Strange Pubs

[gray_marian]

I was reading about Public House's recently and found the following extracts, thought perhaps a few more could be added by one or two members on here

One afternoon years ago I was travelling through Newcastle, Co Down with a friend. We decided to have a quick drink in a bar beside the police station. When we entered the premises we noticed several groups of two or three people sitting at different tables. One chubby, elderly man wearing spectacles perched on the end of his nose sat alone at he end of the bar reading a paper. There was complete silence except for the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner. Everyone appeared to be at ease with each other just sitting there, not talking. We ordered drinks but didn't feel comfortable talking because we had the feeling that everyone else was just sitting there waiting for us to speak to each other. Five minutes elapsed - not a sound was heard except for the clock slowly ticking away in it's dusty corner. All of a sudden the elderly man at the end of the bar raised one hip and let a horrendous phart. Nobody in the bar reacted - we got out before we cracked up. It reminded me of that movie 'Straw Dogs'.


Here's a wee story about a funny wee pub in country New South Wales, Oz. I was driving from Melbourne to Wagga Wagga to visit my brother and I took my granddaughter, then 10, with me. It's a six-hour drive and we stopped for lunch at a small, rundown pub in a one horse town called Gerogery. In we went and sat in the small lounge. There were only about six tables, and there were two men and two women at the table next to us. Nobody smiled or spoke to us and we ordered our meal. Granddaughter ordered Ham and Pineapple, with chips and veggies. I ate my meal up, and she ate her ham and chips, but left her pineapple. We set our cutlery down, wiped our mouths with the napkins and were just about to get up and go, when one of the men at the next table said to my granddaughter "Are you not going to eat that pineapple?" She said No, and he said "Well, can I have it then?" She said "Yes, help yourself." We couldn't get out to the car quick enough so we could have a good laugh

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Marian there are many strange pubs around the world though many have now passed on, ones such as the Coach and Horses in Southampton. But have to agree about the Irish ones, some very odd. Last year in Ireland we travelled around abit and were looking for a particualr grave yard where we thought a descendent may be in. Stopped at a small pub and asked. The barman said no he did not know. As we were getting in the car to leave he came oyt to tell us his father did not know either. But many a bar in Ireland is nothing more than an extention of the shop it is in. Even know of one in what was a drapers shop.
But the oddest we have ever been in is in Oz inSouth Australia in Glendambo, a place in the middle of nowhere. It is a roadhouse with a pub attatched. New Yeara eve 1985 and not a soul in the place at 2300 hours, but at ten minutes to midnight over 100 appeared from no where.

[alf corbyn]

i was driving my lorry in southern ireland and stopped for a drink and a sandwich in a shop/bar. i decided to buy a sweepstake ticket. each ticket is in i think, five parts. i bought a whole ticket for i think a pound. there were gasps from people in the shop and someone actually went and fetched a couple of freinds to see the mad englishman.

[John Arton]

Not so much a strange bar but back in the early 80's I was Mate on a panamax bulker loading grain up the Mississippi near Baton Rouge and myself and the Chief Engineer were paying off. We got picked up by a lady taxi driver who was to take us to a hotel in Baton Rouge before flying out the next day. After a very scary trip where she barrelled through a rather run down housing area at full speed, not stopping at any intersection and making the comment to me (sitting in the front with her) that "there's a gun in that box between the seats, any mother-Fokker tries to stop us, take it out and shoot the bersterd", we eventually arrived at our hotel around 10pm. After checking in we went to see if we could get a meal. The restaurant was open but empty and the two waitresses were very off-hand with us. So much for Southern hospitality we thought. After our meal we went to the hotel bar for a few night caps. The bar was full of locals who when we entered fell silent and moved away from us leaving us a clear space to sit at the bar. We ordered our drinks and sat supping at the bar but the atmosphere was something akin to sitting in an ice chamber. The T.V. was on showing a newscast about a State Senator who had been shot dead that afternoon by his mistress in a Baton Rouge bar. The place looked a bit familiar on the t.v. so I asked the barman was it somewhere near."Heck yeah" he said, "happened right where you are sitting, she came in, put 6 bullets into him then threw herself down on him saying she was sorry, didn't mean to do it".
Once we explained that we were British seamen paying off a ship and not some police or FBI inspectors investigating the shooting, the atmosphere changed completely and a rather heavy night of drinking with locals followed. This was compounded the next day when we flew up to Atlanta to catch our U.K. flight only to find it had been cancelled so another night in a hotel followed. The next day just as we were about to take off the plane blew a tire and we ended up skidding off the runway. Back to the hotel for another night before eventually flying out the next day.
On arriving home eventually got an earful from her indoors as I was three days late in getting home and she thought I had been making whoopee out in the States, as if.
rgds
JA

