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Aston Tavern, Aston Hall Road

M

mazbeth

Guest
I used to go to the Aston Tavern about '76/'77 with my then boyfriend, John Tubb who lived near there in Heanor Croft.
 
all the money they waste ,while our history crumbles in front of us,they wouldnt leave this next to the mailbox would they
 

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They used to do a roaring trade on Fair nights being so close to the Srepintine, what a shame all our old pubs are either haveing a name change or are as this one just left to rot.
Its amazing how many accidentaly burn down,then a new suppermarket arives on the site.
As some one who spent over 30 years of his working life in that area I weep to see how it is now.
ASTON
 
Those outdoor advertising billboards should be banned. They got a good foothold in Birmingham following WW2 and they served a very useful purpose in covering up the bomb sites. Why is it necessary to put three huge billboards at the back of The Aston Tavern is beyond me. The companies do it because they can. I am not sure who owns the building and the land but they are getting quite a bit for sign rental for those billboards. The whole thing looks ...well, adjectives fail me in this instance....suppose it would be boarding on foul
language but that's what sights like this make me feel like uttering.
 
I think that what is more monstrous is that evil expressway bridge that destroyed or disfigured the whole district, but I hate motorways, especially urban ones.
Peter
 
The sister of a friend of my ex husbands had her wedding reception there in about 1954/55, she married a US serviceman and and a lot of his service mates were guests, and then The Platters arrived and entertained us for a couple of hours. We had a great evening, but even then the pub didn't impress me, rather drab and dusty. I think that was the only time I ever went in there.
 
Yes peter I agree, that motorway helped distroy a lot of Aston's history, there a gate post to Aston Hall in the grounds of the Old Vicarage just over the road from the Aston Tavern.

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I've spent many a happy hour in The Aston Tavern, i think the last gaffers name was Brian Hawthorn, a very likeable lad, and i'm pretty sure i remember the name John Tubb too :)
 
The Aston Tavern how great!! ok so i'm trying to remember here but it was run by a Brian and Margaret Hawthorne early to mid eightees My Mom and Stepdad lived in the flat above and was often left in charge to run it. Dorothy and Frank Perks was the name and I had many a great time in this pub! some of the nights entertainments were (free and easy with Kev on the organ) Fri nights...sunday (Dave Daimond) oh happy days! don't forget the miserable Dobermann Meg that bit everyone (I had her son Ben) loads of characters Bottle up Jerry, Derek Best, Bill the ghost from Aston Hall, lol would love to see pictures if anyone has them? oh yes and the weekends clearing up glass after the match!
 
I remember the Aston Tavern as we lived in Aston Hall Road and later Lichfield road.

I remember a band that played in there for an anniversary I think it was it one bank holiday in June or July of 1980, I think they were from Scotland and the bassist was called Daniel Mclaughlin. Does anyone remember the name of the group or what ever happened to them?

Fiona
 
i used to live just down the road from the aston tavern as a lad the old black and white houses the brewery over the road atkinsons then changed to m & b i remember mr mrs foster were the publicians when i was in aston
 
I used to walk my girl-friend down to Aston Station so she could get the train home to Sutton Coldfield, and we'd usually have a quick drinkie at the Aston Tavern - never the most up-market pub, but a good 'un all the same.

Can someone tell me why I can't open "Attached Thumbnails"?

Big Gee
 
used to go in here with my cousin [who lived in Witton] in 1975, and got known as 'the Barley Wine Queen'
I don't know why as I hated the taste
I was only 16, and rather liked a young man nicknamed 'Polly' [for some reason*], who I remember got rushed to hospital from there one night with alcoholic poisoning :shocked:
*might have been his very long blond hair..well it was the 70's :)
 
I remember the Tenant Brian and his wife Margaret I think they were the last couple to run the Pub, or close to it there during the late 70's up until the early 90's. Not keen on Brian he was a Londoner and a bit of a spiv I always thought. You know the type thought he was a wheeler dealer type, used to deal in antiques etc. One of his stories he used to tell when we were having afters was that he once owned a brown bear which loved apples. He was driving along Soho Road with the bear in a car (I think he ran a pub on Soho road) and the bear started to rip the car apart looking for apples. He said he had to stop outside a grocers shop that had apples on display on the street and grab a tray of apples and throw them into the back of the car to stop the bear destroying the car.

No idea if this story was true, as I said not my sort of bloke, typical Londoner but he always give us the afters so he can't have been all bad !!!!. Left there on many a weekend night at about 3.00am !
 
Photos I took of the Aston Tavern back in January 2010. It was in a bad state when I saw it.

Is right next to the Aston Expressway, behind the Church of St Peter & St Paul.


