MalcolmToft's Bradford Real Beer News

UPDATED - 16.20 BST 17/4/2008 - SILSDEN, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND.

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BRADFORD BREWERY HISTORY QUESTIONS?

BRADFORD, KEIGHLEY, AIRE/WHARFE CAMRA NEWS LATEST BEER NEWS LOCAL/NATIONAL & EVENTS

AUTHORS' PUB GUIDE

COORS TO GIVE 'SUBSTANTIAL' SUPPORT TO VISITOR CENTRE

FROM THE TYKE TAVERNER FILES - LANCASTER, WESTGATE, BRADFORD

EARLY BREWERY TV ADVERTISING

THE LORD RODNEY, CHURCH STREET, KEIGHLEY


LOCAL CAMRA NEWS	BEER-IN-PRINT	BREWERY HISTORY SOCIETY
TOPIC FOLK CLUB	BACK TO TOP	COMMUNITY PUBS FOUNDATION
BROWN COW, KEIGHLEY

**COORS TO GIVE 'SUBSTANTIAL' SUPPORT TO VISITOR CENTRE**
New hope for beer museum as brewer gives in to local pressure - 14 April, 2008 - By Olivia Boyd ThePublican.com Coors Brewery has promised financial support to its threatened Visitor Centre after pressure from the local MP Janet Dean. The brewer said it would offer free lease of the building, £100,000 a year and a one-off £200,000 payment to anyone who came up with a viable business plan. It also promised to keep the museum’s contents intact until the end of the year, although it refused to move back the closure date. In a letter to Dean, Coors business service director Keith Donald said he hoped the financial commitment would provide an incentive to potential benefactors. He said: "We are very keen to see the museum preserved in the long term as a visitor attraction in Burton and we look forward to the opportunity to work with you and to others in this community who share this vision." The news comes after the Labour MP set up a focus group to save the brewery museum in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, which she says is a "key part" of the town’s heritage. Last month Coors announced the centre – which costs £1m a year to run – would close permanently in June after a decline in visitor numbers. Welcoming the news, Dean said: "I’m delighted to say that Coors have told me that they can offer substantial support." Chief Executive of Museums, Libraries and Archives West Midlands, Jon Finch added: "I welcome Coors’ commitment to supporting the future of the museum for Burton." Worthington's India Pale Ale car, Bass Museum 1984 BACK TO TOP

FROM THE TYKE TAVERNER FILES - LANCASTER, WESTGATE, BRADFORD.

Tom & Agnes Parkinson outside the Lancaster

In 1872 the Lancaster traded as the Gluepot and Stephen Lancaster was licensee at the premises. The local directory for 1879-80 records that the pub had been renamed the Lancaster Hotel and the landlord was Edward Lancaster.
Bradford brewer Joseph Hey & Co. Ltd; acquired the Lancaster near the end of 1923 when the company took over Joseph Spink Ltd; Brownroyd Brewery, Rosse Street, Girlington, Bradford.
During the same decade the Northbrook brewer installed 'House of Hey's' acid etched windows at the pub. These featured the businesses 'star' brands Gold Cup Ale and Victory Ale on the two smaller windows either side of the large pane shown in the picture. The designs were painted on the inside to make them more visible but over the years this gradually peeled off.

The Lancaster, Westgate, Bradford, featured in the Tyke Taverner’s ‘Spotlight’ of March 1979. Tom & Agnes Parkinson were the then popular tenants who had moved into the property during 1975. Tom was a softly-spoken Irishman and Agnes hailed from the granite city, Aberdeen. The author of the Tyke Taverner article stated that "In the three and a half years Tom & Agnes had been in charge, I have never seen a hint of trouble in either bar. The pub exudes friendliness from its honest down to earth locals, but mainly from its landlord and landlady".
Unfortunately in 1983 when the couple received a letter from Webster's stating the beer was going up again, Tom telephoned the brewery to inform them - enough is enough - my resignation is on its way. The rent had more than doubled in that year although the turnover hadn't. They complained that the roof hadn't been fixed after a fire next door a couple of years previously and it took ages for the pub sign to be repaired. Tom and Agnes thought there was no need for a beer price increase because Websters were receiving extra money from all their tenants in rents.

Tom & Agnes 'man' the lounge bar
The couple moved into a flat a Fairweather Green area of Bradford but kept in touch with the licensed trade by doing stints of holiday 'relief work'. They were seen behind the bar at the Shoulder of Mutton, Kirkgate, Bradford, on a number of occasion until their final retirement.

