Pub memories

[david_russell]

I'm starting this topic to collect peoples memories of the Hastings and St Leonards pubs which are sadly in demise. I feel we need to record our memories of this important piece of the town's social history before they get lost and forgotten.

Adding your memories and experiences (and your family/friends etc) will hopefully get others joining in to build the bigger picture.

This is not necessarily a 'boozers' lament. All social activities can be found in the pub at one time or another. Eating, drinking, music (including pub rock), theatre, games, sports, competitions, arm wrestling, chess whatever.

So, landlords, barmaids, customers, organisers of events and competitions, darts players, bikers, pagans, whoever, lets hear from you

Thanks

PS and pub crawls !!

[Terry]

I remember the Lord Nelson when the late Tony Shipley and his wife Tracey had it. Tony was a great landlord with an incredible sense of humour. He was everything a landlord should be: never judgemental, always friendly and he knew exactly when to turn a blind eye and exactly when to intervene, but at the same time he knew everything that went on in his pub and it was no place to misbehave. His customers were mainly hippies, bikers and old towners, but anybody was made to feel welcome. The "Nellie" used to be packed solid at weekends, but when Tony took over the Carlisle as well (I believe this was only on a tempory basis as a favour for the brewery), we all followed him down there and when he returned to the Nelson, we stayed at the more spacious Carlisle. That is the true story of how the Carlisle became a "biker's pub," although it's really a pub for everyone. Sadly, my opinion is that it's not being marketed as such.

It speaks volumes about Tony and Tracey Shipley that their old customers still talk about them with such enormous respect and affection to this very day.

[david_russell]

Thats interesting Terry.

Someone told me that Tony Shipley built a fishing boat for his son. Built it himself. I think that was in the 1970s ?

Did he run both pubs concurrantly ?

David

[Anonymous1]

Nice one Terry, certainly reflects my memories of the Nelly. In my opinion the best pub in the old town at the time with a fantastic jukebox. I first went in there when I was sixteen (1973), Tony told me to come back when I had some pubic hair. So... suitably humiliated I went to the Jenny Lind which was run at the time by Ron French and his wife, it was a terrible pub with no soft furnishings and a awfull echoey atmosphere.

We used the Nelly right up until the Shipleys left, I think the pub life is what eventually did for Tony, saw Tracey last year I think she still lives down the old town.

[Terry]

When Tony was at the Carlisle, Tracy ran the Nelson. As far as I know it was always Tony's name over the door of the Nellie, but I haven't a clue what the licensing arrangements were at the Carlisle. I assume Tony looked after the heavy cellar-work at both pubs.

As GK above points out, Tony had a wonderful stock of one liners: "You're about as useful as a c*#@sucker with lockjaw!" (said after someone knocked over several drinks) and "You've got more mouth than a cow's got c@#*!" are two I can recall hearing.

The Nellie's jukebox was certainly a legend.

I've no knowledge of any fishing boat, but I wouldn't be surprised if that story is true. Tony's customers included many people from the fishing community, so there would have been plenty of people to advise him.

In his later years Tony had an operation on his leg. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I believe there was some sort of complication after the surgery and he eventually had to have that leg amputated. The story goes that the Nelson regulars then had a whip round and bought him a parrot!

Tracy had a completely different approach to Tony: she was always very polite and friendly, but could be extremely firm when necessary.

[david_russell]

A friend, Roland, just sent me this entry from the 'Hastings Chronicle' website:-

1988 Aug 8 - The first metal-hulled Hastings fishing boat was given trials in the sea. Mark Anthony RX 4 was assembled on Hastings beach by Tony Shipley, landlord of the Lord Nelson pub, for his fisherman son Mark, 22. All other boats at Hastings were wood until this point, apart from one made of fibre-glass.

It seems that the landlord had engineering and metal working skills apart from running his pubs !

David

[david_russell]

Terry and GK:- Do you have any dates, even approximate ones, for when Tony Shipley went to the Carlisle and when he returned to the Nelson ?

Thanks

David

[Terry]

I believe it was about 1978 or 1979 when Tony took over the Carlisle. He wasn't there very long, less than a year I think.

The Carlisle was taken over by a couple after Shipley left. I can't remember much about them, but I seem to recall the lady of the house was of oriental appearance.

Businessman Mike Ford took over in or around 1982. Originally he heldv the license jointly with a business partner who barred many people from the pub for terrible sins such as spilling their beer or for swearing! As can be imagined, he didn't last very long and Mike took over the pub on his own, but I don't know exactly when that happened (1984?). Mike had a number of other business interests, yet he was no absentee landlord and could often be found in the bar chatting with customers, but his wife (Margeret?) was rarely seen.

After Mike retired three or four years ago, the Carlisle became part of the Bob Faulkner empire and it is now run by a manageress.

The rumour factory has it that the council have earmarked the pub for demolition and redevelopment by 2016, although all I've been able to discover from official sources is that part of Denmark Place (the Carlisle wasn't mentioned by name) have been identified as a poor use of town centre space and some sort of redevelopment was being considered for the Pelham Street and Denmark Place area, but this matter appears to have been shelved until 2012.

Sadly Mike Ford died shortly before Xmas 2009. He was another landlord remembered with a great deal of respect and affection by his customers.

David: On a completely different topic and knowing your expertese on local pubs, have you any idea when the Kicking Donkey in Hill Street stopped being a pub? I know it was built around 1840 and rebuilt with an extra floor some years later, but I can't find out when it closed. Somewhere between 1958 and 1963? (That's just a guess).

[david_russell]

It closed in 1956 when the Chief Constable declared: "this town is over licensed".

Go to the Dead pubs site and look up the Kicking Donkey. Patricia Rand-Liddle, a great-great grand daughter of Thomas Liddle, landlord from 1917-1919, has placed an excellent photograph of this pub from that time. I would think this site could have a copy if we can find her. (Administrator please note !). Internet sleuth wanted. She could be Patricia Rand Liddle on 'Old Freinds NZ' etc

David.

[patrick]

If this is the correct P.R-L, I may be able to contact her through a local theatre group she is in (NZ)..Have sent a query to the group..It seems that she was in Hastings High School 1960-64 but I do not know if this is our Hastings or the one in New Zealand in Hawkes Bay..