Dock Hotel Merseyside!! 1950's

[jimmys]

Hi Peter,

I am told the pub is called the River View now in Chester Street and "Worsley" was an old dockers name for it. Its forty years ago since I last sailed in or out of Birkenhead docks. The ship was at South Bidston. I have been at the Liverpool side Often enough.

jimmy

[Peter Trodden]

Hi Jimmy,
I'm still stumped on that Pub. When you say Chester St,well the Pubs in that area were mostly used by men from the "Yard" (Cammel Lairds)and not Dockers.
The only Dockers Pub I know with view in its name,is the Park View on Duke St,. 4 Pubs in Duke St, as you leave the docks, the Duke,then the Trunk (Grand Trunk Hotel) then the Park View,over the road and near B-Head Park Station(underground)was the Pilot.
Like everywhere else there has been alot of changes,especially Pubs,with closing down or changing their names. You would die of thirst if you wanted a drink in a Dockside Pub in B-Head know.
ttfn.Peter

[jimmys]

My memory is not what it used to be!! I remember in fits and starts.
I was in a repair gang, second engineer, myself 4/e and two EDH's. The second lived down the Wirral. The two EDH's were Cardiff and me a Jock. The three of us were in the YMCA in Birkenhead. We were fixing holes in the coamings of a victory boat. The second was cutting the plates in Odyssey works, the sailors were getting them onto the ship and in position and I was a gas welder. The three of us were on subsistance. Every day at 11.30 hrs the Mate came along gave us a chit for a plate of grub off the cook and told us no welding until 13.30 hrs. Go away!!!. It was the firewatches over lunchtime.
A good engineer I had to go to the pub to keep an eye on these sailors. No wonder my memory is not so good, its that Birkenhead beer!!!

regards
jimmy

[Keith Farrar]

Hi
Can anyone tell me if the old Dock Hotel in Freeman Street Birkinhead is still in operation,as its been so long ago since i last saw or had a Pint there!
I went there only once in my time with my late Uncle Dusty,and we had such a great time .
I recall meeting a few really good chaps there,some M Navy and a few other locals too,but the names elude me now! Oh the age thing!! haha!
However if my memory is correct i seem to recall there was a sort of back room there for smoking with a Lady! Mmmmm!!
It wast too far from the Dock Area either! Cant recall the name of the Actual Dock though! But there was a Wharf of some sort there that you walked over! ?? Those days i never took too much notice of small things,always on the Booze LOL!
Anyway was just sitting and Mind Bashing for a while,some strange and far away things came to mind haha!!
Better go now or my mind may well recall too much!
As if thats possible!!
Oh Dear!
Cheers

The Dock is still there - but closed up... not sure if this is a temporary (Covid) measure or a permanent closure ... looking at what is going on in that area, I suspect it's permanent - sorry to say...

[Graham Shaw]

Well Vernon it's thanks to Mr.Farrar for reviving your original post of 2010 with his update!
Wow 2010 ,eleven years ago!. Sadly quite a few of those contributing posters have crossed the bar since. Peter Trodden and Jimmy Smith (C/E from Glasgow) to name but two.(Jimmy S with the name on his post crossed through,probably because he was sacked grom the site for upsetting someone!)

I liked the chap,particularly when he mentioned ,in his blunt dour manner that he wouldn't drink in the Vittoria pub because too many Blue Funnel eyes there!
I also like your comment "Anyway was just sitting and Mind Bashing for a while,some strange and far away things came to mind haha!!"

I bet they still do !--and me too ! Ha Ha !

[John Arton]

I was on a lot of ships in Vittoria Dock and the local was the Duke but there was too many Blue Funnel prying eyes in that pub. We used to go on a pilgrimage at lunchtime to the Dock which was along Corporation Road about quarter of a mile.
That was the sixties and there was no need for a seaman to go thirsty in Birkenhead. A good pub on every corner.

regards
jimmy

Used to run into Birkenhead with stolt tankers, loading at the Pan Ocean berth, nice slow load as all tanks had be inerted down to 5% with shore supplied nitrogen before loading could start, this could take up to 12 hours before loading started and the loading rate was also slow, a full load would see us in port for around two days minimum, depending upon cargo quantity. Used to cross the dock road, walk up the hill through the storage tanks to a Vaux pub, the Spread Eagle, I think. There were some nearer but that was my favourite. A female friend of mine once took her knickers off and tossed them over the bridge onto the roof of a passing car below.
Rgds
J.A.

[Graham Shaw]

[QUOTE=Graham Shaw;380011]

I liked the chap,particularly when he mentioned ,in his blunt dour manner that he wouldn't drink in the Vittoria pub because there were too many Blue Funnel eyes there!


In my excitement I meant to say the Duke at the top of Vittoria Dock !

Royal Duke Hotel

313 Corporation Road
Birkenhead
CH41 8EP

Premises Status
This pub is permanently closed.

Historic Interest
Dating back to at least 1866 as the Duke's Head Hotel, changed it's name by 1877,;a Birkenhead Brewery pub selling Whitbread beers until it closed by 1975.



1975? I got in there just in time then-was in 1970 or 71 as an 18 year old !
I didn't know it was called the 'Royal' Duke either...

The 'Duke' ,Birkenhead.jpg

[j.sabourn]

#13.. your mention of fixing holes in hatch coamings in a post nearly 11 years old makes me wonder why I didn’t reply 11 years ago to similar experiences, maybe I never saw. My experience of same was in the South China Sea and my method was sticking a thistlebond patch on the gaping holes on a poorly maintained vessel with a dubious past. Cheers JS.

[j.sabourn]

#18 Looks like a good abode for Bed and Breakfast. Looks more convivial than the place my Mother in Law booked me and the wife into for our Honeymoon. The Ivanhoe Hotel in London a Gideons Bible in every room, nearly said Gullivers Bible there , and had a zero tolerance to alcohol of any description. Enough to drive anyone to drink. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Pubs closed, a sad sight at any time.

The number closed over time in UK is horrific, wonder how any one can still get a beer.
But here in Oz a few as well, one popular down in Port Melbourne, the London now an apartment block.