BS: Pubs I have known

Subject: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 04:41 AM

G'day,

'Tis midwinter here on Stewart Island (NZ), and tourist numbers are low, so I have time to spare. I've amused myself using Multimap to track down the towns that UKatters wobble at the jaw about. Then I use Google's Directory to track down local websites (especially Pubs) They have some fascinating and historic venues to perform at. I've had fun!

We've never had a Folk Festival here, ut we do get a few singers give us concerts. Phil Garland, Martin Curtis, Midge Marsden, Bullfrog Rata, Mahinarangi Tocker and Charlotte Yates are names that may ding a dong for OzCats.

Apart from that, our local Pub isn't too bad. It's the South Sea Hotel just 100 paces from my door.

Check it out, then tell me about YOUR 'local' or other favourite boozers - preferably with links to websites I can visit.

Cheers - Sam - Stewart Island (NZ)

PS - don't report broken links (or use the listed e-mail) - I haven't updated the site in 5 years ;(

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: gnu
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 05:03 AM

http://www.pumphousebrewery.ca/

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 05:12 AM

ThankGnu - shucks, it's BIG! - cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:03 AM

Shucks, I forgot to do 'blue clickies' for the music-related part of this thread. My Kiwi mates mentioned above are:

Phil Garland - best described as a balladeer - crashed on his floor many a time in the '60-70's.

Martin Curtis
was born in the UK, but I'm broad-minded. Since we have eddercated him he's written some damned good Kiwi songs.

Midge Marsded and I crossed paths in the 60's - he kept playing blues!

Bullfrog Rata is trying to get me to get my "Guitar Hanging on the Wall" off it!

Mahinarangi Tocker is a neat wee lass, whom I met a few months back. Her parents live over the back fence from my Nana's farm, where I spent jolly fine holidays in the 50's. It was in Taumarunui. Kat and a few other Katters may recall me singing the song a couple of years back. It was written by Peter Cape, who wrote 'real bloke's' Kiwi songs. A few years back, I was shocked to hear them sung by a sheila.. vis...

Charlotte Yates who appeared here a few years back with a group called "The Cat's Been Speyed"...

Anyway, sorry to bring music into this BS thread about Pubs - well all the above musos have been in our pub!

Next post is a challenge to find my favourest Pub!

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Noreen
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:08 AM

The Black Horse, Limbrick

Lovely old pub, long wooden benches around open fire, excellent ale, best singing in the world.

My favourite :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:56 AM

Black Horse really looks like a Pub, Noreen! Can you let me in the door for a peek and a yarn? - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 07:42 AM

The Bell is a very old (14thCent?) pub in the village of Benington , Herts.
Excellent food and beer, friendly landlord and lady, and an top singaround once a month.

Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 10:37 AM

Billy, Phil Garland will be appearing at my club in Sept & also at the Jamberoo festival where I first heard him 2 years ago.

I can't make a link to my (ex) favourite pub - I doubt it has one, but every Friday for over 10 years it hosted the best singing session in Sydney. The Glenngary was a shabby unfashionable old pub in inner Sydney that was bought by greedy bastards (oops, I don't know their family circumstances) who filled it with poker machines & a pool table, so off we went. It was a funny old pub fitted into a very sharp pointy space between 2 roads, a great acoustic venue & now it's full of gambling & live over-amplified uninteresting music.

We went to another pub for a while until another over-amplified, but very good, Irish band broke up the session & now some of us offer their living rooms for a session most Fridays (but not tonight)

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 12:05 PM

The Black Dog Inn is where the Yorkshire Gathering was held last year and is slated there again for next year.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 12:09 PM

Correction: should read, "where the Yorkshire Gathering was held this year...

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 12:07 AM

Keith and John, thanks for a couple of Pommie Pubs for me to 'visit'

Hi Sandra, give Phil a big cuddle from me! I had a yarn with him a couple of weeks back (give him a call a couple of times a year, 'for no other reason') but haven't seen him in the flesh (he's got plenty) for years.

Sad to hear about the Glenngary - we used yo have real good sing-alongs at the 'South Sea' up to about 10 years back. Now there's no-one to play the 'Joanna' - a juke box and one pokey machine (which doesn't get played much) is it now.

