Old pub at bottom of Bradfield Road - Hillsborough.

[sweetdexter]

I can remember going in The Sportsman" as a toddler in the early 40s.

I dont know if we had relatives who were the managment ,But I remember visiting with my mother or grandmother.

This would be before opening time.

The smell of stale smoke and beer at that time has always stuck with me.

I find the smell quite alluring.

Perhaps the perfume manufacturers could get on that"Revive that dying fossil ,wear .cologne spray"Tap Room" for that stale beer and cigarette smell to turn him on."

But then maybe I'm past it

[PopT]

I remember going into the Royal and seeing the Landlord proudly displaying a ornamental silver encased horn on the bar counter.

 

The horn contained enough snuff to feed the entire habit of Sheffield.

 

He delighted in passing the horn around the regulars to try the latest refill of snuff.

 

It did start an interest in snuff taking, different customers started to bring their own particular brands for the others to try.

[mikebatty]

Thanks DeeJ For the info on the Victoria. I wonder if the planners would still have allowed the pub to reopen if it hadn't burned down.

 

I very much doubt it but I guess we shall never know.

 

Does anyone remember the old piano player in The Royal, He must have been the worst in sheffield?

 

I used to go to Sheffield speedway on Thursday nights with my mates in the early 60's. We met in the Royal before going to the speedway , had a pork pie and a cup of oxo at half time and then back in the Royal afterwards . Later on that night the punters were Brahms and List and the pissanist just played and the punters sang anything .Enjoyable nights .

[old tup]

I can remember the Royal very well it was across from the top of our street Liversey St.My early memories were as an infant going passed it with my mother when she went shopping most times we would chat to the landlady Gladys Cutts the ladyfriend of the famous Frank Vary of the speedway.She had a small dog which she would buy ice cream for from the ice cream van daily,this was in the 50s another thing I remember was when I was around 18 a turn they put on he was that bad he was good,called Von Ecovitch,he was a porter at the Infirmary he looked the double of Arthur Askey,I used all the pubs mentioned in this thread mostly the Vic and the Old Blue Ball.I used the Vic dinner times daily when I worked at Newboulds Bakery across the road,Ron and Beryl were good hosts they had a fiery relationship Beryl sported a few black eyes in those days as I recall!.

[Jim Hardie]

I can remember the Royal very well it was across from the top of our street Liversey St.My early memories were as an infant going passed it with my mother when she went shopping most times we would chat to the landlady Gladys Cutts the ladyfriend of the famous Frank Vary of the speedway.She had a small dog which she would buy ice cream for from the ice cream van daily,this was in the 50s another thing I remember was when I was around 18 a turn they put on he was that bad he was good,called Von Ecovitch,he was a porter at the Infirmary he looked the double of Arthur Askey,I used all the pubs mentioned in this thread mostly the Vic and the Old Blue Ball.I used the Vic dinner times daily when I worked at Newboulds Bakery across the road,Ron and Beryl were good hosts they had a fiery relationship Beryl sported a few black eyes in those days as I recall!.

 

I think Ron and Beryl later had the Red Lion behind the city hall and then the Hole in the Wall.

[Bushbaby]

was when I was around 18 a turn they put on he was that bad he was good,called Von Ecovitch,he was a porter at the Infirmary he looked the double of Arthur Askey

 

The Great Voneco was in fact Harry Johnson off Deerlands Avenue. He was a competent organist but nothing more. His role was to play the old songs and the tap room would sing along. "Old Bull & Bush" "My Old Man.." that kind of thing. The sign outside The Royal on a Friday read "Tonight - Von On The Keys"

It was always a great atmosphere and there was a good crowd. The "Looks like Arthur Askey" bit was very deliberate - he worked at it.

 

His son, Phil, played guitar alongside Pete Howe for a while in the early 70s, and then had his own club band (can't remember the name) who played Chuck Berry and Status Quo numbers. Sadly, Phil died a few years ago after 35 years in the rolling mills and a few too many Park Drive.