Pubs that are probably quite scary but no one ever acknowledges this

1. Barrowboy and Banker

The Tiger's Head and The New Tiger's Head at Lee Green had very scary reputations. One was scarier than the other (can't remember which) and I think TNTH has now closed down.

The idea that the Barrowboy is going to be full of spivs is a bit weird. It’s basically the station pub for london bridge. If anything it gets full of south bank tourists looking for the Globe, people killing time before their train, and junior doctors. The Barrowboy & Banker might be the capital’s least scary pub. 

Was at the centre of the borough high street terrorist ruckus tho, along with a couple of other good pubs eg the Market Porter and Laz favourite the Southwark Tavern.

The Flag in Battersea and the Henley Arms in Silvertowm NEED to be on here. Will look some ot the others up after getting some work done.

A couple of seriously challenging references for the pub archaeologist here. 

- The Glen, Stephendale Rd. Please clarify where exactly this was, and what it was and when. Was it a pub or an off licence? The only pub on Stephendale Rd today is the Sands End at the junction with Broughton Rd. I found one reference on the internet to an establishment called The Glen, which is described as being an off licence at the same junction.:.in the 1950s.

- the Winstone Arms, Lewisham just plain seems not to exist. Was this a joke reference to Ray Winstone?

The Warrant Officer in Highame Hill reputedly used to be terrifying despite not being in a rough area and not looking especially dangerous. I went there recently tho and it is quite a nice local now.

One of the good things about tough pub discussions is they reveal whole new parts of town I’d never heard of. Like “Lee Green”. The Old Tigers Head doesn’t look especially frightening either but then, that’s the point of the thread. The NTH is a nice looking building. Two quite grand suburban pubs there - I guess the crossroads has historic significance as a coaching point.

The Canterbury doesn’t look too appealing does it! I think it once featured on a list I compiled of must-visit FRPs in London. The Lilly Langtry on Abbey ed is a favourite example of type, not actually v scary although I wouldn’t give the locals any lip.

I used to live near the Boston. A that’s not actually very frightening at all tbh it’s just full of old irish guys watching the racing.

New Tiger's Head has been shut for about 15 years.  They should do something with the building though, I think it's sad in a "they don't do chavscum saafeest lundun hooliganism like the old days" way, and a bit of my childhood sighs every time I go through Lee Green.

the one opposite Finsbury Park station - the Blackstock; I went in there a few times years ago

incidentally, there used to be an amazing Nigerian takeaway around there as well

 

Judging by the photos on Google Maps, the blackstock has thoroughly gentrified. Didn’t the pub across the road basically used to be a standing ruin?

I don't remember the one over the road; I stopped at the Blackstock occasionally when I used to walk from town back to Green Lanes. It must have been a more appealing prospect than the other one, which says something

The derelict one I was thinking of was the Sir George Robey, which was actually just the other side of the tracks. It was a music pub. It closed in 2004 according to wiki and stood roofless for years.

Opposite the Blackstock is the Twelve Pins. The Blackstock looks much the nicer of the two - I think it has recently changed management.

The Archway Tavern.  In the 1990's it was proper rough, but it cashed my labourers wage cheques (for a fee) which otherwise took a week to clear so needs must. 

I remember The Flag in Battersea from when I lived that way.  At the time it wasn't registered on any pub listings or Google Maps so thought it would be something special...

Mr Gwenners is a Sarf East London boy and, from what he says, Sarf East London has some very nasty types. Nastier than the East End. I have removed him from this unpleasantness by dragging him kicking and screaming to South Wales.

I happen to be in the Barrowboy and Banker right now.   

The toddler in the high chair has just glassed one of the tourists with his milk bottle and 'merked' him by smashing his rattle off of his bloody cranium until the poor tourist stopped twitching

something about "looking at my Richard the Third" (I think the toddler means his mother by that)

 

Scariest pub in London I've been in is on commercial st (or was).  Would have to google it to recall the name, but it was on the south side on a corner near to a curry resto we used to go for as a team (that began with an L but again the name escapes).

Horrible run down place where I popped in for a pre dinner pint having come from a meeting in the Dwarf.  I was viewed with much suspicion by the old duffers who no doubt would claim to have known Reggie and Ronnie and been at the funerals when I asked for a bottle of becks, eschewing their on tap offerings for fear of my alimentary canal.  

Nothing happened, even when I opened my book and read for ten minutes.

Scariest club I have been in was Cheeks (as then was) in Aldershot, when the aforementioned was home to the paras and the ghurkas and (surprisingly the lariest of all) the catering corps.   That was a night you didn't get drunk no matter how much you drank,

Scariest pub in London I've been in is on commercial st (or was).  Would have to google it to recall the name, but it was on the south side on a corner near to a curry resto we used to go for as a team (that began with an L but again the name escapes).

Horrible run down place where I popped in for a pre dinner pint having come from a meeting in the Dwarf.  I was viewed with much suspicion by the old duffers who no doubt would claim to have known Reggie and Ronnie and been at the funerals when I asked for a bottle of becks, eschewing their on tap offerings for fear of my alimentary canal.  

Nothing happened, even when I opened my book and read for ten minutes.

Scariest club I have been in was Cheeks (as then was) in Aldershot, when the aforementioned was home to the paras and the ghurkas and (surprisingly the lariest of all) the catering corps.   That was a night you didn't get drunk no matter how much you drank,

Flatroof pubs. Never had a prob.

Hold on. I am the actuaL What Do you mean I am the PROBLEM? 

Word to the wise. Revolvers are better than pistols. Pistols may fail to fire because of dirt. Revolvers are more turning mechanical so tend not to do so,

It is akin to numpties who carry rounds about their body. instead of a proper box.The collected dirt (especially in the bush) will jam the weapon. 

Scariest club I have been in was Cheeks (as then was) in Aldershot, when the aforementioned was home to the paras

Lad at college claimed to have gone home with a mother-daughter combo there. Having visited it myself I could believe him.

"The Fog in Earlsfield used to be proper scary due to its proximity to a traveller site."

It sounds pretty scary just from the name tbh. There is something. In. The Fog.

"Scary pub underneath snowman house in Maida Vale called in for a quick pint once before beating a hasty retreat..."

You mean the Lillie Langtry (qv), I think. It's actually in the building across the road from Snowman House. (What kind of name for a tower block is "Snowman House"?) I have been in it and tbh I didn't think it was scary at all. I also don't think any of the boozers on the Holloway Road are dodgy, though most of them are fooking shit.

I did a gig at the Sir George Robey back in my band days in the 90s. It was always a shithole, even when it was open. Always full of crusties. Not remotely threatening, mind.

The Gasworks in Chelsea was a great place.  It was stuffed full of erotic art (including the chess set) and there were usually four or five dapperly dressed old school villains with thick wads of £50 notes (and this was sometime back) in their pockets who were happy to buy a drink.  Outside was invariably parked a vintage black Bentley.  Always wondered about its history.