Bert's right. If you're "on the brew", you are on the dole. I think it's a term just used in the North of England. Could be wrong. Never hear the phrase used up here in Haggisville!
I was wondering how Market St got its name, Skid Row, well its an Northern American term for a run down or a dilapidated urban area with a large impoverished population.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
The Letters was on the corner of St Mary's gate and Chester Street. the Birkenhead Arms was directly opposit the Letters as you walked round the corner of Chester Street and headed towards the top of tunnel road and on towards town. this was before the tunnel entrance area was altered. there use to be a Zebra crossing at the top of chester street so you could stagger out of the letters and across the road into the Birkenhead arms with out getting run over. happy days {late 1950s}
Ships that pass in the night, seldom seen and soon forgoten
15 Adelphi Street (on the corner of Market Street) was the "New Inn" in 1950s
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
90 Kossuth Hotel 18 Chester Street must be the building in between 89 Worsley Arms [Queens Arms (Cuckoo)] 16 Chester Street 16 1 Bridge Street and 91 Dispensary [Hamlet] 20 Chester Street next to the police station
On the list i have, The Letters has bracketed next to it 6 day house which i assume it was probably shut on a Sunday because of religious grounds,the same as some of the pubs in Wales. when i started drinking i don't recall pubs being closed on Sundays, though they did have fewer opening hours.
Last edited by bert1; 1st Mar 200912:23am.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Certainly was - Globe Inn - 22 Market Street, Birkenhead
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Been doing a bit of research about "the brew". Haven't found its origin, but many references to its use in Scotland & Northern Ireland as well as England. Also spelled "bru" & "burroo"
From "Understanding the Scottish language"
Brew: Dole: The Brew or the Dole office is the unemployment office in Scotland. When people become unemployed in Scotland, they go to the Brew to sign on as unemployed. Because the people Britain pay National Insurance to the Government in case they become unemployed, they have to sign on at the Brew or Dole to get benefits.
