Ale and Hearty

Who's your all time favourite Wigan pub landlord and landlady? They dont seem to last long these days but once upon a time, a landlord was for life and it was usually his name customers used. Like Sams - Sam and Marj Holding at White horse and later swan and railway. Not forgetting Billy's - Billy and Joan Boston at the Griffin. There were so many characters.
PS can anybody tell me the name of the landlord at the star in roby mill who played the banjo?

An old mate o' mine, Frank Fielding, was (at one time)the longest serving landlord in Wigan & in one pub. 29 years in the "Old Pear Tree", Frog Lane. Dunno' if that record's gone yet.
I went in the OPT when Jack & Pat Ashcroft had it, before he took over, & eventually went to his funeral last year..

eddie duggan, landlord of brick in woodhouse lane, been there for approx 32 years.

Sylvia and John who used to have The Queens Head in Aspull,Terry and June Dunn the Silverwell,Ernie Roughley and wife the Silverwell.

Frank F was a true star - Zeta Brown was my fave but let's not to forget dear old Harold Burgess at the John Bull RIP to all

MRS.Brown was a legend.
I'll never forget when the urinals got blocked and there was pee about half an inch deep in the Gents. She got a skint owd chap to shove his hand down the drain to unblock it on the promise of half a dozen pints of mild.

Other landlords Colin Cooke at the Market, a true gentleman.
Eric and Phyllis at the Bowling Green on Wigan Lane, Alan and Dot at the Hen 'ole. Pagefield we mustn't forget John and Ann Meehan.

John Mitchell Silverwell hotel.

angela who took over from her dad (billy boston) at the griffin

Was just going to mention Colin, Bennie, Exhibition ale . . . ah!

Keith and Norma Holden who had the Crooked Wheel along with several other pubs, people like these are few and far between. Both sadly missed.

ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes not to forget Jackie Leyland. The best landlady the Flamingo ever had.

I thank you Shasha

My grandad Tommy Danson, (well he was retired by then) by all accounts not one to upset!!! Held the Pagey before Meehan, and the Black Diamond, and afew others....

john and Maggie of the queens head at the saddle junction. gone but not forgotten r.i.p.

What about Eric at the Dog ith Thatch in Standishgate!

moorgate aspull ,kevin and lovely wife Rose.

Answer to first post
The banjo playing Landlord at Star Roby Mill was Tom Smith
His son Dave played piano

Dave worked as mechanic ay a garage near Douglas Bridge in Newtown; later he worked at the garage in Little Lane, there was a petrol station

Anyone that served good beer.

Woody and Edie in the Hare and Hounds in Pemberton. Woody wouldn't let any women in the Vault and Edie used to dry her washing on the radiators.

I'm going back a bit but those were the days.

MarieM that was my auntie and uncle 2 nice people

handsomeminer

Woody and Edie, the salt of the earth.

THE "NEW STAR INN" corner of miry lane and wallgate mine host's JOHN AND KATH superb very happy day's and night's oh bring um back.

Bill and Kath Mather have been in the Colliers Arms, New Springs over 30 years, previously had the Riverside and Scholes Con Club

golden bear. When my grandma and her mates used to go in the Star about eighty years ago, the Landlord used to put them a crate of bottles and a bottle opener under the seat so they didn't have to keep going to the bar.

I'm not surprised they had bottles.Some of the draught ale back then was horrible

Hello MARIEM, That does not surprise me in the slightest at the time I referred to it was 1965 to 1970s, the couple were a true down to earth couple it was a privalige going in there to have a few (gallons) or so haha, with me being so young what also struck me was the "aroma" the smell of the beer,from the old pumps,plus the strength of the ale back then I wish I could visit those days again they were heaven. nice to hear of you MARIEM.

Golden Bear Do you remember the pub they called the Long Pull in Wallgate. I don't know what the proper name was but my parents used to go in there. It was further up than the Star.

j Leyland where you the landlady in the late seventies /eighties when they had a football team.

frank makin and his missus Marjorie where my favourite mine hosts, always a good tale,good beer and good company.the eckersleys arms aka the garden of eden.

ron and jean baxendale foristers arms shevy moor

Bumped into Tommy Dickens who had the Dog and Partridge at Standish. He's looking very well

Tommy Dickens also had the Royal Oak in Wigan. He was a great landlord who ran a thriving pub with a great atmosphere. Had some fabulous times in there - and some unforgettable Wembley trips!

