big crown, next to joe morts
 

in my younger years a thousand years ago,(or seems that) i used to frequent a few accy pubs but one that really stuck out was the big crown, it was next to railway bridge,opposite side of bridge to gibsons sports shop, frank monahan, was the land lord and stood no messing, with his huge shelaleagh, behind the bar he wasnt frightened of useing it either,if any trouble prevailed,the regulars was mostly of irish decent or wanted to be , i think at that time a lot of the black stuff was drank, guiness, one guy really stuck out his nickname was bruno, i beleave he was an electrician by trade, but road digging was his money earner,

can any one rember
around the same time, alex higgins was a regular, when frank would let him in,

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

Remember Frank well, Bumped into his daughter Pat in Morecambe a good few years ago, Bruno croaked a few years back, When Higgins was goin in yon,he was living wi me mate @ me. Johnny Fritz, Scotch Bob, Cyl, Jimmy Mcgogh, n others i can't bring to mind all went in in those days.

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

Bruno wired a ring main in a kitchen for me.
I bought all the wires and sockets and had to collect him from his home and deliver him back.

Before work there was always a detour via the selling out shop (to stop his hands shaking), and when I watched him wire it up live to the mains I was praying!

During those few days he told me a lot about his rather hair raising past life.
A likeable rogue.

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

He was actually a good sparks Margaret, understand yer concern though, He was also a good geezer in my book.:)

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

bruno was ok he rewired a house for me in annie street, donkeys years ago,jimmy and john fitz went to school at rhy ddings when i did, jimmy was in same class for a while,
jimmy mcgogh lived on higher antley street when i knew him, was scotch bob a bricky??
there was a scotch bob worked with bill berry, bill was always a decent bricky, i used to go sea fishing with bill with a fishing club from accy, i should imagine some time in our past, (cashman) our paths have crossed. bruno was the guy scottish by birth but wanted to be irish.

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

Bruno was from Kirkintilloch

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

Scotch Bob's real name was Robert Burns Dickie and he lived longest amongst the Scottish 'lads' - he died last year

Mr Robert Burns Dickie | Accrington Observer - menmedia.co.uk

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

i seem to remember a bob slimish guy, maybe thinning hair, i have just looked at the observer, yes i remember him, he died on my birthday, george kennedy, was another of the gang

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

I think my time in the Crown was a little while before you - mid, late '50s. Closest pub to Mort's:D

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

George Kennedy is gone also, am friendly n still see his ex wife, from when they lived on Hyndburn Rd.;)

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

he lived on the estate what was off whalley road, when he worked on the old tar, with me jimmy fitz, and a guy nicknamed carrot, used to drive for me,tarmac was £6-10s a ton then its about £120-00 a ton now, they was good days, and good lads the crown was our local, i then moved back over to sunny nelson,

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

Would carrot be either Docker or Donny?

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

not sure it was a long time ago, docker rings a bell, the wagon i bought off john fitz was an old ironfields tk, but was a ten tonner, carrot had a heavy goods licence and did drive for a living at that time, if that helps, and of course red hair, hence carrot, but my sister saw him not so long ago,in a pub around the back of the old stanley ground --jaz club, cant remember the name of it, so he is still about,

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

That would be the Peel Park a top pub, Docker n Donny both had red hair n mated together, aint seen docker fer years, but donnys still knocking about, when he aint working away,his real name was Donald Holden, has a older sis called Pat who was hairdresser, also i know he used to have a flat wagon. so who knows?:confused:

Re: big crown, next to joe morts
 

yes it was the peel park dont know if its age creeping up or the fact i have been away from your area so long, i will have to ask my sis, she maybe knows his nickname or real name for that matter,