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Pub Watch - Favourites, Essentials, Condemned, Much Missed, Matchday experiences.

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  • The Morning Star was on the crossroads of Bowerdean rd, and Totteridge rd. A few hundred yards down from the Happy Wanderer. At one stage was also a music venue
    called pontoons/pontons ?? Became a gay friendly pub before it closed, which was ironic
    as it was a 'punch up friendly' pub in the 80's.

  • As someone who only become old enough to drink in 2008, I find this thread fascinating.

    Having drunk and played in punk bands in the White Horse and Nags Head between 2008-2011, I love hearing old stories about the glory days of the Wycombe music scene and pubs.

    The unfortunate reality is that we were flogging a dead horse trying to play punk in Wycombe in 2008, and the scene has been long since dead and most of the good places seem to have shut down. It's nice to hear of livelier times for the town though.

  • @ChasHarps said:
    The Morning Star was on the crossroads of Bowerdean rd, and Totteridge rd. A few hundred yards down from the Happy Wanderer. At one stage was also a music venue
    called pontoons/pontons ?? Became a gay friendly pub before it closed, which was ironic
    as it was a 'punch up friendly' pub in the 80's.

    Cheers both - I'm all over the place here, did it become the Skinners Arms or was that another pub?

  • i think it did become the Skinners Arms, Dave Skinner was the owner come property developer. He also had the Gate and the one a little way above Platts in Marlow heading towards Frieth. They have all been built upon now.

  • @BillStickers said:
    As someone who only become old enough to drink in 2008, I find this thread fascinating.

    Having drunk and played in punk bands in the White Horse and Nags Head between 2008-2011, I love hearing old stories about the glory days of the Wycombe music scene and pubs.

    The unfortunate reality is that we were flogging a dead horse trying to play punk in Wycombe in 2008, and the scene has been long since dead and most of the good places seem to have shut down. It's nice to hear of livelier times for the town though.

    It's hardly Punk or Rock, but i did once see The Tremeloes featuring a very young Chesney Hawkes
    at the Masters(previously the Bell and Mast) in Downley.
    Chesney's dad Les 'Chip' Hawkes was a member of the band best remembered for their Number 1 hit 'Silence is Golden'.
    The Masters is still standing, but has been closed for some time now, after declining
    into a 'User friendly pub'.

  • @ChasHarps said:
    The Morning Star was on the crossroads of Bowerdean rd, and Totteridge rd. A few hundred yards down from the Happy Wanderer. At one stage was also a music venue
    called pontoons/pontons ?? Became a gay friendly pub before it closed, which was ironic
    as it was a 'punch up friendly' pub in the 80's.

    It was Ponton's after the owner / promoter Bob Ponton. Think that was pre Heroes & Zeroes.

    Zeroes failed its fire certificate once so my band and others had to move venue to the multi-racial centre under Abbey Way flyover. To cut a long story short, someone went nuts with the smoke machine & the gig ended with fire and police in attendance.

    I remember finding myself standing next to a copper on stage as the smoke cleared to reveal crowds of underage drinkers, pissed up on the cans we'd bought and sold, and firemen laughing at the scenes. The copper turned, saying 'better make this your last number'.

    Fond memories!

  • @BillStickers said:
    As someone who only become old enough to drink in 2008, I find this thread fascinating.

    Having drunk and played in punk bands in the White Horse and Nags Head between 2008-2011, I love hearing old stories about the glory days of the Wycombe music scene and pubs.

    The unfortunate reality is that we were flogging a dead horse trying to play punk in Wycombe in 2008, and the scene has been long since dead and most of the good places seem to have shut down. It's nice to hear of livelier times for the town though.

    27th Feb Xtraverts Plus 5 other punk bands at the Phoenix bar Bridge Street. Punk Nights last Friday of each Month.

  • @M3G said:

    That's the old Roundabout right?

  • @peterparrotface said:
    That's the old Roundabout right?

    Got to be 100% Can anyone else confirm?

