Ooooh sorry - I meant that the Springbok was in the same darts league as the Flora - not that it was closing!
I've worked out of the old Hammersmith Fire Station quite a few times. Friday & Saturday nights there were always good as it was right next door to the Palais. I've also worked at the new fire station up the road on Brook Green. It's a modern hell-hole and feels like you're in a prison. The old station is a Wagamamas now. You can see that the Palais has been knocked down on the right of this photo where the crane is. please log in to view this image
Drove through an old hunting ground today between Loughborough Road and Coldharbour Lane in Brixton/Camberwell. I used to play in a Pool League for the Brockwell Park Tavern at Herne Hill. This stretch of road less than a mile along used to have seven pubs, four of which were in our Pool League, alas all but one have gone. Starting at The Crown in Coldharbour Lane, it is now a development under construction. The Green Man is a Drop-In Centre, The Belinda is a Tesco Metro, The Hero of Switzerland is the only survivor. The White Hart is now converted to flats, The Loughborough Hotel is an Estate Agent and The Old White Horse on the corner of Brixton Road is some sort of Night Club/Music Venue. I have spent evenings in all of those pubs and have some great memories of our Pool Team winning the League, a Cup Match at The Crown where our opponents played a couple of ringers to try and beat us and still lost and, at The Old White Horse, every teenage young man's rite of passage, a stag do with a stripper who's gymnastic cavorting gave a new meaning to the phrase 'Come-Dancing'. Our past is slowly disappearing before our eyes and the replacements leave a lot to be desired...
if you was to travel from the iron bridge in Southall to Oldfield Tavern/Oscars, only the Bridge Hotel remains and that is a hotel. That's 5 out of 6 pubs gone
Used to stop in the Iron Bridge on way home from Warren Farm on a Saturday morning whilst waiting for the 207 bus hoping the traffic lights would be red so we could jump on without having to leg it to the bus garage.......God knows how we got served as we were all about 14 or 15 and wearing school uniforms.........
Was just thinking of that place - went to my first gig in there....always had good bands on, shame it's gone now
Think it's just behind the old Brook Green Hotel where the buses used to stop......there's a Tesco in there as well.......but the Brook Green Hotel is still alive and kicking...... Going back down memory lane Mrs TR and I had our wedding reception in the Queens Head pub on Brook Green......we used to live just around the corner from there in a flat overlooking the pub back garden.......when we were back in August we walked down the Green but the pub was shut for renovations....
Went there frequently, at least once to see Wilko Johnson, subject of outstanding programme on BBC1 last night. Warning, it won't be to everyone's taste because it's a Julien Temple film and while there is plenty of music in it, it's more about Wilkos remarkable last few years fighting pancreatic cancer, and how it has affected him. Uplifting and strongly recommended.
The Nashville, corner of North End Road and Great West Road.....originally a country and western pub then it transformed into something else.....seem to recall seeing The Clash play there one night......plastic glasses all round......then it became a bit of an early gastro pub...now not sure what it is?
After my wedding at Hammersmith registry office in 99 I took 35 people to the Queens head for lunch 6 hours later we made it to the bird in hand for the reception
I also got married at Hammersmith register office, my favourite pub around there was the Dove in Chiswick which overhangs the Thames. I really must go back there
saw The Stranglers twice there before people realised what a great band they were. The Greyhound and The Half Moon were another couple of pubs that had live bands.