The frontage of the Lancaster

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The Lancaster backroom provided a useful venue for quizes & meetings
The back room provided a useful venue for quizzes & Bradford CAMRA committee meetings

Tom pulls a pint
Tom carefully pulls a pint

Tom & Agnes receive a leaving present from
Bradford CAMRA.
Presented by Josie Boothroyd (pictured left)

Competition in the Bradford city-centre pub trade increased when Tetley and Webster sold off some property in the 1980s. Large numbers of customers wanted something different from Webster and Tetley brands. The Preston became the still renown Fighting Cock, the New Beehive changed name to the Bradfordian for a time before returning to its old title and the Royal Standard also became became a free house. The Backstage transformed into the YSB (Yorkshire Small Brewers) and then returned to its original name the Castle. Tetley jumped on the bandwagon with the Rams Revenge following changes at Yates' in Ivegate. There manager Graham Dawson introduced a wider range of ales after the initial trials of Boddington's Mild and Bitter on electric pump by the previous management.

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Successors to the Lancaster, Lyn & Colin, receive the Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Month award for November 1984 from Dave Boothroyd (pictured left)
Successors, after a brief interlude from another couple, to the Lancaster, Lyn & Colin, receive
the Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Month award for November 1984 from Dave Boothroyd (pictured left)

At the Lancaster Wilson's Bitter was tried in addition to the Webster brands, but in the end it was an unequal struggle with recently established local free houses and Colin and Lyn departed for the Lake District. The couple later left the UK for Cyprus and there they ran a grocers shop. They are now in retirement on the island.
They were followed by Terry (sadly no longer with us) and Carole. Ansells Mild made an appearance on the bar for a time and Wadworth 6X was also sampled. Unfortunately this proved to be an 'Indian summer' at the Lancaster as far as good beer was concerned and after the couple left the pub became keg only.
Around the year 2000 the Lancaster closed and the building was offered for sale at around the £60,000 mark. It appears that no one saw any commercial potential in premises and demolition took place in June 2002. A grassed area with shrubs marks the spot where the 'Lanc' stood.

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EARLY BREWERY TV ADVERTISING

Webster advert 1977
Tyke Taverner Webster advert in 1977

My earliest recollection of brewery TV advertising was for bottled Webster's Green Label. This was during the first few years of the 1960s. A short cartoon featured "Wee Sam", the company logo. A 'W' formed the trunk of the character's body. In the commercial Wee Sam walked into view and raised a hand holding a stalk of barley. As if by magic, 'ping', an arc was formed from the barley over Sam's head into a pint glass held in the figure's other hand and the container was filled.
By the second half of the 1970s Fred Trueman was fronting the company's advertising. In one film a flame issued forth from the legendary fast-bowler's mouth but thankfully a sip of Pennine Bitter soon quenched that. All this was accompanied by brass band music.
Fred Trueman was for many years a summariser for BBC Radio's Test Match Special and on one occasion, during a break for bad weather, he recalled his early days at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A club coach told him to drink stout to build up his weight. He declared that he had drunk Wappy Stout, brewed by John Ainley & Sons Ltd; Wapping Spring Brewery, Lindley Moor, Huddersfield.

British Brewer's poster
Support your local traditional beer brewer
while you have the chance!

THE LORD RODNEY, CHURCH STREET, KEIGHLEY - Progress report on Timothy Taylor brewery refurbishment.

Ceremony to mark the return of real ale to the Lord Rodney in 1989

Only a couple of walls remained standing of what was said to be Keighley's oldest pub in January 2008. Although I have not been privy to the surveyor's report on the ancient structure it seems a great pity that such drastic action has been taken.
In 1708 John Drake, grandson of Sir Francis Drake, was churchwarden at Keighley and licensee of the pub then called Ye Olde Red Lion. The inn's name was changed to Lord Rodney in honour of the naval commander's victory over the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1780. According to local historian Eddie Kelly, when the pub was offered for sale in 1951 it was described as being "at least 400 years old". In the gentleman's article, printed in a 1988 edition of Keighley & Craven CAMRA's Alesman magazine, he suggest that the Lord Rodney may occupy the site of an inn kept by Elena de Glasenbroke in 1379.
For many years the Rodney was Keighley's only free house.
The Knowle Spring Brewery firm will have a practically brand new pub in their estate when work is completed on the construction. The building will be extended and new windows will be fitted to the front elevation.
Taylor's last new build pub was the Knowle Arms, Bracken Bank Grove, Keighley, opened in 1965. The Timothy Taylor, Braithwaite Avenue, Keighley, served its first customer the year previously. Both were disposed of by Timothy Taylor's a few years ago.
In the early months of 2008 the contracted builders, R. N. Wooler, have been reconstructing the exterior of the Lord Rodney to pre-demolition condition.
Taylor's contacted local historian Ian Dewhirst in their efforts to find out what the frontage looked like in the past. The earliest view of the Rodney he could find dated from pre 1876 and at that time it had a light coloured front.
According to Private Eye's 'Pseudos Corner'. "The Lord Rodney is currently being redeveloped from scratch with a £1 million budget and is situated in an area of Keighley, which will be the subject of investment, by Bradford Council. The concept will be chameleon urban chic. Daytime trade will be focused on relaxed grazing in our well designed and comfortable bar, in the evening we raise the tempo to become the place to meet in Keighley and a feeder bar for what will be our newly refurbished nightclub, just 100 metres away."

