RE: BIRMINGHAM PUBS as is and was - 6

Another one bites the dust, VM will be sorry to hear, as I was to see the Brittania on the Warwick Road, is now closed down and boarded up. Gerry O'Donnell it's long time licensee was an old friend of ours. VM if you want to see Gerry I will pm a time and place where I know you can find him. SB

It makes you wonder how some of these out of the way pubs can carry on trading while some pubs in built up areas are closing down like prohibtion had been introduced.

I used to use The Britannia the old one and the new one when I used to go to the Grange Social Club years back. It was one of our stops before getting to the Grange.

Phil

I just noted that I had called the Britannia the Red Lion in my last post. I have corrected it now. An easy mistake to make as I used them both the old ones and the new ones. Anyway I never knew what pub I was in half the time.

I took this photo today of the Britannia.

Phil

No thanks SB, I didn't like him really.

Phil, your post confused me a little so I assumed the old building was the Red Lion. Is it actually the original Britannia then?
And if so was it where the new one stands today?
Also if so, there was a row of houses and the like all along that part of the road then?

VM

I seem to remember the old Brit was in front of the present one. Its a pity it went. I seem to remember it was similar to the old Three Horseshoes on the Coventry Road.

VM

SB is right they built the new Brit at the rear of the old one and only when it was finished did they close the old one. That is the way they did things in those days I think it was something to do with the continuation of the license and if they shut the pub they lost the license.

As far as I can remember there were terraced housed either side of the Old Brit they demolished them when they built the new houses. I think there may have been a plan to build a roundabout road system there at one time, but it must have fell through.

Phil

The Chestnut Tree Garretts Green was built in exactly the same way in 1964.
The old Chestnuts (named after the Chestnuts estate) (in turn named after an old house called the Chestnuts) was an old shack. this was directly in front of the new pub.
The Red Lion at Acocks Green was another example. A couple I knew who kept the Red Lion, Roy and Joan Bygrave who moved from there to the King of Bohemia Comberton Road Sheldon. Another couple who managed The King of Bohemia was Graham and Tess Greenaway, they in turn moved to the Fox hollies, and so it goes on.

I used to pop in to the old Red Lion occasionally and have even been known to have the odd pint in the new one when it first opened. But it quickly went down the nick. They tried changing the name to the Trader (I think) but changed it back to the Red Lion after a while.

It's closed down now, I heard it was due to the fact that it became a drug den, but I don't know how true that is.

I think like a lot of pubs it went out of business when I stopped drinking.

Phil

That story about the Lion and drugs is quite widespread Phil

Phil

Can you tell me the name of the pub that was The Three Maypoles then the Pickwick, have been hearing very good reports but no one seems to remember the name it thought you may know as its in your neck of the woods.

June

Hi June,

If you look back on this thread to the 25th of March you will see what I wrote about the old Three Maypoles. It is now called The Cheswick Green. Why that is so I wouldn't have a clue. Is the area known as Cheswick green?

Phil

According to wikipedia , Cheswick green is a 1970s invention, and , from google it seems to be about 3 miles away from The Maypole

Mike,

There you are that's why I don't recognise it, not much that happened after 1970 registered with me.

Strangely on my very expensive 15/- Geographia 1950's street plan of Greater Birmingham the area is called The Three Maypoles. The area that most Brummies know as The Maypole has in fact no name on the same map, the nearest named area being Highters Heath.

Phil

Phil

The Cheswick Green is in Cheswick Green if you go down the road the side of the Plough on Stratford Road you come to Cheswick Green, the Three Maypoles later known as the Pickwick is now called ? & ?

A little earlier I said the Rose and Crown Portway had bitten the dust, when i came past today there is now scaffolding around the building so I think it might be being refurbished, it is an ideal location for a travel inn right next door to the M42 Jct3

The Maypole pub was on the corner of Alcester Road and Maypole Lane the area was known as the Maypole the pub is now a Travel lodge if you carry on along Alcester Road Highters Heath Lane is the Second on the left that is known as Highters Heath if you go along there you come back onto Maypole Lane.

June

The Black Horse on the Bristol Rd., is being converted to a hostel for refugees.
The Rose and Crown in Rubery is up for sale.