Aston Tavern - derelict pub on Aston Hall Road in Aston by ell brown, on Flickr


Aston Tavern - derelict pub on Aston Hall Road in Aston by ell brown, on Flickr


Aston Tavern - derelict pub on Aston Hall Road in Aston by ell brown, on Flickr


Aston Tavern - derelict pub on Aston Hall Road in Aston by ell brown, on Flickr

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/271566
 
Its so sad to see it like this always went in for a good pint just before kick off.
Perhaps Randy Lerner could revive it again as its so near to the Villa ground as the Holte looks great now inside and out.
Another pub I used to frequent was the Brittania, as any-one taken any photo's of this great pub (just in case) the inside is grand with all the workmanship that went into it especially the tileing. They always used to allow away fans to drink upstairs in there unlike today when you have to drink miles from the ground. Any-one know the history of these great pubs?
 
I am presuming that the Tavern was once known as the Aston Cross Tavern? Here is an entry in the Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham 1885...

Aston Cross Tavern was opened as a licensed house and tea gardens in 1775, the first landlord, Mr Barron, dying in 1792, his widow keeping it until her death in 1817. Of late years it has been a favourite resort of all classes of athletes, though from being so closely built to it has lost much of the attraction which drew our grandfathers to its shady arbours when on country pleasure bent. The park wall extended to the corner of and along the side of Park Lane, opposite the tavern.

If it was not it is still an interesting piece! All the best Peter
 
Peter this pub is still there but is next to Aston Churchyard. It is all boarded up still. It is on the corner of Aston Hall Road. Been to many a good party and wedding upstairs there. Cheers. Jean.
 
Georgie.This picture shows The Aston Tavern in 1868,the period when your 2xgreat grandfather was landlord.
It is on the right hand side of the road,and i would guess the building that is painted white.moss
 

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chocks2 said:
It's just been pointed out to me that the "Mail" ran a story that the Aston Tavern is to be renovated and re-used. It didn't look like it to me today but maybe I'm wrong.
Hope I am to be honest. I'd love to see the old place open again.
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chocks i wont be far from the pub tomorrow will see what i can find out..

lyn
 
So sad.

This was the last time I saw it back in September 2012



And the area to the left with an old barrier




What is due to be built on this land?
 
ASTON TAVERN FEB 2013 001.JPGASTON TAVERN FEB 2013 004.JPGASTON TAVERN FEB 2013 003.JPGASTON TAVERN FEB 2013 002.JPGyes el the king edward is being demolished and the landlord is moving to the aston tavern where it will be renovovated and extended out at the side and loads of space out back for gardens.....i was down there today talking to some workmen who allowed me to take photos of the back of the pub..its in quite a state now but it should be great when its finished...unless you get close up you wouldnt notice the laid stone that says that there has been a pub on that site since the 1561..few pics from today..scaffolding goes up today at the front of the pub..

lyn
 
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On this occassion, I'm glad to be wrong. I shall look forward to it reopening. I guess the wall they knocked down yesterday was where the extension is going?
 
sistersue61 said:
Thanks Lyn, that's good news for the Tavern, still a shame Eddies is going though, will be interesting to see which fixtures and fittings they remove from there to put in the Tavern as some of the Eddies interior fixtures are heritage listed I think.
Chocks, can see why you thought it was being demolished it really is in a state from these photos.
Sue
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hi sue..the interior of the aston tavern is completely gutted..its basically just a shell inside as everything has been destroyed either by vandals or fire..i was told that every single fitting will be taken from the king edward and bought to aston tavern...maybe the forum could christen the pub with a meet up...actually depending on how long it takes to re open how about a visit to aston park then pop into the pub...:encouragement:

lyn
 
My Dad and I spent many happy hours in this pub in the late 50's, we only lived round the corner in Quens Road, it also has tragic memories, my father was leaving the pub sometime in the 60's and collapsed and died of a heart attack outside, he was only 62, by then I had moved to Erdington and was not with him. Eric
 
Astoness said:
yes el the king edward is being demolished and the landlord is moving to the aston tavern where it will be renovovated and extended out at the side and loads of space out back for gardens.....i was down there today talking to some workmen who allowed me to take photos of the back of the pub..its in quite a state now but it should be great when its finished...unless you get close up you wouldnt notice the laid stone that says that there has been a pub on that site since the 1561..few pics from today..scaffolding goes up today at the front of the pub..

lyn
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The photo of the old King Edward VII looked ok. Couldn't it be rebuilt brick by brick in this area (or moved somewhere like the Black Country Living Museum) rather than knocking it down?
We have lost too many historic Birmingham pubs. Some of the lost ones ended up having a plaque saying "On this site was the such and such pub".
 
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