Looking Back at the Old Oxford days

MalaysiaYellow

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Having lived in Asia for 15 years and "left" Oxford before that, I started thinking of Oxford when I was young. So felt it would be good who lived in Oxford among us to share some memories.

Things like, which school did you go to and when/era?
Which pubs did you drink in when you were just legal to drink?
Which area of Oxford did you live?
And any other Oxford related memories and stories.

I will share the first one. The first pub I ever got served in was The Dewdrop in Summertown when I was 16. We dressed up, the Landlord "Barry" am sure he knew we were underage, but as we had made the effort, served us.
 
First pub served in was The Nelson (Cowley), aged 15.

I asked for a light and bitter to make me sound more grown up.
Ah yes, I remember The Nelson. It was on the corner wasn't it? Had good fruit machines from memory
 
Basics -
Born in Old High St, few doors down from the Bell.
Grandparents lived in Larkins Lane, great-grand parents next door but one.
Moved to Grays Road in `68, pre-school at St Andrews Church hall, escaped once, then infants/juniors on Margaret Road and onto Cheney for O levels & CSE`s.
Apprenticeship at Peters butchers just up from Walkers furniture later Ritz video!
Then moved to work at Gateways in Wheatley and enjoyed many long lunches in the Plough with Keith the landlord until flying the nest to Essex with the former MrsEY(Mk1).

Pubs -
A long and chequered history of the pubs around Headington as everyone knew everyone back then! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
The first place to get a pint at 15 ish, and far enough away not to be known, was the James St Tavern in Cowley.
After that a regular of many watering holes ...... The Bell, Black Boy, White Hart, through Devils alley to the White Horse.
Sometimes back up to the Britt, Standard, Butchers or down into town on a weekend. Plasterers, Port Mahon, Cape of No Hope, Oranges & Lemons (Angel & Greyhound as is now) etc.

Work -
Football started around the same time as work, 79/80 or so....... we closed half days when there were home games at the Manor.
Quick pint at the Standard then up the drive to the LRT and into the supporters club after.
I vaguely remember Jim P running it in the later years (90`s or later?) who I knew from the bakery at Gateways!
Served loads of players and other well-known Oxonians over the years.

Halcyon days......
 
Grew up in Woodfarm, went to Oxford boys 92-95, drank in the Crown and thistle in Woodfarm (still there but not open sadly), the White horse in Headington then onto Fifth Avenue in the west gate as a young teenager as they were the only places I knew would let me and my mates in at 16/17.
 
Basics -
Born in Old High St, few doors down from the Bell.
Grandparents lived in Larkins Lane, great-grand parents next door but one.
Moved to Grays Road in `68, pre-school at St Andrews Church hall, escaped once, then infants/juniors on Margaret Road and onto Cheney for O levels & CSE`s.
Apprenticeship at Peters butchers just up from Walkers furniture later Ritz video!
Then moved to work at Gateways in Wheatley and enjoyed many long lunches in the Plough with Keith the landlord until flying the nest to Essex with the former MrsEY(Mk1).

Pubs -
A long and chequered history of the pubs around Headington as everyone knew everyone back then! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
The first place to get a pint at 15 ish, and far enough away not to be known, was the James St Tavern in Cowley.
After that a regular of many watering holes ...... The Bell, Black Boy, White Hart, through Devils alley to the White Horse.
Sometimes back up to the Britt, Standard, Butchers or down into town on a weekend. Plasterers, Port Mahon, Cape of No Hope, Oranges & Lemons (Angel & Greyhound as is now) etc.

Work -
Football started around the same time as work, 79/80 or so....... we closed half days when there were home games at the Manor.
Quick pint at the Standard then up the drive to the LRT and into the supporters club after.
I vaguely remember Jim P running it in the later years (90`s or later?) who I knew from the bakery at Gateways!
Served loads of players and other well-known Oxonians over the years.

Halcyon days......
Was the Bell on the way up to the white hart if you were walking up from the London Road? Very vague memories of being refused a pint for being underaged in a pub with a pool table up that way, was closed by the time I was legal, that’s 25 years ago so it’s been shut a while.

It was my job to rewind the videos and take them back to Ritz video’s on my bike when I was 11/12, I wouldn’t trust my step daughter to do that now not that she would, very different times.
 
Having lived in Asia for 15 years and "left" Oxford before that, I started thinking of Oxford when I was young. So felt it would be good who lived in Oxford among us to share some memories.

Things like, which school did you go to and when/era?
Which pubs did you drink in when you were just legal to drink?
Which area of Oxford did you live?
And any other Oxford related memories and stories.

I will share the first one. The first pub I ever got served in was The Dewdrop in Summertown when I was 16. We dressed up, the Landlord "Barry" am sure he knew we were underage, but as we had made the effort, served us.
I used to work for 'Barroy' (insert West Midlands Accent) in the Dewdrop when I was a student. Hardly earned anything as at the end of each Evening shift, all the barstaff had a lock-in with him where we all bought a round - he knew how to maximise his profits :) - top bloke though and massive WBA fan.
 
Was the Bell on the way up to the white hart if you were walking up from the London Road? Very vague memories of being refused a pint for being underaged in a pub with a pool table up that way, was closed by the time I was legal, that’s 25 years ago so it’s been shut a while.

It was my job to rewind the videos and take them back to Ritz video’s on my bike when I was 11/12, I wouldn’t trust my step daughter to do that now not that she would, very different times.

Bell was down Old High Street almost opposite the Black Boy.
Then you walked down and turned left to the White Hart opposite St Andrews Church.
It closed in 2000 and was demolished for a private house.
I was born 2 doors down in the house in this picture which is still there, got/had a phonebox about where the gates are as the Baptist Church was also refurbished.
 
