The Borough



Our boy used to put bands on upstairs there on a Friday (think it would have been about 2007ish) for a cut of the upstairs bar takings. He would put anyone on and the bar would make money.

He'd sit and get pissed all night then spend the money he'd made in town when he finished. Circular economy.

Seen a few decent bands upstairs, canny little room.
 
There was a video screen downstairs, remember one Saturday the barmaid going off it as the Pistols were on constantly but none of us had put a penny in the video jukebox, there was a us half a dozen punks round the pool table & the usual old trampy dossiers in? Prior to that the old jukebox would regularly be on house of the rising sun, someone boot the jukebox ffs
 
Yep. Blandford had one around 83-84. Used to get upstairs in the borough back then anarl but can't remember it.

The screen was at the side of and above the stairs as you walked up.

I didn't get upstairs in The Blandford much but I remember the screen and juke box.

My Borough story. I was upstairs one Xmas Eve afternoon, either 1984 or '85 (I would have been very late teens) and a fight broke out. Nothing unusual in that or in the Bee Hive of course.

We finished our beers and were walking down the stairs when half a dozen or so coppers came charging up. One of them punched me squarely in the plums as he passed by. It took me a couple of minutes to get my breath back and we spilled into the street. I was both pissed and pissed off so when I saw a group of coppers outside having a bit of a chin wag I walked over and said, which one of you bastards punched me in the balls?

There was silence, a double take moment from them and me then one of them tried to grab me but I pulled away and legged it over the road and down the back lane at the side of the Beehive. I had a copper about 15 yards behind me shouting, you might as well give in, I'll catch you. A bit adrenaline doesn't half sober you up and as a former Broadway school midfielder and 1500 meter record holder he had no f***ing chance of catching me :)

I ran up past Mowbray Park, through the civvy car park and jumped on a bus in Park Lane. My then GF's Ma was on the bus and I sat next to her trying my best to appear sober.

I vomitted all over the shop when I got home. The half a mile sprint with several beers aboard had caught up with me.
 
I was in on Satda night after the Boro game, had no idea it was closing down. Had a bit bounce around to the jukey, still a top boozer in my eyes. Been going in now and again for best part of 40 years and always looks the same. Would like to think they'd still retain some of the character but tbh it'll not happen, it'll be another plastic bar type of shite.
 
More beer lines.

The screen was at the side of and above the stairs as you walked up.

I didn't get upstairs in The Blandford much but I remember the screen and juke box.

My Borough story. I was in upstairs one Xmas Eve afternoon, either 1984 or '85 (I would have been very late teens) and a fight broke out. Nothing unusual in that or in the Bee Hive of course.

We finished our beers and were walking down the stairs when half a dozen or so coppers came charging up the stairs. One of them punched me squarely in the plums as he passed by. It took me a couple of minutes to get my breath back and we spilled into the street. I was both pissed and pissed off so when I saw a group of coppers outside having a bit of a chin wag I walked over and said, which one of you bastards punched me in the balls?

There was silence, a double take moment from them and me then one of them tried to grab me but I pulled away and legged it over the road and down the back lane at the side of the Beehive. I had a copper about 15 yards behind me shouting, you might as well give in, I'll catch you. A bit adrenaline doesn't half sober you up and as a former Broadway school midfielder and 1500 meter record holder he had no f***ing chance of catching me :)

I ran past Mowbray Park, through the civvy car park and jumped on a bus in Park Lane. My then GF's Ma was on the bus and I sat next to her trying my best to appear sober.

I vomitted all over the shop when I got home. The half a mile sprint with several beers aboard had caught up with me.
Never mind TLDR get it read!

Quality piece that Keith. You are quickly becoming one of the best posters on the forum.
 
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What's a sweaty? Like 'Oasisy' people?
I'm guessing chunky bearded people with lots of layered clothing with a slight greasy sheen to their complexion, also the goth rock version

Second pub in the town I ever went in (the upstairs bit when it had a weekend disco on). Upstairs in the Beehive (my 1st) and the Blandford were also weekend hangouts.
Aye oldies downstairs in all
Dun cow as well

Nah, black heavy metal t shirts, long greasy hair, b.o., drink diesel, play air guitar, older ones build kit cars/talk about american muscle cars, bad footwear.
Typical guns n roses fan really
Missed Foals lookalikes
 
Bars always been where it was, just the front bit though, the old front door was on the corner facing the beehive, the back door & stairs didn't used to be there, the original stairs went up behind the bar , the backroom had a fireplace of sorts, never saw it lit & a pool table, had a bay window at the back, changed to the present layout when Vaux did it out in 85, then barred all the punks who drank in there when it reopened. I helped put gigs on upstairs on a Thursday nights for 3 months before it shut down, first bands to play the Borough iirc.
Remember all that ,though they had a door into back room though ?

The screen was at the side of and above the stairs as you walked up.

I didn't get upstairs in The Blandford much but I remember the screen and juke box.

My Borough story. I was upstairs one Xmas Eve afternoon, either 1984 or '85 (I would have been very late teens) and a fight broke out. Nothing unusual in that or in the Bee Hive of course.

We finished our beers and were walking down the stairs when half a dozen or so coppers came charging up. One of them punched me squarely in the plums as he passed by. It took me a couple of minutes to get my breath back and we spilled into the street. I was both pissed and pissed off so when I saw a group of coppers outside having a bit of a chin wag I walked over and said, which one of you bastards punched me in the balls?

There was silence, a double take moment from them and me then one of them tried to grab me but I pulled away and legged it over the road and down the back lane at the side of the Beehive. I had a copper about 15 yards behind me shouting, you might as well give in, I'll catch you. A bit adrenaline doesn't half sober you up and as a former Broadway school midfielder and 1500 meter record holder he had no f***ing chance of catching me :)

I ran past Mowbray Park, through the civvy car park and jumped on a bus in Park Lane. My then GF's Ma was on the bus and I sat next to her trying my best to appear sober.

I vomitted all over the shop when I got home. The half a mile sprint with several beers aboard had caught up with me.
Your sense of direction not up the standards of your fitness
 
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Used to love it when growing up, but has been neglected for years, so gradually stopped going in, to the point I can’t remember last time I went in.

Will probably go into a tidied up borough.


Probably what the owners want to hear tbh
 
Your sense of direction not up the standards of your fitness

Considering I'd had a skinful I thought it was top thinking on my feet in hindsight. As I ran past the Bee Hive along Crowtree Road I remember the shoppers / drinkers cheering me on :)

That back lane comes out at the very bottom of Blandford Street. From there I can't remember exactly which way I ran, either right or over by the station taxi rank but I obviously ended up on Holmeside near where Yates is now. Hang right up Burden Road, past Mowbray Park on the left and took a right into the civvy disco.
 

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