Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Pubs Past & Present 35 Bedford Hotel

Photo taken 19th September 2009

my uncle and auntie had this pub in the sixties....Tim and May Donnelly...the living quarters were huge and the cellar was vast leading into a big back garden...they had a boilerman/gardener and summers spent there were brill.... known locally as "Luke Lee's"

Thanks for sharing.

Does anyone remember on a TV series, Joe McGann saying something like ...

"there's a pub back home called Luke Lees, but no-one knows why"

I always think the show was "The Upper Hand" but it might have been the detective series he appeared in after that (RockCliffe's Babies?).

These days a lot of people refer to it as "The Luke's", the reason for the name BTW is that the original landlord was called Luke Lee.

Another claim to fame (or infamy) was the mention in a book written by a Merseyside copper about the long term surveillance operations and subsequent drug bust.

Luke Lees was the owner more than 100 years ago would you believe! The name
has stuck all that time . He was Mayor of Birkenhead around about 1900 and
Lees Avenue just around the corner from the pub is named after him.

my mother-in-law worked there in 1968.

Someone once told me the Central Hotel was built by Luke Lee for his wife

There is a famous story about Luke Lees' pool table being stolen-during opening hours!!! Not sure whether this is true-but if it is, fair play to the robbers for showing such initiative! They should apply for special ops!!

my dad lives in lees av and when he visited today i mentioned about this thread and he has the deeds to the house luke lee used to live in which was 6 egerton park

i remember as a child we were told to walk on the other side of the road when passing lukes as its still known,because you neve knew what would come through the window next,my friend anne is the boss now and i hope it stays open ,such history

A bit of info on Luke Lees
clicky