Lost pubs, cinemas, theatres and squats of Brixton

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I did, but give me time! Lumme.

Sorry.

I'll forgive you

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

that's bollocks, you know

I know what a dodgy pub with a tinge of BNP-ness and nastiness feels like, and has nothing to do with being a regular or otherwise

I'm not talking about BNP pubs. There's lots of other dodgy characters in pubs

But if you want to talk about BNP pubs, I can guarantee you that 20 years ago, the Elm Park was NOT the most welcoming pubs and definitely had a whiff of National Front to it.

Luckily things have changed for the better in there (barring the decor)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

that's bollocks, you know

I know what a dodgy pub with a tinge of BNP-ness and nastiness feels like, and has nothing to do with being a regular or otherwise

Hand and Sultan are fine and we used to regularly drink in them, but as I don't get up that way much now....

 

[editor]

The Waggon and Horses, Lyham Road:

More: http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/waggon-and-horses-sw2.html

 

[El Jefe]

Well i WAS talking about BNP pubs. Dodgy characters are fine

And the Elm Park - sure you don't mean longer ago than 20 years? I started drinking there about 1990 and was fine then..

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Well i WAS talking about BNP pubs. Dodgy characters are fine

And the Elm Park - sure you don't mean longer ago than 20 years? I started drinking there about 1990 and was fine then..

Well 1990 is only 18 years

I moved into Elm Park in 1985. The back room where the loos are was definitely not a welcoming place to go, but I persevered. I like a challenge

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The Waggon and Horses, Lyham Road:

More: http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/waggon-and-horses-sw2.html

That was a bit of a rough pub

 

[editor]

I've added some more pics of the DUKE OF WELLINGTON on Acre Lane. That's still boarded up after over two years. There's been some parties going on there though.

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/duke-of-wellington.html

 

[editor]

My closed pubs page is growing at an alarming rate. Here's the Duke of Cornwall, 89, Lyham Rd:

I haven't managed to trace any archive photos yet.

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/duke-of-cornwall.html

Would I be right in assuming that the Red Lion was a small pub in a long row of houses?

 

[lang rabbie]

Would I be right in assuming that the Red Lion was a small pub in a long row of houses?

It looked even smaller as it had a single storey frontage with a vaguely 1930s look and the upper floor had the appearance of a slated attic.

I think in the conversion to flats the whole front is being rebuilt.

(Some very vague drawings on the planning website)

 

[innit]

The Red Lion doesn't look like a typical pub building and the fascia was painted as a restaurant (lime green, called something like number 1).

 

[editor]

(Some very vague drawings on the planning website)

I couldn't find any drawings on that dreadful site, but here's how the pub looks today (if the road number was correct - this is number 191):

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/red-lion-lyham-road.html


If anyone's got any stories or memories about these lost boozers, post them up here and I'll add them to the features. It's really quite depressing how many are being lost.

If there was a 'at risk' list, I'd have to say that the Elm Park Tavern must be a candidate. I hope not though. It's a nice old school boozer.

 

[boohoo]

I couldn't find any drawings on that dreadful site, but here's how the pub looks today (if the road number was correct - this is number 191):

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/red-lion-lyham-road.html

That's a horrible frontage - I was up that way last year and don't remember it looking like that...

 

[editor]

That's a horrible frontage - I was up that way last year and don't remember it looking like that...

I double checked because it looked unlikely but that's definitely number 191 and there was nothing else pub-like around.

 

[innit]

That's not what it looked like - it was white and almost looked like weatherboarding. That brick frontage must be new

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

That's not what it looked like - it was white and almost looked like weatherboarding. That brick frontage must be new

It was definitely a very tiny little pub and htat's definitely new frontage if that picture is it.

 

[editor]

It looks like it's been completely rebuilt using old bricks.

I guess they needed to maximise the space and so got rid of its distinctive earlier appearance. Has anyone got any pics of these pubs when they were open?

