Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors, Andrew Simpson, and Peter Topping, 2024

**Every Chorlton pub should have its own book, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2024/02/every-chorlton-pub-should-have-its-own.html

The pub sign …. a question …. and an invite to a heap of stories …. July 25th in the Horse and Jockey at 8pm

Your starter is to suggest a date when this pub sign hung outside the Horse and Jockey.

Who can date the sign?

It now has pride of place in the newly redecorated pub and the manager Iain hopes it will spark a memory.

The restaurant, 2024

As will the stories which will  feature during the launch of our new book The Horse and Jockey in the series Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors, Andrew Simpson, and Peter Topping, 2024.

The sign was discovered upstairs in a corner of one of the store rooms.

Nor is that the only forgotten secret to reappear because back in 2010 a chimney breast and an internal wattle and daub wall were uncovered which will have not seen the light of day for at least two centuries.

The rediscovered chimney, 2024

To these forgotten bits of the Jockey’s past can be added a varied collection of stories from Samuel Wilton who stole the village green from the community in the early 19th century to the inquest held in the pub to investigate the murder of Francis Deaken in 1847.

Outside the Jockey circa 1900

And added to these is the arrest of young Samuel Warburton at 7 am in the morning outside the pub having a pint and recovering from his participation in an illegal prize fight out on the meadows in the July of the following year**.

I could go on but for the details of these and other stories you will have to buy the book which will be on sale on the night.

The launch will follow our earlier ones and along with a brief few words from the authors we are hoping for performances from two Manchester poets, along with the usual mix of good conversation.

The event is free, is always fun and of course allows you to explore the newly redecorated pub and relax with a drink.

Leaving me just to thank Iain and his assistant Anna for being our hosts on the night.

You can order the book at www.pubbooks.co.uk email or the old-fashioned way on 07521 557888 or from Chorlton Bookshop

Location; The Horse and Jockey

Pictures; The Horse and Jockey, 2024 from the collection of Andrew Simpson and in 1900, courtesy of Caroline Willetts

Every Chorlton pub should have its own book ……..

It’s a given that all our pubs have a rich history with heaps of stories and so the new book on the Horse & Jockey* is the first in the series which will feature all eight Chorlton pubs and the lost ones.

The Horse & Jockey, 2023

The Horse & Jockey looks the part of a rural pub, with its stone floors, low ceilings, interesting spaces, and distinctive Tudor frontage.

It occupies a building which was already into its second decade when Henry V111 walked up the aisle with Anne Boleyn, but appearances can be deceptive.

It didn’t become a pub until 1793, consisted of just four small rooms either side of the main door and didn’t acquire its black and white timber “look” until sometime in the early 20th century.

Various suggestions have been offered up for exactly when the building was constructed but it would have been some time at the start of the 1500s.

Back then it consisted of four individual cottages and may originally have been made with wattle and daub walls which were later replaced with brick.  

The Horse & Jockey, circa 1900

Our book tells the story of the building from its construction, through to its growth into the pub we know today, and along the way will pick out the arrest of a celebrated prize fighter, the inquest into an awful murder and those "gentlemen" who played bowls on the green behind the pub.

To these we have added Samuel Wilton’s dastardly theft of the village green, traditional rural pastimes, some popular myths and that almost winning Jockey football team from the 1970s.

Along with the stories from Andrew Simpson there are seven original paintings by Peter Topping and a large selection of maps and photographs spanning the last two centuries.

All for the price of a pint.

The book is available from Chorlton Bookshop, Iain Cartwright at the Horse and Jockey and from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk

Location; The Horse & Jockey, the Inn on Green, Chorlton

Pictures; cover of Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors The Horse & Jockey, designed by Peter Topping, The Horse & Jockey, 2023, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and in 1900 courtesy of Carolyn Willitts

*Chorlton Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors The Horse & Jockey, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, 2024

Lost Manchester Pubs ........ the Llangollen Castle and the Old Green Man .... "wholly drunken men and semi-drunken women"

Now next time you are sitting beside Eric and he begins his long account of the demise of the British pub, here are two salutatory tales of pubs which deserve to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Davenport Court, 1849

I came across the two in a series of newspaper articles from the Manchester Guardian in 1870 and they were the Llangollen Castle and the Old Green Man.

