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the beehive pub soho hill

Glad you like it! Late fifties probably does make it the Beehive. It was their 2nd M&B house and they worked hard on improving it. Customers didn't mix. English in one bar, Irish in another, Indians didn't mix with either of them. In the Club room, upstairs, were the West Indians (if you asked my mum she would have said they were her favourite group as they were always cheerful, had huge respect for her and caused little trouble). They told her they liked to eat goat - so she went to the local butcher and got some. She curried it, selling it as 'curried kid' sandwiches. Along with her pies, faggots and peas, these went down a storm!
it was very popular and they were 'rising stars'. Their next move had been identified as the New Inns.
One day the Area Manager came along and asked Dad to complete a disability form (Dad had webbed hands and had lost the top joint on two fingers on his right hand. He had served in the Inniskillins during the war and risen to be CQMS so did not want a 'disabled' label). He was a quiet man and was upset. Mother was incensed. She punched the Area Manager and he went from one end of the bar to the other and they moved to Ansells (bottom of the ladder again!).
 
macqueen said:
Any old photo? - here is one. I can't verify which pub but it definitely isn't the Navvie or the Free House (layout is wrong). It might be the Beehive or the Ivy Green. I have given a list of the relevant pubs. Dad also 'relieved' many of the pubs between the City Centre and Dudley for Dares, Ansells and M&B in his time.
I come from a long history of local licensees and one day I hope to find time to start to pull the info together.
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Wow! A great pic!!
 
macqueen said:
Glad you like it! Late fifties probably does make it the Beehive. It was their 2nd M&B house and they worked hard on improving it. Customers didn't mix. English in one bar, Irish in another, Indians didn't mix with either of them. In the Club room, upstairs, were the West Indians (if you asked my mum she would have said they were her favourite group as they were always cheerful, had huge respect for her and caused little trouble). They told her they liked to eat goat - so she went to the local butcher and got some. She curried it, selling it as 'curried kid' sandwiches. Along with her pies, faggots and peas, these went down a storm!
it was very popular and they were 'rising stars'. Their next move had been identified as the New Inns.
One day the Area Manager came along and asked Dad to complete a disability form (Dad had webbed hands and had lost the top joint on two fingers on his right hand. He had served in the Inniskillins during the war and risen to be CQMS so did not want a 'disabled' label). He was a quiet man and was upset. Mother was incensed. She punched the Area Manager and he went from one end of the bar to the other and they moved to Ansells (bottom of the ladder again!).
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Priceless story - thanks for sharing
 
macqueen said:
Glad you like it! Late fifties probably does make it the Beehive. It was their 2nd M&B house and they worked hard on improving it. Customers didn't mix. English in one bar, Irish in another, Indians didn't mix with either of them. In the Club room, upstairs, were the West Indians (if you asked my mum she would have said they were her favourite group as they were always cheerful, had huge respect for her and caused little trouble). They told her they liked to eat goat - so she went to the local butcher and got some. She curried it, selling it as 'curried kid' sandwiches. Along with her pies, faggots and peas, these went down a storm!
it was very popular and they were 'rising stars'. Their next move had been identified as the New Inns.
One day the Area Manager came along and asked Dad to complete a disability form (Dad had webbed hands and had lost the top joint on two fingers on his right hand. He had served in the Inniskillins during the war and risen to be CQMS so did not want a 'disabled' label). He was a quiet man and was upset. Mother was incensed. She punched the Area Manager and he went from one end of the bar to the other and they moved to Ansells (bottom of the ladder again!).
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wonderful memories dawn...it is memories like this that help to keep the history of our pubs alive..thank you

lyn
 
The picture of DAWN`S parents looks to have been taken with them behind the left side of the bar if you were facing it. To the left of the photo, shielded by the curtain used to be a door with a serving hatch for the "gentlemens only smoking room", in the 1950`s. In post #110 JUDY mentions Mrs. Pope as licensee of the Beehive. Here is a photo of her, taken in that gentlemens only room in 1953, when she was the only woman allowed in there. In post #112 DAWN mentioned the garden. The second photo of Mrs. Pope is taken with a customer in the yard at the back, which shows part of the garden as it was in 1953.
Allan.
 

