Old Harrow, White Lane, Early 70's

Old Harrow, White Lane, early 70’s Part 1.

In the early to mid 70’s I used to do a fair bit of drinking in the Old Harrow (Arra) pub. The ‘Arra’ was a Whitbread boozery and I used to drink Trophy which I liked even though it certainly wasn’t the best beer to be gotten in those days. At times I would drink Tankard for a change but it tasted somewhat bostic like, it was also a penny dearer than Trophy. Toby Brown Ale was another drink I had from time to time but the landlord Jim Finch told me I wouldn’t drink it if I knew what was in it. I decided not to drink Brown Ale after that. Lol.

Although the Arra was only twenty minutes walk from my home in Crossland Drive, it wasn’t the nearest pub. Nearer to my home were:-

Red Lion

Cutlers

Heeley and Sheffield House

Carlton Club

Centre Spot

Hollin Bush (short cut through Base Green)

New Inn.

A fraction further away than the Arra were:-

Noah’s Ark

Royal Oak

Punch Bowl.

Anyway, my preferred pub was the Arra which I visited mainly Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday neets and sometimes Sunday dinner 12 whilst 2. When I first started going in the Arra it had three rooms, tap, lounge and concert rooms. It also had a little off sales counter for spice, fags and such(?). I alternated atween the Arra and Town every other week because I felt the need to keep in touch with my boozing pals in Town, after all Town was also where the charver was. I also from time to time visited the Centre Spot, New Inn and Hollin Bush to keep in touch with other mates who supped in those joints.

Some people I remember from the Old Harrow:-

Keith Wilcock (Benj)

Bill Welburn (Big Bill)

Paul Hyde

Ashey Roberts

Alan Woodward (No, nOt him)

Little Frank

Anton (Deaf and Dumb)

Mick Schwarz

Eric Schwarz

Pete Harrison

Tommy Worrall (miner)

Richard Burnell

Gary Turton

Rodney Hill

Philip (Fred) Pickering

Steve Faulkner (utd player)

Andrew Biddlestone (Biggs)

John Smith and his dad who was also a reddler had won the annual Arra nobbly knees contest on several occasions (just thought I’d let you know. Lol.).

Tony, who was a puff with big ears who always had an umbrella with him, perhaps to defend himself. Tony had followed the landlord and landlady Jim and Pat Finch who had come from the Barley Corn pub in town. I had (have) in the past noticed when landlords move to another pub, some customers tend to follow them and become redlars there. Or alternatively customers from the old pub go to visit the management in their new pub. Weird.

Apologies to the loads of other persons I’ve forgotten for the moment.

In those days the Old Harrow was abuzz and a hive of activity with a very friendly atmosphere and it seemed that almost everyone knew each other.

I have a boat load of anecdotes to tell connected with me and the Arra and some of the names mentioned above. I’ll relate some of these over the next few months rather than in a full story today. I don’t wish to stress my secretary who types all my stuff on S.F. English is not her first language, which invites you to blame her if the commas aren’t in the right places. Huh!

Old Harrow, White Lane, early 70’s Part 1.

 

In the early to mid 70’s I used to do a fair bit of drinking in the Old Harrow (Arra) pub. The ‘Arra’ was a Whitbread boozery and I used to drink Trophy which I liked even though it certainly wasn’t the best beer to be gotten in those days. At times I would drink Tankard for a change but it tasted somewhat bostic like, it was also a penny dearer than Trophy. Toby Brown Ale was another drink I had from time to time but the landlord Jim Finch told me I wouldn’t drink it if I knew what was in it. I decided not to drink Brown Ale after that. Lol.

Although the Arra was only twenty minutes walk from my home in Crossland Drive, it wasn’t the nearest pub. Nearer to my home were:-

Red Lion

Cutlers

Heeley and Sheffield House

Carlton Club

Centre Spot

Hollin Bush (short cut through Base Green)

New Inn.

 

A fraction further away than the Arra were:-

Noah’s Ark

Royal Oak

Punch Bowl.

 

Anyway, my preferred pub was the Arra which I visited mainly Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday neets and sometimes Sunday dinner 12 whilst 2. When I first started going in the Arra it had three rooms, tap, lounge and concert rooms. It also had a little off sales counter for spice, fags and such(?). I alternated atween the Arra and Town every other week because I felt the need to keep in touch with my boozing pals in Town, after all Town was also where the charver was. I also from time to time visited the Centre Spot, New Inn and Hollin Bush to keep in touch with other mates who supped in those joints.

