Old Photos For No Reason Whatsoever

[Canterbury Blade]

Went on the Domino in the mid 80s.
Me and a couple of mates had a thing about Wards and picked up one of those maps of all their pubs (from the Roland Arms at Swallownest IIRC).

Excluding the Darleys of Thorne ones, I think there were about 120 in the region and we got around about half, before it became too much like hard work.
Some dodgy ones like the Domino, Bathfield Netherthorpe and Target on Park Hill but some lovely boozers too.

Hallamshire (Commonside) and Grindstone (Crookes) are still regular haunts of ours. Sadly we lost a couple on Scotland St, the Meadow St Tavern, Red House on Solly St, Royal Oak, Hollis Croft the one at the bottom of Eccy Rd, Matilda etc etc.

From memory there were two booklets after about 1986. The first had I think 101 entries, as I got to 99 and even stood outside the 100th in Lincolnshire as it was closed! Then Wards bought more pubs and the next guide included them. The 1990 anniversary also had a trail where stamps made prizes, sweatshirts, bar trays and the like. A T shirt was something phenomenally easy like 5 stamps. I remember whilst not tied, you could also get Wards in London as it was the house beer at Princess Louise on Holborn for a while in late Eighties.

Harlequin (original one) was a sad loss off the Wicker and Nags Head on Shalesmoor, both legendary lock ins if you didn’t want to go up the Limit or Leadmill.

I miss Wards, not just the beer, but a lot of what it stood for.. RIP.

 

[bornablade]

There was a pub in York, at Layerthorpe called The Frog Hall that used to sell Wards.

I got married in 1983 just up the road in Heworth and me and my best man (a Blade) were able to sample a few pints before the service.

A condemned man's last meal....

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Shocking motor what a rot box same with the Allegro.

Oh I agree with you about the Austin Maxi being a rotten box, there's only one rotten box in that picture though. The Allegro - even worse yes. My first "company" car was an Allegro. It was actually just a hire car they gave me for a few weeks whilst I was waiting to take delivery of my proper company car. The Allegro was an estate in a custard yellow colour, with a square steering wheel! I was glad to hand that back - and jump into my brown Hillman Avenger!

 

[I should coco]

From memory there were two booklets after about 1986. The first had I think 101 entries, as I got to 99 and even stood outside the 100th in Lincolnshire as it was closed

In a wonderful "when worlds collide" moment, I managed to do the Wards pub in Lincoln (the Vaults???) while watching United. I'd guess 82-84, but no idea what the competition was though.

We didn't get anywhere near 100 as there were odd estate pubs dotted around Rotherham etc and none of us wanted to waste valuable drinking time, by driving.
The ones we did were mainly courtesy of the ugly SYT cream and brown buses, or Shanks's pony.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I used to enjoy Wards.

I remember enjoying a Saturday night 'lock-in' at the one on Scotland Street which I thought was ironical as it was opposite West Bar police station.

Although probably most of it's customers were officers of the law.

Ward's seemed to divide people around here, with some loving it and others hating it - a bit like the supposed "marmite" divide.

My recollection of it was that it had a rather strong odour, which was a bit off-putting, but it was quite a rich, malty beer, in stark contrast to the straw-coloured, pale, hoppy, Stones beer, also made in this city. I worked with a guy who lived at Stannington in the 1970's. One of the local pubs there (long since closed) was a Ward's house and he absolutely swore by it. The only Wards pub I remember going in fairly regularly, would be the Phoenix at Ridgeway, before it was done up. Our Sunday football team used to play at Thornbridge School, on them pitches near to the Old Harrow. After footy we'd all head off to the Phoenix, which was just a small, white-washed, 2 room cottage back then, and sup some Wards. I always remember it being a good pint in there, but that may be because I was especially thirsty after running my socks off for 90 minutes.

 

[Ghostshark]

greyhound at Ecclesfield kept lovely wards..knew landlord and he did pipes regular as clockwork..

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Lane Ender]

Sean,
Where you say "After they hit the front page of the Star"
What was the story about in The Star ? What year was it?

Thanks

Always going to happen with a team full of head cases like them (all top lads though).

 

[Lane Ender]

View attachment 75797

Mcfail，Mathews，Kenworthy

 

[Tony]

Scottish and Newcastle and their Tartan brand had little presence in Sheffield.

Claymore on Arundel Gate (as mentioned) and the only other one I can think of is the Nailmakers (Yates) near Norton Water Tower.

I think the Top Rank sold it as maybe other clubs. S&N probably threw a shed load of money at these clubs in order to get their beer in.

Absolute crap beer and only made consumable with the addition of a bottle of brown or Guinness.

Have to agree, Tartan one of the worst beers I ever tasted, nearly on par with Watney's Red Barrel. First time I ever got drunk in a pub was on Wards dahn't Cliffe at 17. Went home and spent the night holding on to the bog pan watching the ceiling spin. However, Wards ( a malt not a bitter ) became my favourite.

 

[Andingmen]

January 1986. From Park Sq looking across the site of what is now Ponds Forge leisure centre towards Fitzalan Sq and the old Head Post Office and trunk telephone exchange building where I did part of my apprenticeship in the late sixties, maintaining all the operators' equipment.

 

[Jolly Buffer]

Always going to happen with a team full of head cases like them (all top lads though).

Yea I probably knew most of them. A mob off the flats used to run a minibus to away games 1974/5/6, I traveled to quite a few with them. It was a mix of lads of school age and older ones who were working but they all knew the way around, if you know what I mean. Some interesting trips were had I can tell you!
I think one time at Hull 76/77ish they attempted to take their Kop which was eventful!

