Adding a bit of spice at the Gipsies Tent
BACK in our April 15 edition we featured a letter which mentioned meetings of a local Referees’ Association, which took place in various Dudley pubs.
One of them was the Gipsies Tent, and there was reference to a couple of old ladies who used to mull beer in a V-shaped container. That rang a bell with reader Tony Gudgeon, who has more to add to that story. Tony writes:
“The locals at the Gipsies Tent would mull beer in a V-shaped container. Enclosed is a picture of one such ‘local’ with one such container, who was my great uncle Sam (Sammy Evans).
“He owned a coachbuilders company further along Steppingstone Street on the other side of the road from Pitfield Street.
“The company was in his son’s name by then, Edward Evans (Coachbuilders) who moved to the Flood Street area of Dudley (by the gas container) when redevelopment of the Steppingstone Street area commenced.
“I thought you might like this much-cherished shot of mulling ale at the Gipsies Tent. It was taken circa 1954.”
There is some further detail with the photograph. Describing the Tent as ‘a fine pub,’ it explains that it was once used by a swimming club and was always popular with the local press.
In the picture, Sam Evans, described as a regular customer, is standing, and the ‘muller’ is licensee Harry Millward. In his left hand is a spice jar.