 

Some people I remember from the Old Harrow:-

 

Keith Wilcock (Benj)

Bill Welburn (Big Bill)

Paul Hyde

Ashey Roberts

Alan Woodward (No, nOt him)

Little Frank

Anton (Deaf and Dumb)

Mick Schwarz

Eric Schwarz

Pete Harrison

Tommy Worrall (miner)

Richard Burnell

Gary Turton

Rodney Hill

Philip (Fred) Pickering

Steve Faulkner (utd player)

Andrew Biddlestone (Biggs)

 

John Smith and his dad who was also a reddler had won the annual Arra nobbly knees contest on several occasions (just thought I’d let you know. Lol.).

Tony, who was a puff with big ears who always had an umbrella with him, perhaps to defend himself. Tony had followed the landlord and landlady Jim and Pat Finch who had come from the Barley Corn pub in town. I had (have) in the past noticed when landlords move to another pub, some customers tend to follow them and become redlars there. Or alternatively customers from the old pub go to visit the management in their new pub. Weird.

 

Apologies to the loads of other persons I’ve forgotten for the moment.

In those days the Old Harrow was abuzz and a hive of activity with a very friendly atmosphere and it seemed that almost everyone knew each other.

 

I have a boat load of anecdotes to tell connected with me and the Arra and some of the names mentioned above. I’ll relate some of these over the next few months rather than in a full story today. I don’t wish to stress my secretary who types all my stuff on S.F. English is not her first language, which invites you to blame her if the commas aren’t in the right places. Huh!

People from Sheffield used to go on Sharra trips to the Arra.

Our mob from the Punch Bowl used to jump on our 650 Norton's at 10 to 10. This was so as we would get an extra half hour drinking time in the foreign country that was Derbyshire.

The more genteel of the Arbourthorne mob would carry on to the Phoenix? which was about 10 seconds further on. The Phoenix had posh birds listening to Jazz.

Hi Zakes, I'm guessing I'm a bit younger than you but the 'arra' was my local from the mid 70s onwards when Greg and Ian ran the disco, (I later played in a band with Greg). I do remember some of the names in your list mainly because my next door neighbour then, (Brian Chapman) was part of that gang when he was home from the merchant navy. Rodney Hill I remember well. A couple of days before each Christmas, Brian and I did our Xmas 'walkabout' and visited all the pubs in your first list, downing a pint and a rum in each one, ending up at the arra. Needless to say by the time we got there we did'nt know much about it!. It was always more fun if it snowed. I remember gettin a right tellin off from Sylvia the barmaid for breaking a glass and making too much noise!. I don't live in Sheff now but happenend to drive past the arra a couple of weeks ago only to find an Indian restaurant!, what a shame, had some bloody good nights in there.

People from Sheffield used to go on Sharra trips to the Arra.

Our mob from the Punch Bowl used to jump on our 650 Norton's at 10 to 10. This was so as we would get an extra half hour drinking time in the foreign country that was Derbyshire.

The more genteel of the Arbourthorne mob would carry on to the Phoenix? which was about 10 seconds further on. The Phoenix had posh birds listening to Jazz.

Don't know about Sharra trips lol, but we used to catch a bus from Pond Street and it was always a single decker which was a bit of a novelty. This was 1966, the romeo of our mob used to take the birds across the road, over the wall and have his way in the field (or so he said).

Don't know about Sharra trips lol, but we used to catch a bus from Pond Street and it was always a single decker which was a bit of a novelty. This was 1966, the romeo of our mob used to take the birds across the road, over the wall and have his way in the field (or so he said).

Fidlers Field.

I have fond memories of the "arror" when I was courting my other half we used to visit on Thursday nights,there used to be jazz nights in the late 60s I think.We weren,t into it but we loved the atmosphere and the singers all a long time ago.We popped in one night lately to try the indian cuisine,it was pretty good but our lass found it too hot,she is turning into a delicate flower as she gets older I don,t enjoy it unless its taken a layer of skin off my tongue!!.

I have fond memories of the "arror" when I was courting my other half we used to visit on Thusday nights,there used to be jazz nights in the late 60s I think.We weren,t into it but we loved the atmosphere and the singers all a long time ago.We popped in one night lately to try the indian cuisine,it was pretty good but our lass found it too hot,she is turning into a delicate flower as she gets older I don,t enjoy it unless its taken a layer of skin off my tongue!!.

