This just Inn: Neil’s book to chronicle town’s drinking holes

AFTER researching the subject for more than two years, local historian Neil Collingwood has completed his latest book, Leek – A Historic Pub Crawl.

The 194-page book contains chapters on the history of drinking, different types of drinking establishments, pub names, pub signs, pub collectables and the future of Leek pubs. The bulk of the book comprises a comprehensive list of all the pubs that Neil was able to find existing in Leek up to the present day – in excess of 150 in total.

The book also contains a number of photographs of pubs that are either no longer serving, such as the Crown and Anchor and the Railway Tavern in Broad Street and some which are no longer standing, including two Black Lions, one of two Royal Oaks, one of two Roebucks and one of two Lord Raglans.

It reveals some previously unknown names of places still serving today such as the Rodney’s Head and the Mechanics Arms, and there are also comprehensive lists of licensees’ names, possibly invaluable for those who are following their family trees and have ancestors who were lanlords in Leek pubs.

Some licensees moved from one Leek pub to another and wherever possible the dates of these moves are included.

There are contemporary records of wives being sold, stabbings outside pubs, gambling, watering down whisky, prostitutes being harboured and a whole host of other colourful incidents connected with Leek’ pubs.

Neil is doing a talk based on the book as part of the series arranged by Cathryn Walton to take place at the Foxlowe tonight, and a limited number of copies (100) will be available for sale after the talk, priced at £15 each.

Admission to the talk is free but people are asked to make a donation towards the upkeep of the centre.