Weird Pub names

[nickyboy]

Swan With Two Nicks.....which we pass on the Manchester to Llandudno ride

It is apparently a pun on the practice of marking the bills with "nicks" in the old days and that "nick" and "neck" used to be somewhat interchangeable

 

[smutchin]

The Only Running Footman

'I Am The Only Running Footman' to give it its full name. I once started a discussion on pub names on Robert Elms's old BBC London radio show by enquiring about it.

Down in SE London near Charlton FC is the Antigallican, which I believe is named after a ship.

On Margate seafront is a Wetherspoon's called The Mechanical Elephant, after an old tourist attraction from the 30s, iirc.

Also in Margate is the Ales Of The Unexpected - one of those newfangled micropubs.

And in Broadstairs is a superb micropub called The Four Candles, after the Two Ronnies sketch - supposedly the premises used to be the hardware shop that inspired Ronnie Barker to write the sketch.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I like the one opposite the RSC in Stratford, called The Dirty Duck on one side of its sign and The Black Swan on the other.

 

[Ian H]

The Windwhistle Inn is so-called because it's on Windwhistle, a hill above Chard. The story goes that Thomas Hardy, on a walking holiday, called in and asked for tea. The reply was that they could serve him beer, but not tea. The reason was that they were out of water and the well was a mile distant, down the hill.

 

[Ian H]

In Greenford, near where Taylor-Woodrow's HQ used to be (now housing) stands the Civil Engineer.

 

[Venod]

Near me, there's a Black Swan, next door - now an audio/visual repair shop, was the White Swan

And down the road Hark To Mopsey (is it still open) formerly Hark To Mobsey.

 

[PK99]

Red lion and pineapple, Acton

 

[ufkacbln]

I just had a pint in the "Angel and Blue Pig" at Lymington

 

[Supersuperleeds]

The Gate Hangs Well in Syston

 

[ufkacbln]

Anyone else think that some off these posts sound like "passwords" for a bad Cold War Spy movie?

 

[HF2300]

There seemed to be a craze for renaming pubs with stupid names a few years ago, fortunately most have now been returned to their traditional title. I really can't remember any of them now

Deliberately stupid pub names - or even ones with some logic to them newly made up by pubcos and chains to sound old - really wind me up. I'm a bit of a traditionalist. Just seem to detract from interesting genuine names.

To the north of Otley, there's one called 'the Spite', with quite a decent tale to it

Was just thinking of that one myself! The Spite, a.k.a. the Roebuck at Newall - just down the road from what was The Malice...

There's also The Squinting Cat at Pannal which has a sort of similar tale to it.

In Eastwood, near Nottingham, there is - or was - The Man in Space, named as it was built the year Gagarin went into space.

I always thought The Five Alls (various places including Lechlade) was an interesting name.

 

[classic33]

M.T. Pockets in Ennis.

 

[lutonloony]

The Live and Let Live, outside Luton.

Is that still going?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

And down the road Hark To Mopsey (is it still open) formerly Hark To Mobsey.

It is indeed (closed & re-opened)
The Pineapple has shut down, & has been converted to a house now, with wonderful views!!

Was just thinking of that one myself! The Spite, a.k.a. the Roebuck at Newall - just down the road from what was The Malice...

"There's nobbut Spite & Malice, up there"!"

 

[Oldbloke]

The Roaring Donkey, Clacton