Dove and Rainbow pre 90's pub history and trade

[daftlad]

During the mid eighties we used to go in there alot as its always been a good meeting - positioned place. Landlord was a Welsh Guy called Gwyn, he had a english wife called Penny. Think they moved in to the Millhouses Hotel, where she got heavily acquainted with another fella and he took of back down south wales ?

 

 

I remember Gwyn, he was a barman at the golden ball on campo lane before taking over there

[Joanl]

I remember the Dove and Rainbow from when I was a junior working at C&A's in the late 50's. On Christmas Eve the older sales girls would go for a lunchtime drink and if it fell on a Thursday (half day closing) then it would be a fun afternoon.Just think, from 1.00pm til 3.00 when it closed....I couldn't wait to be 18 then it sounded just so grown up and sophisticated.

[melthebell]

 

Most of it.

 

From floor level.

ah too tight to buy beer eh? i know your game, licking it up off the floor

[Jabberwocky]

Didnt they have newspapers all over the walls at one point? Like in a ....whats it called? where they print the papers? With the printing presses and long lines of newspapers along the walls af if they were printing the news....

 

God, I was BOMBED by the time I got to that pub, not bad when you think it was only the third pub on our crawl, we started off at the pub at the bottom of snig hill- I forget its name, then into the mucky duck then the dove, then the old blue bell, then there was another pub, then the Stonehouse, then the saddle, then into the pig n whistle, then on to the Wap n take, then...

 

I forget ... Usually a cell at West bar if it was a good night.

[Highnote]

The original Dove and Rainbow was a favourite of mine in the late forties-fifties,it stood in Hartshead facing up Campo Lane,my Mum and Dad used to frequent it at week-ends,and when I was doing National Service and stationed at an aerodrome up north, when I came home on a "48" would call in for a drink with my parents on Sunday night before catching a late bus to Doncaster and catching the train to my destination.

When demobbed I went there very regularly and had some good mates,one of which is still a mate all these years after, the landlord at that time was a man called Bernard Harrison, and when the Saturday night dances were held at the Cutlers Hall, they did not have bars in those days, so when it was the interval the dancers would come piling in and Bernard and his staff were kept very busy keeping them happy, and serving some very dodgy beer, you could do in those days!

Perhaps not what you wanted Goldefleece, but maybe of interest

[Mrs H Solo]

We used to call it the Dove and Nibbett as it was the only town centre pub where you could buy the aforementioned pre runner to the inferior quaver! Used to go there sometimes at lunch as worked round the corner at Hartshead.

[goldenfleece]

The original Dove and Rainbow was a favourite of mine in the late forties-fifties,it stood in Hartshead facing up Campo Lane,my Mum and Dad used to frequent it at week-ends,and when I was doing National Service and stationed at an aerodrome up north, when I came home on a "48" would call in for a drink with my parents on Sunday night before catching a late bus to Doncaster and catching the train to my destination.

When demobbed I went there very regularly and had some good mates,one of which is still a mate all these years after, the landlord at that time was a man called Bernard Harrison, and when the Saturday night dances were held at the Cutlers Hall, they did not have bars in those days, so when it was the interval the dancers would come piling in and Bernard and his staff were kept very busy keeping them happy, and serving some very dodgy beer, you could do in those days!

Perhaps not what you wanted Goldefleece, but maybe of interest

 

Most interesting indeed. I know its a different building but still, its all origins of this very pub in many ways. What happened to it, did it burn down which is why it was demolished?

[Texas]

Hi goldenfleece. Read the PM but I cant remember many details about the Dove and Rainbow. I think I've mentioned on another thread that it was Bradburys who built or rebuilt the pub. I was working for them at the time, about 1954-55, and actually laid the floor joists. I dont remember anything about the original building but when the new one was finished and open for business it was just a regular type of pub. You walked in the main door and the bar was on your right. The lounge,to your left, was maybe 15-20 feet long, ten feet wide,wall seating around the room with tables, and a couple of chairs to each table, nothing special. There could've been a stage at the far end of the room but I'm not sure.

I didn't use the place with any regularity, perhaps for a swift half on the way up town a couple of nights a week, and more usually on Sunday dinnertime.

[hillsbro]

Nice photos, Greybeard (see post #20 ). I can just remember the old Dove & Rainbow - a pity it was lost. When the Banker's Draft was a bank I worked there, and spent many lunchtimes in convivial company in the Dove. Behind the bar was a poster with a rhyme that went like this:

 

THE PRESERVATION OF MAN

 

The horse and mule live 30 years and nothing know of wines and beers.

The goat and sheep at 20 die, and never taste of Scotch and Rye.

The cow drinks water by the ton and at 18 is mostly done.

The hog at 15 cashes in without the aid of rum or gin.

The cat in milk and water soaks and then at 12 short years it croaks.

The modest, sober, bone-dry hen lays eggs for nogs, then dies at ten.

All animals are strictly dry, they sinless live and swiftly die.

But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men survive for threescore years and ten.

And some of us (though mighty few) stay pickled till we're ninety-two.