Some good memories as a kid of the flats and the characters of the time, some of them no longer around, either locked up or passed (rip)

 

[HighfieldBlade]

View attachment 75797

Blades v Chesterfield. Ernie Moss?

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Part of my Sheffield beer memorabilia wall in the study. That and the Sheffield art wall in the second bedroom keep a little part of Sheffield down in Kent.

Mind you looking at the wall I must get round to repainting the study. Allegro beige isn’t cool anymore!!

 

[Bert]

In a wonderful "when worlds collide" moment, I managed to do the Wards pub in Lincoln (the Vaults???) while watching United. I'd guess 82-84, but no idea what the competition was though.

We didn't get anywhere near 100 as there were odd estate pubs dotted around Rotherham etc and none of us wanted to waste valuable drinking time, by driving.
The ones we did were mainly courtesy of the ugly SYT cream and brown buses, or Shanks's pony.

The City Vaults. Now a Chinese restaurant.
It had the best beer in Lincoln.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Ruth and Barry's

Sex kitten Ruth

 

[Sean Thornton]

Sex kitten Ruth

Bit older than a kitten.....

 

[HighfieldBlade]

The Allegro - even worse yes. My first "company" car was an Allegro. It was actually just a hire car they gave me for a few weeks whilst I was waiting to take delivery of my proper company car. The Allegro was an estate in a custard yellow colour, with a square steering wheel!

"Austin All-Aggro", as we called it.
Most only came in 2 colours: Custard Yellow or Hearing-aid Beige.

 

[sitwell]

Oh I agree with you about the Austin Maxi being a rotten box, there's only one rotten box in that picture though. The Allegro - even worse yes. My first "company" car was an Allegro. It was actually just a hire car they gave me for a few weeks whilst I was waiting to take delivery of my proper company car. The Allegro was an estate in a custard yellow colour, with a square steering wheel! I was glad to hand that back - and jump into my brown Hillman Avenger!

My second car was an allegro (first was a viva) and I loved it although an 1800 engine in car that size was mad. It was great until the gearbox fell out on the woodhead after a trip to the arndale centre in Manchester with a mate. We left it there with the sheep and hitched back to Sheffield. I never heard what happened to it.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Went on the Domino in the mid 80s.
Me and a couple of mates had a thing about Wards and picked up one of those maps of all their pubs (from the Roland Arms at Swallownest IIRC).

Excluding the Darleys of Thorne ones, I think there were about 120 in the region and we got around about half, before it became too much like hard work.
Some dodgy ones like the Domino, Bathfield Netherthorpe and Target on Park Hill but some lovely boozers too.

Hallamshire (Commonside) and Grindstone (Crookes) are still regular haunts of ours. Sadly we lost a couple on Scotland St, the Meadow St Tavern, Red House on Solly St, Royal Oak, Hollis Croft the one at the bottom of Eccy Rd, Matilda etc etc.

We did all the Wards pubs from a list available in some of their pubs. It took a couple of years as there were some very out of the way locations. There were about half a dozen in small Lincolnshire villages plus others in places like Doncaster and Chesterfield. I think the last one we did was in Louth, quite a drive just for one drink but it needed doing, from memory it was called either The Turks Head or The Black Boy.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Bit older than a kitten.....

I would have made her purr.

 

[paul betts]

I used to enjoy Wards.

I remember enjoying a Saturday night 'lock-in' at the one on Scotland Street which I thought was ironical as it was opposite West Bar police station.

Although probably most of it's customers were officers of the law.

Queens ground??

 

[Sean Thornton]

Queens ground??

Thats in S6. Queens Hotel I think. Sign was a playing card at one time. SYP tended to drink in Fagins.

 

[bornablade]

We did all the Wards pubs from a list available in some of their pubs. It took a couple of years as there were some very out of the way locations. There were about half a dozen in small Lincolnshire villages plus others in places like Doncaster and Chesterfield. I think the last one we did was in Louth, quite a drive just for one drink but it needed doing, from memory it was called either The Turks Head or The Black Boy.

I think there was (is) a pub called The Black Boy in Retford. In today's society its' a strange name.

 

[I should coco]

I think the last one we did was in Louth, quite a drive just for one drink but it needed doing, from memory it was called either The Turks Head or The Black Boy.

I think both the Turks Head and Black Boy are/were in Retford. Maybe you stopped off on the way back to break the journey?

Queens ground??

The one on Scotland Street was the Queens Hotel IIRC. Wasn't the Queens Ground on the smellier end of Langsett Road?

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Bit older than a kitten.....

Miaooow!

 

[I should coco]

Thats in S6. Queens Hotel I think. Sign was a playing card at one time. SYP tended to drink in Fagins.

Deffo the Queen's Hotel and it even had the apostrophe - see the pic on the attached article.

Plans lodged for apartment blocks on former pub site

Plans have been lodged for the demolition of a former Sheffield pub and construction of a new residential development comprising more than 220 apartments.

www.insidermedia.com

 

[I should coco]

the one at the bottom of Eccy Rd,

Last refuge of a scoundrel and all that, quoting my own post, but the grey matter worked overnight.

Their brewery tap, across Eccy Road from the brewery, was the Devonshire.

 

[Paisley Blade]

View attachment 75778

Shared this one with the bloke on the right last night. He's covered a few of our games this season and agrees we are a brilliant watch.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Deffo the Queen's Hotel and it even had the apostrophe - see the pic on the attached article.

Plans lodged for apartment blocks on former pub site

Plans have been lodged for the demolition of a former Sheffield pub and construction of a new residential development comprising more than 220 apartments.

www.insidermedia.com

"Area of transition" = "currently a shithole"