1830s: Days when derby boasted 144 pubs

(Redirected from 1830s: DAYS WHEN DERBY BOASTED 144 PUBS)

Remember when you could buy a car for £200 and a house for £1,300? Veteran Derbeian Stan Tacey (left) ponders on how times and prices have changed but believes the good times are still with us today.

During a period of nostalgia, I searched through my archives at home and came across a list of public houses and taverns within the boundary of Derby in the year 1833.

I have no idea whether the list is correct, not being around in that period of time, but perhaps somebody who has made a study of the local drinking establishments can verify the list.

The 17th-century Green Man pub, which stood behind St Peter’s Church until 1936

The Lord Nelson, now Horatio’s cafe bar, on the corner of Curzon Street, Derby

Ranby’s bar in Green Lane, Derby, which was formerly known as the Brown Bear

There were 144 of them all detailed with their locations. There were nine in St Peter’s Street alone – The Marquess of Anglesea, Old Plough, Nag’s Head, Old Neptune, Anchor, White Swan, Green Man, Durham Ox and the Barley Mow.

I can’t imagine St Peter’s having that many as there would be no room for any other activities.

Three were listed in Green Lane – the Brown Bear, Tailor’s Arms and the Bunch of Grapes. Many of the names were unknown to me but one that stood out was the Duke of York in Burton Road.

Continuing my perusal of past days, I came across a copy of the Derby Evening Telegraph dated July 4, 1947, which cost l½d.

What a disappointment as I read through it. How did they fill the paper in those days? There was no crime and very few adverts.

Looking through the car sales section, I noticed an advert for an Austin 7 – “excellent condition, taxed for year, price £155”.

There was another for a Standard 9 – “good condition, four new tyres, price £220” or I could have had a Ford 8 saloon with four new tyres, fully taxed for £245.

However, the heading on the front page did catch my eye – “Derbyshire teams leave for the Harlem Games”.

I was a member of the cricket team and it brought back many happy memories of our stay in Holland. I wonder if any of my friends remember?

On to the next Derby Evening Telegraph, dated June 17, 1965, and the price had increased to 3d. Still a lack of adverts and the paper was still crime-free.

On this occasion the property section was my target:

“Walbrook Road, pallisaded residence of superior type – three reception rooms, kitchen, hall, three double bedrooms, inside/outside w/c. Price £1,600.

“Cobden Street, fully modernised terrace dwelling having two reception rooms, kitchen, three bedrooms, good order. Price £1,300.

“Four/five bedroom family home set in a very quiet and pleasant situation close to Belper Road and town. Three excellent reception rooms, well-fitted kitchen, four (originally five bedrooms and easily re-instated), two w/c’s, pleasant garden. Price £2,400.”

I must apologise that in my perusal of the old papers I have only concentrated on the prices during that era, but this was forced by necessity as the old Telegraphs did not make such interesting reading as the current ones. They didn’t have Bygones in those days.

Of course, we shouldn’t be misled by the prices I’ve quoted as salaries and wages were much less in those times and a penny in your purse went a long way.

Us “old uns” still refer to that era as the “Good Old Days”. They were, but things are still good today.

I think that the present city of Derby compares very favourably with neighbouring towns and cities and I, for one, never want to leave the city in which I was born, even if it no longer has 144 hostelries.

Pages linking here