Neither of which I suspect any of us would care to fall into.

The Llangollen Castle was at the entrance to Davenport Court which was off Deansgate hard by Victoria Street.

Today the stretch includes the Renaissance Hotel, and a car park.  But back in the 1870s it was a notorious spot where all manner of vice and worse bubbled away in what was a closed court which you entered by a narrow passage way from the main road.

And beside the entrance to the court, “keeping guard over it is a public house filled full to overflowing with wholly drunken men and semi-drunken women, and hard working labourers who are spending on prostitutes hard-earned money for want of which their wives and children are starving at home.

The whistle which gives token of the approach of suspicious-looking strangers, and the intense silence which succeeds it, indicate alike the commerce and the conversation carried on there.

The site of Davenport Court to the right, circa 1980s

The intruding and unwelcome visitor is greeted with muttered curses and regarded with furtive looks; he may be a ‘plain-clothes man’ taking stock, and too many know what that means to make his advent welcome.”*

Of course the Llangollen Castle may
not always have been a hub of all that is reprehensible.

In 1841 it was run by Thomas Griffiths who paid an annual rent of £48 to a Mr Carr.  The rent was far in excess of  the neighbouring houses which were paying between £7 and 8 a year.**

And Mr Carr seems to have cleaned up on Davenport Close owning all nine properties and may have seen the Llangollen Castle as the jewel in his portfolio.

How long Thomas Griffiths had served up pints is not yet clear.  In 1841 he was 65 so could have been pleasing the residents of Davenport Court for some time.***

That said I haven’t yet found an earlier date for the pub and will have to go and search the license records.
Nor have I even found a location for the Old Green Man which seems no less desirable.

“On the ground floor passing by the bar a long low room is reached, a mechanical organ is grinding away popular airs; and on long benches in front of the fire is a very mixed company of men and women...... The men are cadgers,- thieves ready to turn their head to anything, so long as it is dishonest; and the woman – their bloated, bruised and woollen faces tell too plainly that they have reached the lowest depths attainable by womanhood.”*

So, there you have it in the great sweep of pubs to visit neither the Llangollen Castle and the Old Green Man would be top of my list.

All of which is a nice lead into the two pubs books which feature 78 city centre pubs and 33 Chorlton pubs and bars.

They were published in December 2016 and May 2017 and are less a guide and more a history of all that is good, combining original paintings by Peter Topping, stories by me and lots of photographs.

You can order the books at www.pubbooks.co.uk email Peter at peter@pubbooks.co.uk the old fashioned way on 07521 557888 or from Chorlton Bookshop

Pictures; Davenport Court, 1849, from Manchester & Salford OS, Digital Archives Association, http://digitalarchives.co.uk/ and looking along Deansgate, circa 1980s from the collection of John Casey

*In the Slums, the Manchester Guardian, March 3 1870

**Manchester Rate Books, Davenport Court, 1841

***Davenport Court, 1841 census, Enu 30 3, Market Street, Manchester

The mystery of the pub sign on Chorlton Green

Actually it is less a mystery and more just an opportunity to show off two pub signs from the same pub separated by just a few decades.

The first was taken by Tony Walker in the mid 1970s and if you can remember it, then I fear you will be on the wrong side of 40.

The other dates from later and may well have made it into the 21st century.

It was sent to me by my friend Emily who worked in the Horse and Jockey when it was owned by Peter Dalton.

And it was while talking to Peter Topping, he of the magnificent paintings that I discovered just how much work went into the creation of a traditional pub sign.

Which in turn, led to the discovery of a fine example of a pub sign  in the cellars of the Royal Oak which the landlady proudly brought out so that Peter could photograph it.

And the rest as they is in the new book, which as everyone knows is about the pubs and bars of Chorlton.

Location; Chorlton












Pictures; Horse and Jockey pub sign, circa 1975, from the collection of Tony Walker, and circa 2000, courtesy of Emily Fisher

When history met a beer festival and became a story

Now looking out of Manchester Central at a grey city skyline was to be reminded that what was going on inside the exhibition hall was so much better.

Looking out on a grey skyline, 2019

Yesterday was the last day of the CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival, and over the last four days we had observed lots of very happy people, enjoying the beer and cider, comparing notes, and generally just having a good time.