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allanbrum said:
The picture of DAWN`S parents looks to have been taken with them behind the left side of the bar if you were facing it. To the left of the photo, shielded by the curtain used to be a door with a serving hatch for the "gentlemens only smoking room", in the 1950`s. In post #110 JUDY mentions Mrs. Pope as licensee of the Beehive. Here is a photo of her, taken in that gentlemens only room in 1953, when she was the only woman allowed in there. In post #112 DAWN mentioned the garden. The second photo of Mrs. Pope is taken with a customer in the yard at the back, which shows part of the garden as it was in 1953.
Allan.
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Great photos Allan. Was that Dennisons wall at the side/back of the garden? I can remember an entry through the double gates at the side of the Beehive that led to a terrace of houses, and then through to Terrace Road. My Dad would have known Mrs and Mrs Pope well as he was a regular when they ran the pub as you know.
 
allanbrum said:
The picture of DAWN`S parents looks to have been taken with them behind the left side of the bar if you were facing it. To the left of the photo, shielded by the curtain used to be a door with a serving hatch for the "gentlemens only smoking room", in the 1950`s. In post #110 JUDY mentions Mrs. Pope as licensee of the Beehive. Here is a photo of her, taken in that gentlemens only room in 1953, when she was the only woman allowed in there. In post #112 DAWN mentioned the garden. The second photo of Mrs. Pope is taken with a customer in the yard at the back, which shows part of the garden as it was in 1953.
Allan.
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Wow! what pics. The bloke on the left looks like he's lost a ten bob note down the back of the bench seat .. or, Mrs. Pope is supping his ale!
 
Hello JUDY and LYN, you are both right in that the lighter wall with the columns is the Dennison Watch Case Co., while the lower wall with the white gate is the boundary wall of the Beehive. Between the two was the passageway which passed a small row of houses to the right, then through an entry with a house either side and onto Terrace road. Allan
 
allanbrum said:
Hello JUDY and LYN, you are both right in that the lighter wall with the columns is the Dennison Watch Case Co., while the lower wall with the white gate is the boundary wall of the Beehive. Between the two was the passageway which passed a small row of houses to the right, then through an entry with a house either side and onto Terrace road. Allan
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Thanks Allan. Walked through that passageway many times as a teenager!
 
Thanks very much for posting all the pics. Just found a reference showing my great great grandfather, James Dempster Short, as publican at the Beehive in 1900 followed in 1901 at the Aston Tavern. Seems he got around.
 

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Kellys directories show (remembering that date is publication date and probably refers to year before):

1896 , 1897. James Short. Ivy House pub 56 Soho Road.
1899 No James Short is listed. Ivy House listed as William Butler & Co Ltd, which might mean that brewery has bought the pub and installed a manager
1900 James Dempster Short, Beehive pub, 198 Soho Hill
1903 James Dempster Short, Aston Tavern, Aston lane
1904 No James Short listed

Don't know if the James and James Dempster are the same person, but pubs are not very far apart and neither are listed at the same time
 
allanbrum said:
Re: The "Beehive" revisited

Hello, I am a new member of the site and noticed there had been some posts about the "Beehive" pub on Soho Hill. I lived there from approx. 1948 to 1955 and was pleasantly surprised to find that other people were disappointed about it`s current state. I have attached a copy of a photo that would have been taken in the early 1950`s showing a number of customers just before they went for a frequently organised Sunday morning coach ride, out into the countryside to visit another pub or probably two. My Father, the licensee, is the person 9th from the left. Regretably now although many of the faces are familiar I can only name the two on the far left of the group. Allanbrum.


unable to replace personal photo
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Good morning. I hope you are well. I do not seem to see the photo, is it no longer available for viewing? Have a great day
 
History101 said:
Can I ask who the man is in this photo, is he a customer?
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he could be or he could be the landlord at the time the photo was taken...some photos were lost then the forum was hacked in 2011 however if the original posters are still members and spot this post they maybe able to re post them

lyn
 
Astoness said:
he could be or he could be the landlord at the time the photo was taken...some photos were lost then the forum was hacked in 2011 however if the original posters are still members and spot this post they maybe able to re post them

lyn
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Referring to post 137, a copy of the same photo can be seen in posts 67 and 69. Allan
 
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