Remember it very well Houch - used to live there! My parents ran it for about 18 months until they split up, early/mid 70's before it got got torched and changed to the 3 Spires. Must have been between 73' and 75' as I recall being shit scared when the pub bombings were going on, plus having a ventriloquist doll in a tartan cap and kilt which my dad put on the bar when the World Cup was on.
But yes, it was a real fun pub with its themed bars. I used to love playing in the Last Chance, which as you know was supposed to be a yank frontier street front, climbing onto the balcony where the two "dummies" sat in chairs .... or having shootouts with the Winchester Rifels and Colt 45 replicas that were in the "gunsmiths" shop window. My more vivid memories were the JVDCMAS - "Jules Verne Drinking Club and Music Appreciation Society", which basically was a Monday night excuse the locals to have a good piss up, accompanied by a guitarist (Ron Grace??) and a drummer to belt out a few numbers, always ending with "House of the Rising Sun". Or the front bar (the Pukka Sharib I think?) full of off duty CID having lock ins.
Got burgled one night, police believe the robbers hid in/above the "railway carriages" in the Balloon & Basket bar then did the fruit machines before legging it through the fire exits.
BTW, I do recall our assistant manager who was there for about 12 months of our stay. Daft as it sound I remember his wife's name (Cathy) but can't remember his. He was Scottish and left, I don't know the reason as I was only a kid, but I do remember my dad (Dave) saying xxxxx is leaving and I cried my eyes out, he was a real good bloke and always had time for me.
I don't know it's name sign has gone