The guests included the dedicated, who selected the drinks they were interested in, completed the check list awarding points, exchanged opinions, and then went off for a different brew.

They mingled happily with those who, while they enjoyed the beer, were less interested in point scoring.

Inside with the beer and cider, 2019

And finally, there were those who saw it as their mission to down as many pints as they could, admitting only the distraction of a challenge on Mr. Porky’s stall where if they could successfully get five ping pong balls in a series of beer glasses, they won a packet of pork scratching.

All of this we observed from our stall, promoting the two Manchester pubs books we published in 2016 and 2017. *

Both of which are not guides to the pubs, but the stories of the pubs, and the surrounding area, richly illustrated with paintings by Peter Topping.

Plenty of people came up to us and commented how much they had enjoyed the first book on the city centre pubs, were back for the one on Chorlton-cum-Hardy and were pleased that we were working on the Didsbury edition.

Quite a few, also shared fresh stories of Manchester pubs.

But of all the encounters on the four days, the best was from young Karl who on the last day bought a copy of the city centre book for his sister, discovered he was in the book and promptly came back and purchased a second copy.

Karl with Andrew Simpson and Peter Topping

Leaving me to reflect, that if you have to promote a book a beer and cider festival in an iconic old railway station is a pretty neat choice.

Location; Manchester

Pictures, inside GMex at the Beer and Cider Festival, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, Karl meets Andrew Simpson, 2019, courtesy of Peter Topping

*** Manchester Pubs- The Stories Behind the Doors, Centre Centre and Manchester Pubs- The Stories Behind the Doors, Chorlton-cum-Hardy are available from www.pubbooks.co.uk and Chorlton Bookshop

The Nose on Beech Road ............... another lost Chorlton bar

Now I don’t think we do recent history very well.

And that I suppose is because we rarely regard it as history.

It sits there as just a vague memory or an occasional question to a friend about what was down at the Four Banks in 1990 or what replaced

Woolworth's when it closed.

Nor do we bother to take pictures and if we do they seldom survive.

So while there are shed loads of images of Chorlton and Whalley Range in the 1900s there are few regularly posted from the 1970s or 80s.
As we all know there has been a bar revolution, which is a very recent thing.

Go back just to twenty five years and most of what are now bars were shops selling traditional things like shoes, wool, electrical goods and paraffin.

Now I am fully aware of the debate around that revolution but for now I just want to reflect on the rise and demise of one of those bars.

It was the Nose on Beech Road.

Today number 60 is the Parlour but as a bar/ restaurant/cafe it has had quite a few different names and before that it did other things.

My memories only stretch to the mid 1970s when it was briefly a piano shop before it began its long association with food and drink.

And without ever wanting to sound like Methuselah I can claim to have eaten in the place when it first opened as Cafe on the Green, and later when it was known variously as Blue Note, the Nose and Marmalade before reopening as the Parlour.

Along the way it extended sideways on to Acres Road and acquired its set of street furniture. Happily the present set of tables and chairs are more comfortable than the early steel ones which seemed to balance precariously on the uneven surface.

In 1911 it belonged to Mr Wheatley the ironmonger who sold paraffin, waxed string and brass nails and later it was a hairdressers.

There are a few pictures of the business when it did all of those things  but few of the later years.

So I was pleased when I found these.  I can’t remember when they were taken but I printed them off and so will date to a time when I was still using both a digital camera and my old

Pictures, The Nose circa 1990s from the collection of Andrew Ssimpson

For the Friends of Barlow Moor Road .......

Now I know I should get out more.

And so with that thought in mind I decided to renew my subscription to the Friends of Barlow Moor Road [Chorlton Branch] with a short stroll from Chorlton Brook down to Kemp’s Corner, which now goes under the official title of Chorlton Cross, but everyone calls the Four Banks.

I was pleased to see that the M&S store was where I left it, although oldies like me may just associate M&S with the Manchester & Salford Co-op, but that is just me showing off.

However the news from that fast food place opposite, is that it was all fenced off and appeared to be going through a makeover.

I suppose if I checked the City Council Planning Portal I would find the details but that I will leave to others.

Instead I shall dwell on those changes to Morely Cheeks, that bar with the unusual name.

