Pub memories

[david_russell]

Thanks GK and JK. But you must get that toothache sorted.

[Terry]

I recall the Street was called the York Bars for a long while (not to be confused with a previous town centre pub of the same name). You could get into the Bodega Bars (now the Crypt) from a staircase on the right hand side.

The cinema had it's own entrance in what is technically Robertson Street, but looks like Cambridge Road. As already mentioned, it was very small. I have no idea what the original layout was, but several entries on the Hastings Chronicles website archives (confusingly, this site is currently split in two so http://www.hastingschronicle.com/categories/ is the one I mean) suggest there was an upper (the cinema?) and lower (the Crypt?) Public Hall and even an "upstairs" where dinners were held. Perhaps there were originally different entrances for the various different halls.

When WH. Smiths had the ground floor the main entrance was in Robertson Street, but there was another small entrance in Havelock road. The Havelock Road entrance was later locked, but was still used occasionally by Smith's staff. Last time I looked the Crypt was using an entrance in Havelock Road opposite the taxi rank, but I'm faily certain this is different to the one that Smiths had which was further east.

I always assumed that the York and the Crypt were under the same ownership.

[david_russell]

There is a photograph of the outside of the complex probably about 1970s.
From west to east it shows York Bars, Orion entrance, Smiths ?, another.

The Orion entrance is now part of Yates frontage. But was it always an entrance ? If yes, that answers my question. If no, then where was the Robertson St entrance to the Public Hall, Music Hall, Cinema etc ?

My guess is that the entrance was the Street Bar. As I said it looks like an entrance going somewhere and had the same street number as the old music hall. I also know that in the 1890s when it was a posh wine bar it had it's own live in caretaker who had a flat upstairs (not downstairs).

So maybe at one time there was a staircase going up but now there is only a staircase going down.

[david_russell]

GK and JK

living in Markwick Terrace your local must be/must have been the Tower and/or the Dripping Spring ?

Any memories ?

[Anonymous1]

My preferance for pubs has always been old town ones. But if "popping out" I wouldn't use the Tower, I have used the Dripping spring but only in recent years, So no history to contribute.

I did work at Scott James back in the 70's. Their HQ was the building with the "Tower", It had a few more floors in those days, lovely building but no idea what it was originally for.

Used the "Horse and Groom" quite often in the 80's. My late Father in law used to drink there, He was the Auctioneer in east ascent for many years. He also used to work with Mr Dunk who had the Auction rooms in Claremont.

[patrick]

Harry Lucy ?

[Anonymous1]

That's the one.

[Terry]

GK, The story I was told was that the tower was a folly built by a guy named Wingfield and was originally supposed to have a clock, but Wingfield spent far too much money on the tower's construction and asked Bohemia traders to contribute towards the clock. They told him where he could put his clock and the frustrated Wingfield threw himself from the top of the tower.

Don't know how much truth there is in that story, if any at all, but it's quite entertaining and I can't imagine what other purpose the tower mght have had. As I recall it was just a big advert for OXO.

[david_russell]

Yes, an entertaining story. There is another version of it in Bohemia. An extension of the story was told me by two guys in the Tower public house. They claimed that the pub (and the road) were both named after Wingfield's tower making the pub a sort of memorial to him. I think they were serious but you can never tell in pubs ??

Since then I've noticed the date, 1877, on the front of the building which is way after the opening of the Tower pub in 1866. lol.

[david_russell]

The other pub in Tower Road, as GK says, is the Dripping Spring. This is an intriguing name. But what does it mean ? There's Springfield Vale and Spring Street nearby and iv'e been told that there are springs in the area although I've never actually seen one ? Ok, that might account for the 'Spring' but 'Dripping' ? How does a spring drip and why ?

The original pub sign, changed last year, is now in the back garden. It depicts a 'dandy' with a glass of wine and a cane walking past a fountain. There is a mansion in the background (Bohemia House ?). But the sign gives no clue to the meaning of the name.

Any ideas ??