[Ron B Manderson]

For Funny Pubs You cant beat Anny mosses in Leith. Posh name Old chain peir bar.
I had some great times there, with many stories to tell.
I bet others can tell of this fine place.
Boss annie was 94 when I was last there.( Now a posh wine bar AHHH)All profits from the pub went to Students charity fund.
Closing time "" You Bastards no homes to go to while shooting a starter pistol in the air. " watch it folks the fuzz has appeared." If you left the bar with a lady she would give you instructions. " use her coat to put down on the grass as my boys should'nt grass stains on their coats.
In the afternoon she would be snoozing on the chair next to the bull nose round fire and when you walked in she would say "Ah bloody hell I have just sat down , Serve yourself and remember to put cash in the till. If you stayed away some night because of short of cash, when you did go in you got a swearing as you could pay her later. A very fine lady.. Seems she fould out that a lad who brought up his siblings was joining the army. she took hime up to Edinburgh and kitted him out at her expence.
I,m sure others will remember her with affection.
God bless her cotton socks. Not many of her in a pound of sausages.
Just had a thought or brain storm
Was Her name Annie or Bessie.
Ron the batcave

[vic mcclymont]

One of the strangest pubs I visited was in Southampton.
A group stayed in a guest house in Shirley, waiting for our ships. At the end of the road was a pub, in the middle of the pub was a pot bellied stove. A group of us entered the pub and you could have heard a pin drop. We had a round and we felt everyone was watching us. When we had finished our bears the barmaid asked if we wanted another, no thanks was the answer, we don't like the atmosphere, she said just ignore them (the locals).
We visited a pub further down the road, which was owned by an ex military guy, completely different.
At closing time he came round asked us to keep quiet as he was throwing out some people and the bar would remain open after hours.
The next day being Sunday we trooped to the pub, and the owner said he was surprised to see us, we asked why, well you did consume a lot last night not that it was a problem as regulars only drank a half pint. We were always made welcome in that pub.

[Jim Brady]

Did anyone ever frequent places called "His Father's Mustache".I believe they started up in the USA and then opened up over here.I went to one somewhere near Blackpool and it was absolutely crazy,there was a band on the stage with all the brass instruments some of the with toilet seats around there neck,they would all walk off the stage to the toilet still playing their instruments.There was a cine projector playing silent movies Charlie Chaplin etc while all this was going on and the bar staff swearing etc,I cant remember what else was going on but I know it was absolute chaos.Maybe William may remember it.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Ron B Manderson]

We all went to the one in Burban street in New Orleans.
Funny we were talking to the owner and we advised him that the only place in UK would be Blackpool.
So I,m to blame for the blackpool one.
I still have my song book you got when you walked in. Plus my shaving mug.
Bangos a go go.
Great night with the big jar of Beer.
Ron the batcave

[Lou Barron]

When I first came to live in NZ the 6pm closing was bit strange to me for a little while but I got use to it ,in fact there was more trade done after hours than the day time with raffles of beer going flat out .One night I had been working overtime at the store I was working in knocking off at 7pm my mate said to me how about a beer before we go home so ok we went into the pub called Bransons after giving three rins on the door bell into the bar we went its was doing a good trade we ordered a jug of beer just as i was going to take a a drink in came the cops it cost me two pounds ten shillings it was a very exspensive beer

[Keith at Tregenna]

Did anyone ever frequent places called "His Father's Mustache".I believe they started up in the USA and then opened up over here.I went to one somewhere near Blackpool and it was absolutely crazy,there was a band on the stage with all the brass instruments some of the with toilet seats around there neck,they would all walk off the stage to the toilet still playing their instruments.There was a cine projector playing silent movies Charlie Chaplin etc while all this was going on and the bar staff swearing etc,I cant remember what else was going on but I know it was absolute chaos.Maybe William may remember it. Regards.
Jim.B.

The Tache - Your Father's Moustache

Well a trip down memory lane.

The Cherry Tree Gardens Hotel was temporarily called “Your Father’s Moustache”, to try to regain customers who had been drawn into Blackpool centre for their entertainment. Low building, one floor. Played silent movies during the band breaks - did a lot of business with the student population!

No Photos of the original "Your Father's Moustache" but I did spend a lot of time there! I think. Played there too on occasion. Beer in 3 pint jugs - Tables nailed down and several hours of a banjo band playing old time and new time songs. Nearly seemed to finish with a rip roaring version of "Delilah" by Tom Jones. Staggered or drove home , best forgotten perhaps.

LINK: http://roadmarkers.blogspot.co.uk/20...moustache.html