Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Pubs Past & Present The Railway

The Railway pub in Victoria Rd, New Brighton is up for sale. Not sure if it is actually already closed as only noticed sign as aI drove past.

My sister and her partner from Kent were visiting and he commented on how unusual it was that three pubs in close proximity could survive.Looks like that could be coming to an end.

Have just been past again and it is still open.

I worked there as a barman in 1971. The building dates from 1956 but the cellars are much older probably mid Victorian. There was a small room in the cellar about the size of an outside toilet. It had a wooden door which was always shut. The then landlord Tom McCabe decided to see what was in it. We found a couple of tea chests full of straw which was so old it was set like concrete. He told me to take them upstairs and put them by nthe bins. They were quite heavy so I decided to see what was in them. I dug about and found a hald pint handle glass. It was like the dimple ones but instead of dimples it had a pattern made mof hexagons. I dug deeper and found more glasses. I called Tom and we unearthed dozens of pints and half pints all stamped George V. They had obviously been stored there and forgotten about and even survived the rebuilding of the pub. We cleaned them up with difficulty and they were used in the bar and lounge. Tom gave some to customers and others helped themselves so before long the dozens were reduced to about a dozen. Probably some will still exist in houses around New Brighton or charity shops.

Jimmy Tarbuck's father Freddy used to drink in the lounge.

I bought a flat from Tarby's sister in Montpelier Crescent!

I knew his mum too in the bingo in borough road

She lived in Warren Drive and sold secondhand clothes from there. Lovely lady.

I used to see Jimmy as a kid driving his RR silver Cloud on New Brighton prom. He sold that to Des O'Connell who mstill has it as he gives nothing away!