It had once "been Argyles as well as a bank, but had started out as a branch of T. Seymour Mead the grocery chain. But there is a sort of logic in that odd name because the original Morley Cheek’s was named after the Reverend Nicholas Morley Cheek ,who was appointed to our own St Clements parish church in 1791, and remained in place till his death in 1805. That said, he appointed in quick succession two stipendiary curates to oversee St Clement’s, while he went off to build St Stephen’s Church in Salford". *

There is more but you will have to look it up in Manchester Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors Chorlton-cum-Hardy, which Peter and I published last year.**

At the time we commented that “even the Reverend will not survive the makeover at Morley Cheek’s, which as well as a refurbishment will soon see the bar change its name”.

At the time we were told it would be in a few months, but that seemed to have been delayed for almost a year, but as I passed last week it is in full swing.  Regulars may wonder at the plight of the night safe which was retained from its time as a bank will survive.

We shall see.
Leaving me to suggest you compare Peter’s paintings with the finished alterations to both MacDonald’s and the bar.

Painting; McDonalds Chorlton. Painting © 2016 Peter Topping, & Morley Cheek Chorlton. Painting © 2017 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures.
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

*Manchester Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, 2017

**A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

The loss of Oddest

I was saddened to hear that Oddest on Wilbraham Road has closed.

As ever, the social media sites were quick to home in on its closure, beginning with questions about why it was not open, followed by speculation on what might replace it, along with the inevitable  tranche of stories and memories of the place.

What seemed to be missing from the chatter was any appreciation of what its closure meant to the staff who worked, there and at the two other outlets in the Northern Quarter.

And it was left to the Evening News to record that 40 jobs have gone, which is a tragedy in any one’s books.*

There will be more than a few of the uncharitable sort who argue that this is evidence of there being too many bars in Chorlton and call again for a return of the traditional retail outlets.

Sadly in an age of on line shopping, giant supermarkets and the Trafford Centre, the demand for the small independent green grocer, grocer and shoe shop are not high on most peoples’ shopping list.

And that in turn leaves many High Streets chasing a mix of charity shops, niche businesses and bars to fill the void.

The same uncharitable voices may also dismiss my response as nothing more than self interest, given that late last year I co-produced a book on Chorlton’s pubs and bars with the Manchester artist Peter Topping.

Since its publication there have been a few bars which have changed their name, one that was going to but didn’t, another which closed as we were writing the book and the opening of Zitano, that excellent pizza restaurant on Beech Road.

What is more remarkable is that most of the establishments are open and appear to be flourishing, which may say something about Chorlton.

And that brings me back to Oddest which opened in 2009, had a complete refurbishment five years later and always seemed busy when I passed.

Those in the know, or perhaps think they are in the know, may offer up an explanation for its demise, based on the steady decline in the pub trade which may now be biting into the bar business.

But such speculation I will leave to them, who may in their endless pontificating give some thought to the staff of Oddest, the Odd Bar and The Blue Pig which together formed the chain.

Location; Chorlton & Manchester

Painting; Oddest,  © 2017 Peter Topping

Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

Facebook: Paintings from Pictures https://www.facebook.com/paintingsfrompictures

*Odd bar, Oddest and The Blue Pig have closed down - leaving dozens of staff jobless, Beth Abbit, Manchester Evening News, January 5, 2018, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/odd-bar-oddest-blue-pig-14118281

Tales from the Trevor Arms part four ........... an apology to Lynda

Now I began going in the Trevor sometime around 1976 and have fond memories of Stan, Mona and their daughter Christine who did the business behind the bar.

The Trevor, circa 1975

What I didn’t know at the time was that the trio had originally been a quartet and along with Christine there was Lynda who was the other daughter of Stan and Mona.

And that has now been rectified by Lynda’s husband, Bill,  who left this comment on the last Trevor blog story.

“If you're updating the book with details of the Trevor makeover, you might also want to amend the section about Stan, Mona and their daughter Christine to read 'Stan, Mona and their daughters Christine and Lynda.' 

Lynda is my wife, by the way, and she also used to work behind the bar, mostly in the Vault in her teens and up to when we married in 1975. 

Pete Topping can confirm. Also, you might want to mention that Lynda was born upstairs at the Trevor at 'last orders' one night in October 1955."