Cheers = Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 01:31 PM

The Mayor of Bayswaters' Daughter has notories pubes

One red one, one white one, and with a little...

From all told, they are well worth knowing.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: catspaw49
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 02:39 PM

...notories pubes????

She can verify authenticity of her vagina for a fee or what?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 05:26 AM

Gargoyle,

"The hairs on her micky-di-do reach down to the ground"?

Are we talking about the same virgin? I was talking about Pubs, not Pubes!

Mind you, it got Spaw spawning - again .

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 10:11 AM

Billy - I'll pass on your message

sandra

ps. speaking of interesting UK pubs, the Travel page of the Sunday paper included the following -
Stow-on-the-Wold's Royalist Hotel, is the oldest English inn, est. 947AD as a leper hospice - not enough history on the site (well, it is advertising itself as a classy restaurant!

www.theroyalisthotel.co.uk    if you want to check it out.

I tried to make a blue clicky using the link below, but it didn't work, buggerbuggerbugger

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 10:46 PM

Sandra - many thanks for the link to the Royalist. I've just had a wonderful holiday in Stow-on-the-Wold. Ain't those UK placenames wonderful! I see Stow's close to Upper (and Lower) Swell, also Upper (and Lower) Slaughter. Did they slaughter the Swell, and Stow him on the Wold? The mind boggles . ;)

Anyway... the "oldest Pub" has brought me back to NZ, and my favouritest Pub "Tophouse" (closed 1969). At that time it had the oldest liocence in the country. I see it's still going for accommodation. Mumble.. more research to be done in the Nelson area - then I'll post again!

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Teribus
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 04:16 AM

Hi Sandra, hope my favourite pubs in the Rocks area of Sydney are still going strong - "The Lord Nelson" for its food and own brewed beers, "The Heroes of Waterloo" and "The Merchantile" for music.

Didn't get a chance to explore further on that occasion but will be down later this year for the Rugby World Cup.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 08:50 AM

Teribus

I'm sure The Rocks pubs are still going strong, tho I haven't been there for months. I used to meet friends for breakfast once a week - haven't been there all year and it's been many years since I went to any of the Rocks pubs. It's a great area, I wonder what it's website is - Billy might like to tour. (Billy, it's full of wonderful old Pubs - I think the Lord Nelson is the one that says it's the oldest in Oz, or is that the Mercantile.)

Teribus, if the footy lets you, maybe you can meet a few Sydney Cats.

sandra

Billy, the only website I could find in the phone book was for the Orient (built 1844)- www.orienthotel.com.au - but maybe you can find the Hero (not heroes) of Waterloo & the other pubs Teribus mentioned. The Rocks authority must have a website too.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: JennyO
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 09:38 AM

Teribus, I can assure you that the Lord Nelson is still going strong. I went to watch the Sydney Morris Men celebrate Mayday down at Mrs Macquarie's Chair only a few weeks ago. Then we walked, jingled and sang our way round Circular Quay to the Rocks, and had an excellent breakfast at the Lord Nelson.

As Sandra mentioned, if you have the time, maybe you might like to meet up with a few of us Sydney Cats. Let us know when you are coming.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Teribus
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 09:54 AM

Hi Sandra & Jenny,

Would love to meet up while in Sydney - as to opportunity, I don't think that will be a problem - I'm supporting Scotland and on current form they've been told that they needn't pack the sun-tan lotion.

Will PM when travel details etc, have been finalised, looking forward to meeting up with you.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: JennyO
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 11:02 AM

Great! Looking forward to it too!

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Tig
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 05:14 PM

Don't forget that Mudcats now have their own "Watering Hole" in North Yorkshire at The Globe, Guisborough (21 miles from Whitby going inland). Magician and Gillie run it and Catters are always welcome.

It's a good, old fashioned North Eastern corner pub - plenty of live music and NO juke box. Friendly locals and real ale!

Magician hasn't had time to get the website up and running yet but you can contact them on 01287 201157 or [e-mail]

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 01 Jul 03 - 11:46 PM

Well, team, I've tracked down a decent photo of Tophouse. The bar was the unpainted shed, built out of packing cases to the right. It's about 8'x12'. From memory there were four bar stools, but you could cram a dozen in, if you stood shoulder to shoulder. The building is five miles from the nearest township, St Arnaud, in Nleson Lakes National Park (NZ). Permanent population when I was there in the late 60s was around 40 souls.

