All information kindly supplied by Peter Holford
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in London.
My aunt, Hilda Bull, can be traced through detail on this rather excellent Identity card. It lists her at the Pier Hotel, the Angel in Fore Street and then the Wellington.
The Identity Card of Hilda Bull (1948 - 1951) listing the Pier Hotel, Angel and the Wellington; and a picture of Hilda in 1942.
Kindly provided by Peter Holford
Gordon Griffiths tenanted pubs all over London but he was from Hednesford in
the West Midlands with a true Brummy accent. He was a real ladies man,
although he did suffer with poor people skills! He arrived in London during
the war and my dad met him when he was running a pub on Richmond Hill (my
dad was in Richmond CID and investigating black market booze). Hilda was my
mum's sister and had looks and great people skills (see photo above).
Gordon needed a cook for the Pier Hotel (Dad was now with Chelsea CID) and
Hilda, being separated and heading for divorce, needed a job. My dad
introduced them. It was love at first sight!
Gordon knew how to make money and seldom put a foot wrong. However there was
one exception. In 1955 he was offered another failing pub by Trumans. It was
the Champion on Weymouth Terrace, Shoreditch. He had a loyal barman who had
been with him since the war and felt it might be a good thing to put him in
charge. However the experiment didn't survive 12 months!
Two pictures of Gordon Griffiths, the first is with his two elder sisters in 1932, the latter is a later picture of a well groomed Gordon.
Kindly provided by Peter Holford
The picture shows Gordon with his two elder sisters - Phyllis and May (known
as Laddie - don't ask me why!). He was 23 (born 1909), Phyllis was 30 and
Laddie was 28. In the 1911 census they were living in Hednesford with their
parents - Dad was a 'Cab Proprietor and Greengrocer' (strange mix) and there
was an uncle who was a soldier. It looks as though Gordon came from a get up
and go sort of family. Gordon's first wife was Daisy (who was shown the
door!).
A later photo of Gordon is attached (he did miserable beautifully with a
twinkle in his eye!) Gordon believed in presenting himself well - always
well dressed. He even went to the hairdresser each week (look at the photo!)
My dad said it was akin to the King's New Clothes where the barber must have
snipped away with the scissors a couple of inches away from his head,
careful not to cut any of that precious hair.
We also knew Gordon had a lung and a kidney removed due to cancer in the
1950s and survived! Gordon died in 1990, aged 81.
Along with Hilda, they ran a number of successful pubs, including the
following in order of succession:
Pier Hotel, 31 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea
; Angel, 181 Fore
Street, Edmonton ; Wellington,
Green lanes, Hornsey ;
Pakenham,
Knightsbridge, Westminster ;
Ye Old Leather Bottle,
Kingston Road, Merton ;
Horse & Groom, 107
Garratt Lane, Wandsworth. (The Horse & Groom was an additional pub at the
same time as running the Leather Bottle.
* Provided By Peter Holford