You hit a nerve mentioning Wembley trips gideonfel.I still wonder how I survived them.

The fact that we had to go into the Oak to pay our Wembley 'Buster' every Sunday afternoon was the perfect excuse for a pint! Great set of lads in there back then when we played for Whelley RL!

The Clarence in the 1960s I recall the Landlord's name was Ken and his wife Gladys?

cartc

I Remember Jack&Pat Ashcroft of the PEAR TREE PUB way way back every Saturday at 12.00 we would pull up alongside that chippy across from pub, i was sent for the meat order and later we had our chippy/peas/fish lunch one of the reasons we served them was that the man training me was a JOHN BENNET FROM FIELD ST BYTHE SIDE OF WALMSLEY'S OFF FROG LANE when i asked why don't they pop down to the shop he said well i often treat them , for he used to throw darts in their league and he often got a few free pints as well , but there were a nice couple thanks for the memories.

one of my earliest drinking memories was of the Commercial run by the Latham family a great Pub , great Beer , best pasties in the world, great staff. Destroyed by corrupt councillors , inept town planners and greedy developers. . A pox on all their houses. They destroyed a great part of the town

Hi there MarieM,
Sorry for the long delay in getting back to you with respect of local pub's in Wigan especially along Wallgate Wigan. MarieM you mentioned a pub your mum and dad went in regulary up from "THE NEW STARR INN" Well you have really set me a problem there is not a sniff of one with the "nickname" THE LONG PULL" it's got to the stage it's driving me up the pole, so have you had any success? if so can you let us know bye for know cheerio!

Golden Bear, I don't know why it was called the Long Pull but I will try and find out. The trouble is most of them have now passed away.

Marie..have just been on Album and found out that The Long Pull was The Queens Hotel Wallgate..but I don't know where The Queens Hotel was.

Maureen, it was opposite where Poundstretcher and Go Outdoors is now.

Golden Bear, Rob Gaskell has left a message for you on Guestbook re the Long Pull.

golden bear. My grandma and her mates, probably in the 50s, in their clogs and shawls used to go to the Star Inn in Wallgate. The landlord used to put a crate of beer under their seat with a bottle opener so they didn't have to get up to go to the bar. You couldn't make it up

Hello ROB GASKELL, Just come on site been offish lately with health prob's ,anyway thank you for taking time out to clarify the" long pull" there were some really obscure meanings back then wasn't there? Nice to hear from you are you from PEMBERTON if so i was a "HALF-WAY-HOUSER" 460 ORMSKIRK RD, TODAY IF YOU WERE TO STAND ON CORNER OF VEG SHOP THEN IMAGINE WHERE THE VIDEO SHOP IS THERE USED TO BE ABOUT 5/6 "DOWN-STEP HOUSE'S THAT'S WHERE IM FROM , OH SORRY FRO BORING YOU BUT I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR AGES TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS A OLD PHOTO OF WHERE I WAS BORN (1947) NO LUCK ,AGAIN THANKS ROB.

HI Marie M ,thanks for your message i got ROB'S answer he say's it was the QUEENS pub now if my memory is right was the QUEENS on righ side going up WALLGATE on corner of Queen st just before bridge ? don't if that help's ?
Catch you later marie m.

Golden Bear It was on the left hand side going up Wallgate opposite Poundstretcher and Go Outdoors

Golden Bear, that was the Wheatsheaf.

You can see the Queens Hotel on the 1890 map on the old-maps.co.uk website. You might need to be a bit patient accessing the site.

It's on the left side of Wallgate as you go into town just before Alker St on the opposite side. The next street on the left is Clayton St with the Grapes Hotel. The address of Queens Hotel Yard was given as 158 Wallgate in 1933.

Thanks :Marken/tom cros ,
I'm always ready to admit i'm wrong but will take you up tom and have a visit of that site,merely because maps are one of my hobbies cheers all.

golden Bear It is all car show rooms now on the left side of Wallgate where the Long Pull used to be.

MarieM.

It sure looks like that not very nice to look at ,would have prepared it stayed like it was in those day's we are talking about , and they try to tell us it's cchange for the better!! MY A*SE.