Chester Pubs – My Favourites

Following on from my “Pubs In Chester – Good Time Bad Times” post a few weeks ago, I thought I’d chip in with an article on Chester pubs – my favourites. To a large extent this will also mean taking trips down Memory Lane. Especially so in the case of this first post on the theme of my favourite Chester pubs. The first pub I am going to discuss is the Golden Eagle. In fact thinking about it, I will make this Golden Eagle a two part post.

Chester Pubs – My Favourites

Chester Pubs – PS, I know it’s not The Eagle but I don’t have a photo of The Eagle.

I must say this post will be predominantly about the Golden Eagle in years gone by. More specifically during the period from about late 70’s to 1986. And even more specifically during the period 1982 to 1986 within that spell.

What was so special about that period? Well, let’s begin with the period of late 70’s to 1982. Apologies for the vagueness of the earlier date being ‘late 70’s’ – I can’t remember if it was 1977, 1978 or 1979 when Mike and Anne Simms were in their pomp. Maybe Garry can help me out here?

Mike and Anne Simms

So, in part one of this Golden Eagle two part post we’ll have a look at the period from late 70’s to 1982.

I don’t know about you but one of the big reasons that used to be a big factor in drawing to a pub ‘back in the day’ was the landlord, landlady and staff. Not so much nowadays it seems. But most certainly it was back then. Mike and Anne certainly ticked all the boxes for reasons to pop in for a quick shandy or two as a result of their expert stewardship. Friendly, affable, served great beer, good atmosphere, great bar staff…..and patient. They had to be to accommodate some of the characters in the Eagle in those days.

Talking of some of the characters in those days……

The Boys Pen

Some of you may remember the section just below the stairs immediately on the right when you walked in. A crowd of angelic, ‘butter wouldn’t melt’, choir boy-esque, clean living lads used to congregate in that area. Most of them played footie and also had a healthy interest in footie generally. Back in the days of football terracing, some football grounds had sections of the ground sectioned off for younger fans. They were called Boys Pens. Hence the name for the Eagle’s very own “Boys Pen”.

It started off during Mike and Anne’s era and steadily grew in numbers over the years. There were some right characters in the “Pen”. Great camaraderie, great laughs. And most importantly some great friendships developed in the “Pen”.

Other Sectioned Areas

And believe me some of the characters in the Eagle in those days should have been sectioned!! Only kidding…..they all should have been!!

The Boys Pen wasn’t the only section in the pub though. As a spin off from the “Pen” other names where other crowds congregated emerged. Behind the “Pen” up on the raised floor was The Stage. As the generation we are talking about was a pre-mobile phone era, punters relied on pay phones. The pay phone in the Eagle was over by the ladies toilets over to the left of the bar.

So, more often than not, when the pub was busy, the phone was answered by one of a crowd of young lads and lasses (admirably marshalled and kept in check by Gary Horton by the way!!!) enjoying a tonic water over in that corner. Hence that crowd of punters were called The Office.

Elder Statesmen

Every pub, not only Chester pubs of course, has their own fair quota of, let’s say, more mature regulars. As did the Golden Eagle. So, over to the right of the bar, on the way to the gents toilets, was the area populated by the older regulars. Coyle Marl, Dennis ‘Carpets’, Johnny Wallo, Ted, to name just a few were regulars in that corner. I’m not sure why but we called this great crowd of fellas The Cage.

And Of Course There Were Others

As the headline says, there were other regulars in the pub that did not specifically sit or stand in any of the specific sections mentioned above. For instance there was a crowd we called Sid. They did not congregate in any particular area but quite often they did come in their numbers and integrated themselves with all other punters.

I think the attraction for Sid members was not only the ambience and atmosphere of the pub. It was also because of the close proximity to their place of work. As the main police headquarters were only about 200 yards away it was so easy for the CID to pop into the Eagle after (or was it during???) a shift.

As far as Chester pubs go, the Golden Eagle was up there with the best. If not the best. Mike and Anne Simms played their part in a massive way. I haven’t seen them for a while. I wonder how they are? Hope they and their children are all well.

Part Two….To Follow!!!

I hope the above helps to paint a picture of how Chester pubs were ‘back in the day’. In part two of my Golden Eagle post I will cover the period from 1982 to 1986 when a certain landlord from Liverpool called John Morgan took over the pub.

Was this period any different to the late 70’s to 1982 period? Hmmm….let me think!! As many punters refer to that era (myself included) as the “Endurance Test” era, it did take Chester pubs social life to a new level.

Good!!! Good!!! It was absolutely………To Be Continued!!!

Chester Lifestyle

I hope you like my Chester Lifestyle website. If you are after more information about the website and Chester in general, have a look at this link HERE.

Things To Do In Chester

As those of us who live in Chester, we are well aware there is always plenty of things to do in Chester. And there is plenty. Including of course visiting some of the many pubs and restaurants we have in our city. Here’s a link for some ideas of things to do in Chester HERE.

By the way, if you didn’t read my original “Pubs In Chester – Good Times Bad Times” post – firstly, why didn’t you!!! Secondly, you can read it HERE.

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