All of which I will indeed add to the section on the pub when we update the entry.*

And that just leaves me to thank Bill and offer my apologies to Lynda.

Location; Chorlton

Picture; the Trevor Arms circa 1975, courtesy of Lois Elsden

*A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

Tales from the Trevor Arms ....... part 3

Now just over a week ago the Trevor Arms reopened after a short make over.

I say makeover but that is to short change what Green King who own the place have done to the pub.

The two rooms have been knocked through, the beer garden upgraded, and above all the exterior has gone through a transformation.

The peeling paint, and that sign “The Famous Trevor Arms” have gone, and replaced by a tasteful finish which has seen the restoration of the old brewery sign advertising Groves & Whitnall’s Ales.

Outside the Trevor Arms, August 2017

I can’t say that the “famous” title ever did much for me and I like the restoration of the reference to Groves & Whitnall’s Ales which began in Salford in 1868 and began an expansion which saw it buy up nearly 600 pubs by the beginning of the 20th century.

The Trevor was one of these and in 1908 had its first major makeover when the present building was opened.

There will be plenty of stories from its 120 years but one of my favourites is the one about the man who brought his goat to the pub and for the price of a couple of pints hired it out  to customers who used it instead of a lawn mower.*

Now that one passed me by but I do remember the chap who lived on the meadows in a tent although I had forgotten that he wandered around Chorlton in all weathers without his shirt or that late at night he would sometimes stand outside one pub on the green and begin howling which set the dogs off.

All of which leaves me to reflect that with the makeover we shall in due course add to the section in the book on Chorlton’s pubs and bars which mentions the Trevor and for now leave you with Peter’s new painting.

Painting; The Trevor Arms,  © 2017 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

*A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

Tales from the Trevor Arms ....... part 2

Now there will be many of us with stories about the Trevor.  

Mine revolve around many happy nights in the pub in the 1970’s in the company of Tom, Keith and Mike, Lois and John.

But others will remember the man with the goat, the mixed darts team, and Jack and Ann who sat at the table between the bar and entrance to the lavatories holding court every night.

The Trevor in 2011

We usually shared their table from which we could gaze out across the room and pass conversations with Telecom Eddy, Jean the Post and the Judo crowd, along with Scotch Ken and the woman Jack called the “Jockey.”

The place long predates the sign over the door and was once just a humble beer shop selling beer from the front room of what may well have been a wattle and daub cottage.

These and many more stories are in the new book on Chorlton pubs and bars which came out earlier in the year.*

And now it has had a makeover adding yet another chapter to its long history.

The two bars have become one, the beer garden has been upgraded and the exterior repainted with a new pub sign.

And there is a story about one of the old pub signs which my old mate Joe told me about a long time ago, which is for another time.

But in the meantime here is Peter’s painting of the Trevor on a warm summer’s day back in July 2011 during one of the Beech Road Festivals.

Next; a brewery, more on the man who took his goat into the Trevor and ofcourse the new Peter painting of the outside which he is finishing as I write.

Painting; The Trevor Arms,  © 2011 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

*A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

Good evening and welcome back to the Trevor

Now everyone I know has been posting pictures of the outside of the Trevor and pretty good the pub looks.

But these may be the first of the inside of the Trev to come out into the morning sunlight.

There is of course a perfectly good explanation for that because until yesterday the place had been closed for refurbishment which has included knocking through the two bars and adding some new furniture and a lick of paint.

And I like it.

I first crossed the threshold in the mid 70s when Stan Mona and Christine ran the place, and Ann and Jack along with the Judo crowd were in most nights.

It remained our local into the 1980s and even if I was on my own there was always a shed load of people to talk to from Telecom Eddie and Jean the Post to Scotch Ken and many more.

Back then I don't recall a beer garden, and it was just the "yard."

A place Stan and Mona stored the bits of the pub which after doing a useful job never got into the cellar.

I suspect there may have been the odd rickety chair, a spare darts board left soaking in a tub of water and other things.

I did try to get into the beer garden last night bu it wasn't to be.

Ann however did and she told me that they had "popped in last night, thought it was lovely.  We sat outside because of the strong smell of glue but that's understandable because of all the new upholstery, cracking outside area."

And she shared a picture which is equally happy to share again here on the blog.

