Gransnet forums

Chat

The Ringlestone Arms in the 60s

(20 Posts)
Cath9 Fri 22-Aug-25 09:53:18

Anyone remember the two old ladies, mother and daughter who ran the pub in the 1960s?
No electricity, just paraffin lights also. no running water as Ma would exclaim,
‘It would run everywhere!
No toilet so one had to go outside and lastly. In the end having to have a password to get in

NotSpaghetti Fri 22-Aug-25 10:03:45

No Cath but I do remember a pub in, I think, Kegworth, Leicestershire, where a woman ran her pub from basically, her sitting room and brought beer up from the cellar in jugs.

I think she did this into the 1980s?

NotSpaghetti Fri 22-Aug-25 10:05:13

Obviously there are lots of pubs I've noticed who offer "jugs".
I doubt it's their only method of serving though.

Cath9 Fri 22-Aug-25 21:09:48

The pub at that time was nicknamed, ‘The Witches’
When it was time up Ma would say,
‘Out you Buggars, haven’t you got a home to go too’
There were many funny stories, one being when my father spotted a jug with yellow liquid in it so he asked,
‘What is in that jug Dora?’
‘Cats piss’ replied Dora
‘Yes and it was a Tom who died two years ago’ added Ma!
The main story was when the 300 people from the media took photos of them. When they told us what happened they asked my father what he would do.
The lane up to the pub was narrow so my father suggested, purely being a joke,
‘I would put tin tacks on the car park’
‘We tried that but it didn’t work’ replied Ma
As mentioned, after that they kept a gun by their side and every one had to have a password to get in.

Oreo Fri 22-Aug-25 21:15:56

Where was this pub? Southern Ireland?😁

petra Fri 22-Aug-25 21:18:20

Is this the pub?

Cath9 Sat 23-Aug-25 18:41:56

Petra. It was do many years ago but I have found some photos people have added of the two ladies by their entrance of a pub that did look like what you added. It was and still is in Harrietsham near Maidstone

valdavi Sat 23-Aug-25 18:49:37

We had a few sitting room pubs in our area. Just ordinary cottages on country lanes, but above the front door was a small plate 'Licensed to sell ales etc'. I don't think that by that time (70's ) they'd have reliably had ales in if someone had dropped in on them, just a relic of a bygone age.

Sea167 Mon 25-Aug-25 14:57:52

Yes I remember it well, used to go there in the 70's, it was called the Ringlestone Arms in Kent. There was no electricity and the ladies wouldn't let you in if they didn't like the look of you. It was really cosy by the fire in the winter.

Cath9 Mon 25-Aug-25 16:20:28

Just read your post again sea167.
I was surprised to read that the Ma and Dora were still there in the 1970s

ClicketyClick Mon 25-Aug-25 17:00:12

I remember being took to a pub in Leicestershire in the 70's for a meal which was run by two very elderly sisters. When I said I was wearing something dressy this was received with gales of laughter. My goodness what a dump it was. Every single surface was covered in thick dust, cobwebs everywhere, seats felt wet and from the smell it wasn't beer slops but the worst was sitting by the windows and then noticing the window sills were knee deep in flies - alive and dead. Rank! The owners were just as filthy and looked like they hadn't washed or brushed their hair in ages. Needless to say, I didn't order food.

Mojack26 Mon 25-Aug-25 17:08:11

No idea what you are talking about??? All depends where you stay surely??? You don't say....🤣

dayvidg Mon 25-Aug-25 17:31:36

I went on a Geography field trip to Wasdale in the 1969 or 70, and one evening a group of about 10 of us went down to the local hostelry (either Boot or Santon Bridge}. It was run by two elderly ladies from their front room One asked one of us "what would you like to drink?" (all bottles) . Pale ale please; someone else said "I'll have one as well" "Now, now dearie, wait your turn." With that she toddled off and returned with a bottle. "Now Dear , what would you like?" . After 4 or 5 had been served, one at a time ' someone said "Can we bring a crate up for you?" " Oh thank you, Dearie, that would be most kind"

annifrance Mon 25-Aug-25 17:39:29

Annie's Bar, aka The Queens Head near Never Castle in Kent. She ran the pub until well into her 90s. Wouldn't have a fridge - nasty new-fangled things - even when she was stopped from serving Ploughmans. She wouldn't stock lager in case it attracted football hooligans! Quite a character. Wonderful folk evenings were held there.

annifrance Mon 25-Aug-25 17:39:51

Never Castle

annifrance Mon 25-Aug-25 17:40:36

Trying again. Hever Castle. Flipping predictive text.

Jaxjacky Mon 25-Aug-25 17:51:47

Newport Inn Braishfield Hampshire, the decor unchanged for 70 years, a short drive from work in the countryside during the 80’s.
The only food was thick ham or cheese sandwiches or a ploughman’s, beer from Gales brewery, chickens wandered in and out. The landlady Janet died in 2013 and that was that.
Wonderful memories.

Golfwidow Mon 25-Aug-25 18:56:44

Yes, I remember it well. My father worked for a shipping agent on the Isle of Grain and used to take the captains of the tankers there. Needless to say, he was popular with the old dears.l went once with friends and remember asking for gin and got what I was given! (Not gin) we had our drink and were chased out by a baton wielding mother thumping the back of the car.
Definitely an experience.

Lovemylife Mon 25-Aug-25 19:19:09

I thought it sounded familiar. My OH remembered it from his youth, and took me there in 2013.

Gogo84 Tue 26-Aug-25 10:40:31

There's a pub called Tucker's Grave near Bath. It used to be just a front room pub and it's still there but has been extended and has a big camping area. The front rooms still have the same atmosphere though. There is also a pub called the Bottle and Glass in the middle of nowhere in Shropshire. Way back when, it literally had sawdust on the floor and just local farmers and farmworkers as patrons.