The Licencing Authority took away the Tophouse Liquor Licence in 1969, so I then had to drive 40 miles to the local - not bad going, but not too flash driving home. It prompted me to write a ditty, Tophouse Lament, a few years later.

Tophouse has been titivated and is going again as accommodation - no bar. There's a Tophouse Website
with a bit of info on the Pub's history - Aaahhh... those were the days!

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 06:31 AM

Hi Billy

Yea Tamauranui - sing it often. Mind you you have to explain the inanimate "she" to pommies, especially given the contorted gender/non gender juxtaposition in the song.
I met Chris Cape (Peter's son). A jobbing actor and singer/guitarist himself around Hutt/Wellington.

So not much FC'ing on Stewart Island then. Just the booming kakapo's to harmonise with?

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 06:33 AM

PS you might find a few folkie pubs' sites in the numerous links on cresby.com

happy happytapping.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: BanjoRay
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 08:48 AM

Hi Sam - here's The Golden Ball in York. I drive 30 miles to this most sunday nights for a superb session of mostly American fiddle tunes and a few songs. Usually a couple of fiddles, a banjo, a guitar, a couple of mandolins, maybe a squeezebox, and a very high standard. Lovely selection of beers (very frustrating for a driver!).
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 09:05 AM

This set me chasing around for a website for a pub that turned out not to have one - but in the process I came across this interesting site:

Regulars Reunited
"Welcome to regulars reunited, the site that aims to get you back in touch with your former drinking friends. To find your old regular haunts you need to browse geographically through the site."

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 09:55 AM

Billy - looks like your old pub went the way of our old pub - Progress wins, folks lose. Remove the poor locals & singers, add fancy furniture & gambling & modern music & rich trendy people = money.

25 years ago I used to drink in an inner city pub, in Darlinghurst near where I worked. It is now a super trendy pub with a Comedy night & fancy restaurant catering to the rich folks who now live in the new towers that now sprout where factories & offices once held sway.

Then it was a decorative disaster - most of the outside was original late Victorian, but big glass windows had replaced the outside walls some years before (looked good). The walls of the back bar were covered with 1960's yellow floral wallpaper (pretty!! colourful!!)& the front bar (original 1890's) had a plastic Tudor(!!) area (dunno what else to call it). The pool room was not much bigger than the pool table & I once beat a visiting expert who didn't know how to lean on the wall & hold the cue so as not to hit it on the wall. He was probably drunk cos I couldn't really play pool.

Ah, the good old days, when we were young & foolish & (whisper in an ashamed voice) we drank with the coppers who worked nearby - load of drunks they were. But the NSW police force has been cleaned up since.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: JennyO
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 11:40 AM

Well up to a point, anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 06:35 PM

Mr Red,

Would you believe I had a phone call from Chris Cape last night? He's in Inercargill for a few months, and is keen to visit Stewart Island and sing for us! Yippee!

Thanks for the links folks - should give me some interestin browsing.

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Pubs I have known
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 06:02 AM

Ray - Thanks, I had a ball at the "Golden Ball" - and a few other York Pubs. Wheeww.. seems to be a drinking man's paradise! Don't worry about having a few pints before driving the 30 miles home. Do what I did, when driving the 40 miles from the Wairau Valley Tavern to Lake Rotoiti, along long straights. When I got tired, I'd weave round the power poles at the side of the road. Mind you, I was driving a Landrover at the time, there were only about 10 houses along the road and I'd only see an oncoming car about one in 25 trips!

Ummm... maybe it's just a tad different in your neck of the woods .. ;)

McGrath - paniceth not about the Pub not having a website - Just go and check that it's still there in the 'real world'. BTW 'Regulars Reunited' was of no earthly use for me to catch up with boozy buddies. It seems to be restricted to the UK. Aaarrghh... would never find a "Tophouse Toper" there. Methinks there's only about 10 of us who are still in the land of the living!

Sandra - I got a bit of a look round 'The Rocks' - quite a few of the lads from there ended up here in the early 1800s Sealing Days.

Cheers - Sam