All of which is a roundabout way to say I was back in the company of Peter his wife and friends to introduce the pub to the new book on Chorlton pubs and bars.

We were made very much at home y Phil the manager and the staff,

And the rest as they was a couple of bottles of Peroni, some fine conversation including a chat to Janice from Morrisons and the sale of eight books.

Enough said .............. more to come.

Location; Chorlton


Picture; the inside of the Trevor from the old vault, 2017 from the collection of Andrew Simpson and the beer garden 2017, courtesy of Susan Bowie

*A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

Celebrating the history of the Lloyds ........... with that new book on Chorlton pubs and bars

Now there are lots of ways of making new friends and a book signing is not a bad one, especially if its a book about pubs and bars and takes place in a pub.

And yes this is another bit of outrageous self promotion.  The book in question is the second in the series on Manchester Pubs The Stories Behind the Doors and focuses on the 33 pubs and bars of Chorlton.

Less a guide, it is a celebration of the history of these drinking places and sets them into the bigger story of how Chorlton was transformed from a small rural community to a suburb of Manchester.

Each has an original Peter painting and there are lots of old and contemporary photographs, along with maps and much more.

Added to which the research revealed some interesting new information about many of the 33.

And that takes ne nicely to the Lloyds which was the first of our new pubs.

It was built to appeal to the new wave of residents who were moving into Chorlton from the late 1870s, who didn’t fancy sitting in the old traditional beer houses rubbing shoulders with agricultural labourers and base tradesmen.

Instead they wanted something grander and the Lloyds offered just such a place.

I have always followed the received historical knowledge which dates the pub to 1870, but in the course of the research discovered it had been granted a license two years earlier, and while it may have been originally associated with Mr Lloyd and Platt in 1873 was bought Mr William Roberts who already owned the Bowling Green.

And for the rest as they say “you will have to buy the book”, which neatly and with very little in the way of contrivance, takes me to the book signing last Saturday.

It was the first of a number which we will roll out over the next year along with a series of historic walks planned for September.

Such events are always great fun, partly because we get to meet old friends, and make new ones.

In my case it also included meeting up with Derek and Brian who I have shared many facebook conversations on topics as varied as Chorlton football teams in the 1950, Woolwich market and a remarkable set of open air concerts in Eltham Brian that I both attended in 1966.

And while I was thus engaged Peter was indulging in a series of discussuins with customers and pointing them to his new ideas for a beer which perhaps one day the Lloyds might adopt.

Our thanks must also go to Darren and the staff of the Lloyds who made us most welcome.

And Vicky from Chorlton Bookshop who did the business of selling the book while Peter and I met lots of people.

So that is all I want to say except that you can  get the book from Chorlton Bookshop.

Location; The Lloyds,














Pictures; The Lloyds, June 3 2107 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*A new book on the pubs and bars of Chorlton, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20Chorlton%20Pubs%20and%20bars

Today at The Lloyds .......Your chance to ge a signed book of Chorlton pubs and bars

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.

The Seymour on Upper Chorlton Road ........ the one we missed out

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.

The Seymour, circa 1960

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.

Mr and Mrs Gratrix's house, 1910

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

Chorlton Pubs and Bars ..... the book has arrived

Now I have always been sceptical of writers who say a book took over their life.

But in the case of Peter who is the other half of Andrew Simpson and Peter Topping it has to be said that our latest book has taken over his house.

This is the second in the series on Manchester Pubs.

The first concentrated on 75 city centre drinking establishments, grouped in fifteen walks with more than 600 original Peter paintings, maps and photographs.

And today the first batch of 200 copies of Chorlton Pubs and Bars arrived and spread out across the hall and front room of Peter's house.

There are, inside its covers, the stories of 33 pubs and bars, also grouped into walks with paintings pictures and maps.

That said fifty of them will be in Chorlton bookshop tomorrow, delivered by me and Peter at midday.

And because we can, we shall be signing copies and talking to those who join us for the event.

I may even mention, the man, the goat and The Trevor Arms, although I suspect Peter will tell me off and direct everyone to the relevant chapter.

Peter will also have a collection of his badges and both of us will be happy to talk about the book and how we came to write it.

And that is all I am going to say until tomorrow, at midday in Chorlton Book Shop.

But will just hint at the section on the lost seven.