SMETHWICK (Inc
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HITCHMOUGH’S BLACK COUNTRY PUBS SMETHWICK (Inc. Bearwood, Londonderry, Warley) 3rd. Edition - © 2013 Tony Hitchmough. All Rights Reserved www.longpull.co.uk INTRODUCTION Well over 40 years ago, I began to notice that the English public house was more than just a building in which people drank. The customers talked and played, held trips and meetings, the licensees had their own stories, and the buildings had experienced many changes. These thoughts spurred me on to find out more. Obviously I had to restrict my field; Black Country pubs became my theme, because that is where I lived and worked. Many of the pubs I remembered from the late 1960’s, when I was legally allowed to drink in them, had disappeared or were in the process of doing so. My plan was to collect any information I could from any sources available. Around that time the Black Country Bugle first appeared; I have never missed an issue, and have found the contents and letters invaluable. I then started to visit the archives of the Black Country boroughs. Directories were another invaluable source for licensees’ names, enabling me to build up lists. The censuses, church registers and licensing minutes for some areas, also were consulted. Newspaper articles provided many items of human interest (eg. inquests, crimes, civic matters, industrial relations), which would be of value not only to a pub historian, but to local and social historians and genealogists alike. With the advances in technology in mind, I decided the opportunity of releasing my entire archive digitally, rather than mere selections as magazine articles or as a book, was too good to miss. This would allow those people with interests, such as mentioned above, to search for relevant innformation. (sic) The files contain information about every pub that has been found to exist in each of the districts within the Black Country, along with a number of illustrations. Originally a series of 3 CDs was for sale, covering the Black Country boroughs. After 2 editions of each CD I am now producing individual files for each township sub-area. These files are available for free download by anyone interested. A number of years have passed since the first CD came out. In that time I have looked at a lot more sources of information (discovering some new old pubs), acquired many more photographs, and made many helpful friends. Thanks to the many people such as Denis Harper and Robert Walker, who have allowed their own photographs to be used. In 2010 I was asked by the relatives of the late John V. Richards to sort through his own archive of material, in order to redistribute it to appropriate groups. This has been very useful in confirming, and providing new, information. I have also been asked to disseminate information gathered by Jim Laws, Wolverhampton CAMRA’s pub preservation officer/pub historian, who is unfortunately incapacitated. I hope you find this file useful. Please, if you can, show your appreciation by contributing information or photographs. If you feel so inclined you can even make a donation via the downloads page on the website to help defray our expenses. The work, as ever, continues. Tony Hitchmough June 2013 With many thanks to the 'back office': Janet, Sam and Gavin. Hitchmough inspects DISTRICTS The districts covered by the CDs were generally based on the modern places created in the 1970’s, ie, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton. These are then subdivided into the old townships which had existed for many years previous, and are as follows:- SANDWELL Oldbury (inc. Causeway Green, Langley, Oakham, Rounds Green, Tividale) Rowley Regis (inc. Blackheath, Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Whiteheath) Smethwick (inc. Bearwood, Londonderry, Warley) Tipton (inc. Dudley Port, Great Bridge, Princes End, Toll End) Wednesbury (inc. Kings Hill, Leabrook, Mesty Croft) West Bromwich (inc. Golds Green, Greets Green, Hill Top, Lyndon) DUDLEY Brierley Hill (inc. Pensnett, Quarry Bank, Round Oak) Dudley (inc. Harts Hill, Kates Hill, Priory, Woodside) Halesowen (inc. Colley Gate, Cradley, Hasbury, Lapal) Kingswinford (inc. Himley, Wall Heath) Netherton (inc. Darby End, Dudley Wood, Saltwells, Windmill End) Sedgley (inc. Coseley, The Gornals, Woodsetton) Stourbridge (inc. Lye, Wollaston, Wollescote) WALSALL & WOLVERHAMPTON Bilston (inc. Bradley, Hallfields) Darlaston (inc. Butcroft, Moxley, Wood’s Bank) Walsall (inc. Bloxwich, Leamore, Palfrey, Pelsall, Rushall, Shelfield, Walsall Wood) Wednesfield (inc. Ashmore Park, Fallings Park, Heath Town, Moseley Village, Park Village, Wood End) Willenhall (inc. Bentley, New Invention, Portobello, Short Heath) Wolverhampton (inc. Blakenhall, Codsall, Oxley, Penn, Tettenhall, Whitmore Reans) UPDATES I am planning to continue my researches, and will be producing updated versions of