The Ratpan

[Catkin]

He was good looker Charlie, we had the shop next door to his house and on the other side the was the Billards hall...Cat

 

[Astoness]

hi all. just a little posser for you but i bet someone out there will know the answer. i was told the other day why the upper grounds was knicknamed the ratpan. can anyone give me the answer. the clues are there wales.

 

[BobS]

I don't know why it was called the ratpan but I used it quite often as I lived in Endicott Road for a couple of years and always found it quite a nice pub(except on match days,of course)!BobS.

 

[Big Gee]

hi all. just a little posser for you but i bet someone out there will know the answer. i was told the other day why the upper grounds was knicknamed the ratpan. can anyone give me the answer. the clues are there wales.

I know.

And what's a "posser"?

Big Gee

 

[G G Jean]

Big Gee I think that is a typographical error?. Can't find it in my dictionary either. I'm finding these days I'm doing exactly the same. I miss letters out and put some in where they shouldn't be all the time. Bye. Jean.

 

[Alf]

Here it is a posser
https://www.objectlessons.org/index...y_id=9&component_id=64&component_type=feature

Poser

One who, or that which, puzzles; a difficult or inexplicable question or fact

 

[Astoness]

hi all. i think i should have put poser. i typed one to many peas ha ha. anyway the story i was given (maybe just a mythe) is that years ago in the back yard of the pub they used to fill a big deep pan type vessel with water. throw in the rats and make bets on which one survived the longest. wales.

 

[johndavies]

Now that I hve discovered how to post photos on this site thought any of you Ratpan historians may be interested in seeing the attached. Both are from the mid 50s when my dad worked as a part time barman there. The first is self explanatory, the second he told me was from a new years eve celebration there.Dad is first left in both photos. His friend in the second photo like dad was in the parachute regiment through the war and were in the TA at Witton. Both jumped at the Battle of Arnhem. Does anyone recognise any faces, alas most are dead now.

 

[Astoness]

john. great photos. like you it took me ages ot figure out posting pics now i cant stop lol. any way keep em coming. if you are interested in old shots of trinity road let me know and i will try and find some for you. wales.

 

[johndavies]

john. great photos. like you it took me ages ot figure out posting pics now i cant stop lol. any way keep em coming. if you are interested in old shots of trinity road let me know and i will try and find some for you. wales.

That would be so kind of you. I have tried researching Trinity road without success. Thank you. And yes, i will keep the photos coming.

 

[Astoness]

hi john will look out for pics for you. do you know if your family were at trinity road in 1920 as if you go to the astonbrook through astonmanor site you can download the names of tenents living there for there in 1920 wales

 

[sylviasayers]

Great photos John, did you notice the handlebar moustache on the chap sitting down on the second photo - could compete with Jimmy Edwards!!!

 

[Mossy]

Sylvia the man with the handlebar moustache is in fancy dressMossy

 

[johndavies]

hi john will look out for pics for you. do you know if your family were at trinity road in 1920 as if you go to the astonbrook through astonmanor site you can download the names of tenents living there for there in 1920 wales

thanks wales. I will look on the site you mention. My mother and father only moved into trinity road after their marriage in 1950. Look forward to the photos if you can find them.

 

[Astoness]

im on the case john. wales.

 

[sylviasayers]

Mossy I've just had another look, the moustache man is wearing a suit and tie, not fancy dress, unless he is just wearing a false moustache.

 

[Aston John]

The Rat Pan had a snooker table upstairs i can recall playing on it once and a friend of mine repaired some of the floorboards in the billiard room.

 

[johndavies]

Passed the Ratpan yesterday, boarded up and looking very sad. I hope this is not the demise of yet another Birmingham pub. Must take some photographs in case the closure is due to demolition rather than renovation.

 

[villajk]

I can report that some refurbishment is going on at the Ratpan. They have put a new roof on it and it is being gutted out. You can see work going on around the back. Whether it will be a pub again remains to be seen but something is happening over there.

 

[mrspooner]

I used to drink there woth my old man until we left Aston in 1984, used to find it amusing being a Bluenose that on matchday at Villa Park the landlord would lock the doors and only allow regulars in, he had a "No Football Fan" policy.