 

[Yetman]

40+ pubs are being closed in the UK every week due to the smoking ban

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Sorry, don't have any pictures as never frequented them.

However, I have discovered that The Red Lion was on the 1881 census, not that that's any help but it gives you an idea of how long it had been there

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

and found this planning application which was obviously approved

Conversion of Public House (use Class A4) into 2 x 2 self contained flats and building up of front facade and re-configuration of front fenestration.

 

[editor]

40+ pubs are being closed in the UK every week due to the smoking ban

I think you'll find pubs were closing long before the smoking ban. In fact, most of the pubs featured here closed long before the ban was introduced.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Have found some pictures on a pub website

Royal Oak

Duke of Cornwall

 

[Bob]

I think you'll find pubs were closing long before the smoking ban. In fact, most of the pubs featured here closed long before the ban was introduced.

I heard somebody senior at Guinness describe their long term decline in Ireland with roughly these words:

"Most men used to go down to the pub and drink 3 or 4 pints of Guinness, 4 or 5 nights a week. Now they're drinking one or two pints of Guinness once or twice a week'.

It strikes me that this long term decline in the amount that people drink at the pub (probably driven by the fact that far more people have non manual jobs than 50 years ago) and drinking less often (not least because fathers spend far more time with their kids than even 20 years ago) is probably driving this.

So, sad though these pubs closing is, I can't see anything stopping it.

 

[editor]

It strikes me that this long term decline in the amount that people drink at the pub (probably driven by the fact that far more people have non manual jobs than 50 years ago) and drinking less often (not least because fathers spend far more time with their kids than even 20 years ago) is probably driving this.

It's also to do with the fact that people can now buy dirt cheap booze from supermarkets and they're spoilt for choice when it comes to alternative home entertainment.

In the old days, if you didn't like what was on the telly, you'd go to the pub. Now you can get plastered at home for bugger all and watch DVDs/play games/go on the Internet etc etc...

 

[innit]

Although in many ways I'm sure pub culture has changed for the better (wouldn't have fancied the days when women couldn't go in), pub buildings, furniture (bars, mirrors &c) and culture is a massive part of English cultural heritage, which is why I don't feel good about irreversible changes being made. If a pub's converted to a bar or a shop, it can always go back again. If the fascia is knocked down and a house front built, it's gone forever (particularly sad for the Red Lion as the architecture looked to be a bit unusual).

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

(wouldn't have fancied the days when women couldn't go in),

when was that then?

 

[Yetman]

I think you'll find pubs were closing long before the smoking ban. In fact, most of the pubs featured here closed long before the ban was introduced.

Ah fair enough, I was just speaking to a local landlord as he was lugging his stuff into a van the other day to leave his pub as it wasnt making enough money and he blamed the smoking ban. Tbh his pub did seem much emptier after it though....

 

[boohoo]

Have found some pictures on a pub website

Royal Oak

That looks like a nice early to mid Victorian pub...

The swift pulling down of the building makes me thing that the owners wanted to go unchallenged about pulling down a rather lovely structure.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

That looks like a nice early to mid Victorian pub...

The swift pulling down of the building makes me thing that the owners wanted to go unchallenged about pulling down a rather lovely structure.

No idea how old that one is, but was definitely around during WWII.

As I mentioned earlier, I've seen the Red Lion listed in 1881 census

 

[Bob]

Although in many ways I'm sure pub culture has changed for the better (wouldn't have fancied the days when women couldn't go in), pub buildings, furniture (bars, mirrors &c) and culture is a massive part of English cultural heritage, which is why I don't feel good about irreversible changes being made. If a pub's converted to a bar or a shop, it can always go back again. If the fascia is knocked down and a house front built, it's gone forever (particularly sad for the Red Lion as the architecture looked to be a bit unusual).

Absolutely right on the heritage bit. A reasonable number of the rennovations going on around here seem to be keeping the original fittings but simply updating the overall look.

The problem really seems to be when the pub is simply stripped and converted into flats...