  • Phoenix bar is the old Roundabout. They seem to have spent a fair amount of money and
    energy into developing the place into a genuine live music venue.
    With the live comedy and music events at the old church on Dessie rd, Perhaps this
    less than desirable part of Wycombe is shedding it's seedy underworld image.

  • @ChasHarps said:
    as it was a 'punch up friendly' pub in the 80's.

    The Morning Star is the only Wycombe pub I remember getting into punch ups in in the '80s. I went through the back window of Ford Fiesta in the car park once.

  • I must have been on the retro snakebite with my earlier post, of course it was Upstairs at The Nags Head were all the late 70's punk bands played.

  • highwycombe_gate

    The Gate had a charm, It was a bit of a dive but many happy memories. I Love this picture as this part of Wycombe I knew so well. AS soon as you hit town from Lillys walk it the fist one you hit.

  • There was always a boat parked in the right side of the car park in the 80's.

  • highwycombe_queen2

    The Queen in Victoria Street this was taken in 1968. Another much missed pub. Really popular right up to its closure.

    These Images are taken from the Sharing Wycombe's Old Photographs website.

  • M3GM3G
    edited February 2015

    highwycombe_redcrossknight

    Here is the much talked about Red Cross Knight looking great in 1981 when I used to frequent. It was in Temple end and was demolished in 1983-84? Probably that this picture was taken around the 1981 riots when the Pub was a start of a lot of the tension that led trouble on Frogmoor.

  • hole_in_the_wall_se1

    So here we go. The Hole In the Wall in Waterloo. Built into and under the arches and a great pub once you know it. The trains thunder over your head. It was a bit notorious in the 80's as a pub not to be in on some match days as 80's firms would often congregate here. Certainly a great pub to visit when you get the chance Its certainly been spruced up in the last few years.

  • I was away for 10 years and on my return to Wycombe I was shocked at the number of pubs no longer in existence. I was lucky enough to be in the Downley Downkey on its last ever night being that it was my local growing up. Others of note that are now "express" supermarkets are the Turnpike and the Green Man in flackwell. What a loss.

  • Anybody of my generation,I was born in 1946 remember the pub corner of Pauls Row and White Hart Street where Metro Bank is now? I also remember The Globe I think it was in White Hart Street opposite the old Murrays.

  • bobbyblue. The Globe was open when I was young (born 58) my dad used to play snooker there. The only pub in my time was The White Hart a bit further up than the Metro Bank.
    This link is pretty good.
    http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/buckinghamshire/highwycombe.html

  • I can remember it as a child walking back from the Train Station with my dad in the evenings on the Way home from Wembley dogs. We used to walk through the town to get back to Suffield road. But it must have shut in very late 60's or very earl 70's. Anyone any more info?

  • Thank you all for this. I seem to remember the pub in Pauls Row was next door to the Co-op. My dad being an Old Contemptible used to attend meetings in an upstairs room of this mystery pub.

  • edited February 2015

    Could it have been the Old Swan in Paul's Row, this photo from SWOP was taken Nov 1966 during its demolition ..... http://apps.buckscc.gov.uk/projects/SWOPimage/BFP33238.jpg (BFP : 33238)

  • the SWOP image is a reminder of the senseless destruction of old Wycombe in the late 60's early 70's what were they thinking

  • Thank you Jocks little helper. I think you may be right.

  • Great pics those

  • Thank you ChasHarps. That is indeed the pub I was thinking about.

  • If anyone is getting over to Tranmere next Tuesday and you have a bit of time head up the Philharmonic in Liverpool for a real treat. Its in the famous Hope Street close to the equally famous Philharmonic theatre.

    http://www.heritagepubs.org.uk/pubs/historic-pub-interior-entry.asp?pubid=111

    http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/thephilharmonicdiningroomsliverpool/

    Described as - Quite simply this is the most spectacular pub in England - indeed, throughout the whole of the UK and it is only matched by the Crown in Belfast.

    I have been quite a few times now, the interior will blow you away, the outside is amazing as well. Also sells some fine ales. A fine way to spend an hour or two in this fine City.

  • Does anyone on here frequent the Bat and Ball in Holmer Green? Is it still going? Looks closed most nights

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