Bell was down Old High Street almost opposite the Black Boy.
Then you walked down and turned left to the White Hart opposite St Andrews Church.
It closed in 2000 and was demolished for a private house.
I was born 2 doors down in the house in this picture which is still there, got/had a phonebox about where the gates are as the Baptist Church was also refurbished.

Then in for a quick swift one in the Standard or Brit and in to the ground. Then down to the Butchers Arms after the match.

Rude not to drink 5 or 6 pints of London Pride.
 
Ah yes, I remember The Nelson. It was on the corner wasn't it? Had good fruit machines from memory

The Swan was on the corner, and is still open AFAIK. Nelson was further down towards Cowley Centre and not really on a corner.
 
First pint supped in the Fairview, Glebelands, Headington. Previous to its being built it was open ground where there was a massive Bonfire every Nov. 5th. Sadly another "Estate" pub gone forever. Built around 57/58 if memory serves me correctly.
 
Born in the Radcliffe infirmary late 50s.... grew up in Risinghurst, Headington.... went to Margaret Road Infant , then Junior school, in the 60s before going to Cheney school (expelled aged 14) in the late 60s very early 70s

Was going to the Manor initially with my old man , or occasionally with my uncle , then eventually on my own

first match was Easter Monday 22nd April 1962 ( V Bath City - we lost)- age 5

Ampleforth Arms and The Shotover Arms ( now a MacDonalds) were the two closest pubs, first pint was in the Chequers Headington Quarry/ Beaumont road - my 13/ 14 year old theory was it was far enough away from home so no-one would tell the old man - of course I wasn't aware that back then, some locals would go from pub to pub- Ampleforth, Six Bells, Masons Arms, Chequers, Shotover Arms.... with The Fox ( Barton) Princes Castle, Crown and Thistle ( Wood Farm) and Quarry Gate also part of some of the drinkers circuit - briefly for almost 2 years, around the time of the smoking ban being introduced I was landlord of The Chequers, Quarry

In my teens/ later teens The Blackboy Headington was frequently visited pre match on matchdays

then later The Butchers Arms, Headington pre match, ( a few times in The Standard or Brittania too) then when my kids started to go to games with me The Supporters club outside of the London Road End


Though also in my teens I went in pubs such as The White Horse, The Standard, The Britannia, Quarry Gate in Headington though I preferred 'town' , in pubs n bars such as - Whites Bar, The Roebuck, The Bulldog, Royal Blenheim, the bar on the side of the Randolph hotel ( with a rowing boat mounted on the wall- the name of which eludes me atm), The Crown, The Old Tom & The Anchor ( I think ?) which was opposite the Westgate at the bottom of Queen Street

Though also in my teens I became acquainted with Northern soul/ Rare Soul music, travelling all over the Uk to Allnighters ( which I still do decades later )
 
Born in the Radcliffe infirmary late 50s.... grew up in Risinghurst, Headington.... went to Margaret Road Infant , then Junior school, in the 60s before going to Cheney school (expelled aged 14) in the late 60s very early 70s

Was going to the Manor initially with my old man , or occasionally with my uncle , then eventually on my own

first match was Easter Monday 22nd April 1962 ( V Bath City - we lost)- age 5

Ampleforth Arms and The Shotover Arms ( now a MacDonalds) were the two closest pubs, first pint was in the Chequers Headington Quarry/ Beaumont road - my 13/ 14 year old theory was it was far enough away from home so no-one would tell the old man - of course I wasn't aware that back then, some locals would go from pub to pub- Ampleforth, Six Bells, Masons Arms, Chequers, Shotover Arms.... with The Fox ( Barton) Princes Castle, Crown and Thistle ( Wood Farm) and Quarry Gate also part of some of the drinkers circuit - briefly for almost 2 years, around the time of the smoking ban being introduced I was landlord of The Chequers, Quarry

In my teens/ later teens The Blackboy Headington was frequently visited pre match on matchdays

then later The Butchers Arms, Headington pre match, ( a few times in The Standard or Brittania too) then when my kids started to go to games with me The Supporters club outside of the London Road End


Though also in my teens I went in pubs such as The White Horse, The Standard, The Britannia, Quarry Gate in Headington though I preferred 'town' , in pubs n bars such as - Whites Bar, The Roebuck, The Bulldog, Royal Blenheim, the bar on the side of the Randolph hotel ( with a rowing boat mounted on the wall- the name of which eludes me atm), The Crown, The Old Tom & The Anchor ( I think ?) which was opposite the Westgate at the bottom of Queen Street

Though also in my teens I became acquainted with Northern soul/ Rare Soul music, travelling all over the Uk to Allnighters ( which I still do decades later )

Pubs in St Clements

The Plasterers Arms
Coach and Horses
Port Mahon

I’m sure I’ve missed one or two. Can’t remember the one on the roundabout between cowley rd, iffley rd.
 
There was one on the right hand side, near the pink giraffe. Used to be called one name and then changed.

Cape of good hope doesn’t ring a bell.

It might be the cape of good hope more recently, but I don’t remember the pub on the plain being called that years ago.

Was it not just called the pub oxford?
 
There was one on the right hand side, near the pink giraffe. Used to be called one name and then changed.

Cape of good hope doesn’t ring a bell.
was that the one sort of opposite the oranges & lemons ( cant remember the name of it)

between the Plasterers & Port Mahon was the Duke ( of Edinburgh?) wasn't it - still there now?
 
It might be the cape of good hope more recently, but I don’t remember the pub on the plain being called that years ago.
cant remember what it was called when the Snooker Hall was behind it - it was the Cape for years , then became The Scream for a while- isnt it the Cape( of good hope) again now?
 
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