Only your tongue!

Just remembered Anthony, Zakes. He lived in the cul de sac at the back of the arra and we used to share a mini bus to school. He went to Maud Maxfield for deaf children and due to my asthma I went to Bents Green school which was next door. Maud Maxfield has gone now but Bents Green has recently been rebuilt. Anthony was a nice kid, wonder where he is now?.

I read your stories on the Birley school page but have lost it. Very illuminating and I appreciate not being trashed in your recollections. I wish I new who you are because all of your recollections bring back memories. I have met a number of your contemporaries over the years. Contact me on tracklay at aol dot com.

Old Harrow, White Lane, Early 70’s Part 2.

Thursday nights in the Old Harrow were not as busy as Fridays and Saturdays but still reight enjoyable, in fact they were double reight. In those days I was usually skint on Thursday’s and would ask either me Mudda or me Fadda to loan me a quid ‘til tomorrow, payday. My earnings were about 6 or 7 nicker a week then and from that huge amount I’d pay thirty bob per week for bed and board, or one pound if I was on the dole. We Zakes’always carried each other.

Having received a quid note or sometimes 2 ten bob bits I’d have a good scrub and get dressed sometimes wearing a tank top jumper, and just before going out I’d nip back to the bathroom to borrow a quick dab of me eldest brother’s Old Spice aftershave. If I would have put the aftershave on earlier he would have smelled it then he would have killed me.

Having bought 10 Parkies plain and a box of matches at the Townend I’d gently stride alongst White Lane arrowing my way to the ‘Árra’. I knew before reaching the pub that some of the people I knew would be there including Keith Wilcock (Benj), (who in all the years I knew him always had a poached egg on toast for breakfast), Rodney Hill (who could bend back the top halves of his thumbs like a Indian rubber man), John Smith (who always seemed to wear one of his two patterned zipper cardigans), and others.

Anyroad, we’d generally talk about work, football, girls, and play a few games of pinball whilst supping a few pints. Pinball playing didn’t cost much because we were expert pinballists and always managed to amass plenty of replays (free games).

Afterwards I’d walk in the direction of home with Benj until he crossed over White Lane at Carterhall Road on his way to where he lived on Charnock Grove. When I arrived at the Townend I’d go into the chip shop (never bothered with White Heather fish bar near to the Arra). This Townend chippie situated next to the Bendix served fine fare and it suited me just fine. I would buy chips and a fishcake wrapped, because I couldn’t afford to buy a fish because I only had change left for me bus fare to work next day.

When I got home the rest of the family were already asleep in their pits… Bloody good! I would go into the kitchen and plonk me supper (still wrapped) on the side then put the kettle on. Having gone into the living room I’d fish out the handily placed wire coat hanger from behind the sideboard then switch on our 24 inch screened G.E.C> television. I attached the wire coathanger to the back of the telly then tuned in a button until I found Tyne Tees Television.

The picture reception was always snowy and in white, black and grey. Returning to the kitchen I’d unwrap, then plate me snap and add a big splodge of ketchup (forget brand name), brew a cuppa PG Tips tea and return to the living room to watch pro-am snooker which was fun in monochrome (guess the ball colour), followed by the latest episode of Spyforce which was about Aussie intelligence and soldiers feightin’t Japs in the jungle of Australia starring Jack Thompson.

After Spyforce was finished it was then time for beddy byes and pleasant dreams of looking forward to the generous mouthed slim girl (17-18ish) with long brown hair who always wore a micro mini skirt on the 51 bus in the mornings shortly before 8 oçlock. She always alit at the junction of Eyre Street and Cumberland Street, and it always made my day (even that early) watching her swing down the bus aisle, she was a goddess, oh what legs.

Yes, I loved those Thursday neets 1971 – 75, and all forra quid!

I run into the wall on the corner next to the old farm building on my motorbike there one day about 1975 time, they carted me into the pub and sent for the ambulance from the pub,I was laid out on the seats in the lounge, when the ambulance man turned up he said whats wrong with him has he had to much to drink or what,they said no he crashed his motorbike.

The landlord of this pub used to bank at the Barclays branch where I worked. He was tall, dark, wavy hair and would have been about 40 in 1965. One of the girls used to fancy him. She said his face looked as though it had been chiselled out of rock.