Details from "Albert_Campion" Beer in the Evening website - http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/24/24055/Lord_Rodney/Keighley
Full details are on Timothy Taylor's Management Opportunities webpage -
http://www.timothytaylor.co.uk/sits/list_management_opportunities.htm

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Tom & Agnes Parkinson outside the Lancaster	In 1872 the Lancaster traded as the Gluepot and Stephen Lancaster was licensee at the premises. The local directory for 1879-80 records that the pub had been renamed the Lancaster Hotel and the landlord was Edward Lancaster. Bradford brewer Joseph Hey & Co. Ltd; acquired the Lancaster near the end of 1923 when the company took over Joseph Spink Ltd; Brownroyd Brewery, Rosse Street, Girlington, Bradford. During the same decade the Northbrook brewer installed 'House of Hey's' acid etched windows at the pub. These featured the businesses 'star' brands Gold Cup Ale and Victory Ale on the two smaller windows either side of the large pane shown in the picture. The designs were painted on the inside to make them more visible but over the years this gradually peeled off. The Lancaster, Westgate, Bradford, featured in the Tyke Taverner’s ‘Spotlight’ of March 1979. Tom & Agnes Parkinson were the then popular tenants who had moved into the property during 1975. Tom was a softly-spoken Irishman and Agnes hailed from the granite city, Aberdeen. The author of the Tyke Taverner article stated that "In the three and a half years Tom & Agnes had been in charge, I have never seen a hint of trouble in either bar. The pub exudes friendliness from its honest down to earth locals, but mainly from its landlord and landlady". Unfortunately in 1983 when the couple received a letter from Webster's stating the beer was going up again, Tom telephoned the brewery to inform them - enough is enough - my resignation is on its way. The rent had more than doubled in that year although the turnover hadn't. They complained that the roof hadn't been fixed after a fire next door a couple of years previously and it took ages for the pub sign to be repaired. Tom and Agnes thought there was no need for a beer price increase because Websters were receiving extra money from all their tenants in rents.
Tom & Agnes 'man' the lounge bar The couple moved into a flat a Fairweather Green area of Bradford but kept in touch with the licensed trade by doing stints of holiday 'relief work'. They were seen behind the bar at the Shoulder of Mutton, Kirkgate, Bradford, on a number of occasion until their final retirement.	The frontage of the Lancaster
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The back room provided a useful venue for quizzes & Bradford CAMRA committee meetings	Tom carefully pulls a pint
Tom & Agnes receive a leaving present from Bradford CAMRA. Presented by Josie Boothroyd (pictured left)	Competition in the Bradford city-centre pub trade increased when Tetley and Webster sold off some property in the 1980s. Large numbers of customers wanted something different from Webster and Tetley brands. The Preston became the still renown Fighting Cock, the New Beehive changed name to the Bradfordian for a time before returning to its old title and the Royal Standard also became became a free house. The Backstage transformed into the YSB (Yorkshire Small Brewers) and then returned to its original name the Castle. Tetley jumped on the bandwagon with the Rams Revenge following changes at Yates' in Ivegate. There manager Graham Dawson introduced a wider range of ales after the initial trials of Boddington's Mild and Bitter on electric pump by the previous management.
	BACK TO TOP
Successors, after a brief interlude from another couple, to the Lancaster, Lyn & Colin, receive the Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Month award for November 1984 from Dave Boothroyd (pictured left)	At the Lancaster Wilson's Bitter was tried in addition to the Webster brands, but in the end it was an unequal struggle with recently established local free houses and Colin and Lyn departed for the Lake District. The couple later left the UK for Cyprus and there they ran a grocers shop. They are now in retirement on the island. They were followed by Terry (sadly no longer with us) and Carole. Ansells Mild made an appearance on the bar for a time and Wadworth 6X was also sampled. Unfortunately this proved to be an 'Indian summer' at the Lancaster as far as good beer was concerned and after the couple left the pub became keg only. Around the year 2000 the Lancaster closed and the building was offered for sale at around the £60,000 mark. It appears that no one saw any commercial potential in premises and demolition took place in June 2002. A grassed area with shrubs marks the spot where the 'Lanc' stood.
BACK TO TOP