It was called the 'Blazing Stump' and this was the unofficial name it was known by which originated when a sailor allegedly fel asleep in the bar and his wooden leg accidentially or maliciously ended up int he fire. The proper name was the Swan Hotel. There is a picture of Winston Churchill standing in a car during a wartime visit to the docks and you can see the Swan in the background. In the let 80's early 90's it bcame Bonkers a club/bar. At one stage there was a sign or painting showing the salior wake ning up to his his stmup ablaze.
The way I heard the story was that it was the landlord that had the peg leg & it was a regular thing for him to sit in his seat & poke the fire with his wooden leg & after a few drinks he would fall asleep & his peg leg would catch fire. The pub sign,(I was informed)was "liberated" by the fire brigade & is now in their Wallasey mess room!
Not quite wirral, but shortly after I fetched up on Merseyside I was told of a pub in Liverpool called "The Iron Lung' which did a very good scouse on sundays lunchtimes This was in the 1960s when food in pubs was a rarity. An additional attraction was that a 'sing song' took place.
I had difficulty finding it. It was a nickname, and I think it might actually have been called "The Dukes Crown" or something similar. I recall it being near where the law courts are now - Chavasse park area. The Scouse was very good, but the sing song was much better. One guy played the spoons whilst another removed his shoes and socks and sticking his big toes into his mouth whistled a sort of embroidered descant to the melody. I has difficulty staying in my seat I was laughing so much.
Anyone else recall this admirable establishment? No wonder pubs are closing these days. They don't make them like that any more!
can the grapes in the index be linked to the other name somehow ie click on grapes in index which takes you to the old colonial thread. Its a shame as the grapes has been around many many more years,a very old pub with some history
Thats a good idea. But the discussions that we have had on the Old Colonial thread have been about the time when the pub was called the Grapes. So the thread on the Grapes will not have the discussions that we have already had on the origional forum
