Story stirs memories of pub life from past years

Sir Bernard Ingham, former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Ray Davies, rock singer

Kate Hoey, Labour MP, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former foreign secretary, Ian McEwan, novelist, Juliette Lewis, actress Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Snowden, American whistle-blower Lana Del Rey, singer, YOUR story in the Examiner about the Dog and Partridge at Outlane/Sowood brought memories flooding back.

Mabel was a real character and was well known all around the area.

My grandparents were her near neighbours, 500 metres away and were the landlord/ landlady of the New Inn at Outlane for 25 years pre-war, then through the forties and fifties.

They lived there together with six children. They were of Irish decent and also characters who were very well known.

My grandma was quite fearsome she stood no nonsense from those who could not hold their ale – or from her 12 grandchildren. I can picture her telling me off with a stern look, ruddy cheeks, standing in her clogs.

My grandfather was well over 6ft tall and a strong man. He was well known, indeed he played for Fartown in the “Team of all Talents” who won rugby league’s four cups in a season.

He sits proudly behind one of the cups in the famous team photograph. I remember as a young child our parents getting us ready for a fancy dress competition at the Town Hall. I was dressed in his famous claret and gold kit, which drowned me, and his playing boots. Needless to say, I won first prize.

My uncle was the landlord of the Duke of York in Stainland in the period when my grandparents were at the New Inn.

My dad played the piano in both pubs in the “best rooms” as they were known then – usually only used on Saturdays and Sundays. It was always busy singing and dancing – call it a family affair.

They were happy, memorable days as a young child, always given a bit of spending brass from the “fresh” regulars and a bottle of pop for helping to clear and clean up Sunday morning after the Saturday night before.

My grandfather passed away at the New Inn, “The Team of all Talents” was and, still is revered, and their memory lives on today, and will always. Oh how I would have loved to see them play. SO, Theresa May has promised to invest an extra £20 billion in the NHS.

The Tories came to power in 2010 and cut the annual increase in NHS spending, that had been in place for decades, from over 4% to just above 1%.

That means the service is some £28 billion short of where it would have been but for “austerity” and languishes down towards the bottom of the table of European health spending.

May puts back a little of what her government took away and we are all supposed to be grateful.

Perhaps she should be apologising rather than waiting for applause.

And while she’s at it how about apologising for the Lansley ‘reforms’ that marketised the NHS, disorganised the service and introduced layers of bureaucracy that have ended up costing us millions?