VISITS

Wednesday 6 February 2013

The Lord Nelson.

On a winter Sunday evening in 1969 the 160 year old Lord Nelson pub in High Street opened its doors for the last time and the landlord and landlady (Tom and Kathleen Clarke) threw a farewell party to mark the event. Regulars like Bill King, George Aisthorpe, Edith Tebbs and Ellen Brackenberry were there to bid a fond farewell to the pub they had called at every week for nigh on forty years. But other old regulars George Revell and Fred Boothby chose to sit by their home fires and silently recall the pub in its heyday of community song to the jangle of a frequently out of tune piano. " Still," said Mr. Clarke, " It's not like old George to miss his Sunday night down at the Nelson, and at 87 its a bit late in life to start hunting for a new bar to prop up !"

The Lord Nelson stood in High Street.
 
"Old George," would surely have relished the quantity of free beer and turkey sandwiches on the final lap. About 100 customers did so and, indeed, a few lingered on to savour the last moments - long after " Time, Gentlemen Please " rang out like some death-knell at 10.30 p.m."
Said Mr. Clarke, " Most of the regulars refused to accept it was their last night at the Lord Nelson and many of them don't yet know which pub to go to next. We too were quite upset about it, although we had only been at the Nelson for a short time. The first Christmas we were here we were made to feel quite at home, they have been a really good crowd." Among the farewell gifts to the couple were a clock, a dressing table decoration, two bouquets to Mrs. Clarke and a gold cufflink and tie pin set to Mr. Clarke.
The old pub was ripped down because it stood in the way of the construction of the new John Adams Way inner relief road.

Below: Thankfully saved, the two figurines that stood above the Nelson doorway. See picture above.
 
 
 
 

3 comments:

  1. Billy,i started work that summer as a 15 year old and must have gone up and down high street countless times on my bike and probably didn't look twice at these old dreary buildings like the lord nelson the plough[previousley the prince albert] the crown and anchor, and now as an old git of nearly sixty how i do wish i had taken alot more notice of what was going on around me.I read all your articles great work and thanks very much.

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  2. I know what you mean, I have the same problem, If only we had digital cameras / phone cameras etc. in those days, what a collection of pics we could have had.

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  3. A pair of composition stone figures, mid 19th century from a model by John Bacon. The figures were removed from the facade of the Lord Nelson Public house in Boston, Lincs in the 1960‘s. Estimated at £6000-10,000 and eventually sold for £14,900 to the English trade.

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