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Colloquially known as the "Bosted Boot", St Luke's Tavern stood on the corner of St Luke's Road and Vere Street. It was a building with an unusual shape and featured two arched doorways fronting St Luke's Road, once a thoroughfare packed with terraced housing and courts. The left-hand door was the main entrance to the bar and the right-hand door was used to access the pub's outdoor for off-sales. The pub's smoke room was accessed via an entrance on Vere Street. The licensee of this old beerhouse at the time of this photograph was Bernard John Williams. He had been the publican until 1941 but may have been called up for service. The licence was transferred to Lilian May Williams until he returned home. Indeed, there is a home-made homecoming sign above the entry to the right of the pub. A small boy is standing on the pavement - is he waiting in expectation. The sign is a large V with the message "Welcome Home Val". No doubt a good old fashioned party and sing-a-long was held in the pub to celebrate Val's return. Herbert Guest succeeded Bernard Williams as licensee towards the end of the 1940's. A victim of redevelopment, the St Luke's Tavern was closed on November 4th 1960. The site was later occupied by Matthew Boulton College. © Digital Photographic Images TECHNICAL DATA Date: c.1945 Source: Real Photo Postcard Maximum Size: 6845x4479 Pixels Maximum File Size: 1.27 Mb Format: JPEG
Note: above sample image is
188 x 125 pixels
Enlargement is 400 x 265 pixels

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A lovely image of the King's Arms that stood on the corner of Sherlock Street and Benacre Street. George Meeks was the publican at the time of this photograph taken on Valentine's Day 1951. Next door the pub was Seville House, occupied by the wine and spirit merchants E.J.Swift & Co. Around the corner in Benacre Street, the outbuildings have the appearance of a small brewery - suggesting that the King's Arms once produced its own house beers. Following a compulsory purchase order being slapped on M&B, the King's Arms closed on the last day of October in 1967. The licence was retained, held in suspense, and finally transferred to The Grapevine on Paradise Circus, an establishment that opened on March 15th 1973. © Digital Photographic Images TECHNICAL DATA Date: 14-02-1951 Source: Real Photo Postcard Maximum Size: 6845x4479 Pixels Format: JPEG
Note: above sample image is
188 x 125 pixels
Enlargement is 400 x 265 pixels