each file (for free download) as sufficient additional content is found. I anticipate releasing about 3 files per year. Hopefully new old pubs will continue to be discovered, as will some mysteries be cleared up. I maintain an Update service on the website to advise of pub discoveries made during the interim between releases. If anyone is able to provide extra, relevant information and / or pictures, about any of the pubs and people contained within this work, I would be grateful to hear from you, initially by e-mail at: [email protected] I look forward to hearing from you. Tony Hitchmough longpull.co.uk ABOUT THIS FILE It is a PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. This reference work is designed to be viewed on a computer but can be printed. It is text based so one can search and find within the contents. BOOKMARKS Clicking on the Bookmarks in the panel on the left will take you to the chosen location. If your computer uses Windows, Bookmarks with a + (a plus sign) on the left hand side have submenus and clicking on the plus sign (which will change to a minus sign) will reveal the contents. Clicking on the minus sign will hide the contents of the submenu. If your computer uses Apple, clicking on the right pointing arrow to the left of the Bookmark will display the submenu; it will turn to a downward pointing arrow which when clicked will hide the submenu. For more information please consult the Adobe Acrobat Reader help system. UPDATES I am planning to continue my researches, and will be producing updated versions of each file (for free download) as sufficient additional content is found. I anticipate releasing about 3 files per year. Hopefully new old pubs will continue to be discovered, as will some mysteries be cleared up. I maintain an Update service on the website to advise of pub discoveries made during the interim between releases. If anyone is able to provide extra, relevant information and / or pictures, about any of the pubs and people contained within this work, I would be grateful to hear from you, initially by e-mail at: [email protected] I look forward to hearing from you. Tony Hitchmough longpull.co.uk ABOUT THIS FILE It is a PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. This reference work is designed to be viewed on a computer but can be printed. It is text based so one can search and find within the contents. BOOKMARKS Clicking on the Bookmarks in the panel on the left will take you to the chosen location. If your computer uses Windows, Bookmarks with a + (a plus sign) on the left hand side have submenus and clicking on the plus sign (which will change to a minus sign) will reveal the contents. Clicking on the minus sign will hide the contents of the submenu. If your computer uses Apple, clicking on the right pointing arrow to the left of the Bookmark will display the submenu; it will turn to a downward pointing arrow which when clicked will hide the submenu. For more information please consult the Adobe Acrobat Reader help system. ABBEY Abbey Road, SMETHWICK OWNERS Mitchells and Butlers Ltd. LICENSEES Playing Card Honore Bernard Parker (1931 – 1937); Joseph ‘Joe’ Le Vine (1937 – 1963); Arthur William Whitehouse (1963 – [1965] Sid Facer [1981] NOTES Provisional Order to remove the license of the CASTLE was granted on 13th February 1929. The license was transferred from the CASTLE in 1929. It opened on 2nd October 1931. The architects were Wood and Kendrick of West Bromwich. Smethwick Telephone 10/2/1934 “Alderman E. H. Charnock presided at the social gathering under the auspices of the Bearwood and Warley Woods Unionist Association at the ABBEY HOTEL on Thursday.” Smethwick Telephone 21/4/1934 “….. Mr. Parker of the ABBEY HOTEL, applied for an extension of the license on the occasion of the ABBEY Musical Society’s annual dinner. An assurance was given that the attendance would be limited to members of the Society. Superintendent Challinor enquired as to whom he had to look for if he visited the hotel; would each guest have a ticket? The Chairman said that question did not arise. Superintendent Challinor said that he was entitled to know. The licensed premises would remain open, if the Magistrates granted the application, for an extra hour and it was important that the Justices wishes in regard to granting the concession should be observed. Mr. Parker explained that ninety tickets had been sold. The Magistrates’ Clerk (Mr. Anthony Shakespeare) said it would be a bit awkward if the Justices did not grant the extension. Superintendent Challinor said that if an officer went to the hotel during the extension hour he was entitled to know the Magistrates conditions and to point out to the licensee if they were not being complied with that an offense was being committed. Alderman Jones said they had the assurance of the licensee that none would be admitted who had not purchased a ticket beforehand.