Philip Cunningham’s Pub Crawl
Shall we join Photographer Philip Cunningham for a pub crawl around the East End a generation ago? It starts at Phil’s local, The Three Crowns in Mile End Rd, very convenient for a quick pint when he was living in his grandfather’s house in Mile End Place in the seventies.
Ada & Polo, 1973
“When we moved to Mile End Place in 1971 our local pub, The Three Crowns, was just round the corner. We would go there often. Everyone used to go to the pub in those days, it was almost an extension of home. The Three Crowns was pretty rough.
It was run by a Jewish lady called Ada. Her elderly father helped behind the bar and she had a young Palestinian barman known as ‘Toffee.’ There was another barman, known as ‘Polo,’ who had a terrible stammer yet was very popular. And they all lived together above the pub.
There was a small snug in the middle of The Three Crowns which was highly sought after. It held about six people and was like being in your own private room. If it was occupied, you kept an eye out and, when it became vacant, you would run in quickly and take it.
One night, while I was drinking with my pal ‘John Boy,’ we were both potless and decided to pool our money, but found we did not have enough for another drink so we put it in the slot machine instead. To our amazement, we won the jackpot! Ada was not happy. She stormed over and unplugged the machine. She usually knew when the machine was about to give up the jackpot and would have it for herself. We spent all our winnings in her pub but, if Ada gave you a withering look, you knew you’d upset her.
There was a gambling club, The 81 Club, two doors away and people would often run in and hand Ada a bundle of notes, which she would stuff in her apron pocket. I think she was some type of banker. Ada made the best beef sandwiches I ever tasted. She was a fabulous character surrounded by other characters at The Crowns, real solid people that lived hard lives and knew who they were.
When Ada retired, The Three Crowns was taken over by Terry (known as ‘Turksie’) & Brenda Green. Terry had been a Docker and he and Brenda had a lot of work done on it, I believe out of his severance pay. I became friends with Terry’s brother, Jimmy. We would wander round the borough together and he would tell me tales of the old days, and van dragging – jumping on the back of a moving goods wagon and pulling off packages.
The Three Crowns was a successful pub but Terry & Brenda left to live in Portugal. The picture of Jimmy, the unnamed photographer and John the Fruit was taken just before they left. I cannot remember the photographer’s name but he told me I should buy a Zenza Bronica camera, which I did and have been using it ever since.
After the Greens’ departure, The Three Crowns changed entirely and the deafening music drove us away. The new tenants did not stay long and the place went down the tubes. When I returned years later, I was shocked to see that the fabulous tiled mural of the ‘field of the cloth of gold’ which adorned the entrance had been smashed up. Someone had tried to remove it from the wall but with the most destructive consequences. Only half the mural was left and the rest had been replaced by rendered cement. I doubt if they even got a single intact tile. It was the most pointless greedy vandalism.
I loved the East End, rough, tough, and mad – there was an energy about the place, but I think the East End I knew has mostly gone.” – Philip Cunningham
Jimmy, Terry & Brenda Green at The Three Crowns 1983
Jimmy Green, Unnamed Photographer & John The Fruit at The Three Crowns 1983
Interior at The Three Crowns 1983
The Three Crowns, Mile End Rd, 1983
The Queen’s Head, York Sq, Stepney, 1983 (Recently sold to property developers)
The former Lord Napier, Whitechapel -‘The Lord Napier was never a pub in my time’ 1979
Formerly The Laurel Tree, Brick Lane, c.1985
‘I have never been into The Florist Arms in Globe Rd but I am determined to visit because I am told it is good fun’ c.1983
‘The Waterman’s Arms was just next to the school I was teaching in on the Isle of Dogs and I went in quite a lot. It was once owned by Daniel Farson and Shirley Bassey would come and sing there.”
Waterman’s Arms, c.1984
‘The Wentworth in Eric St was an OK pub but it always reminded me of my dealings with the District Surveyor, which was depressing’ 1980
‘I went into the Duke of York a lot as friends of mine lived in Antill Rd’ c.1980
‘The Oxford Arms in Milward St behind the London Hospital was always full of nurses and medics, very popular’ c.1984
‘The Old Globe in Globe Rd was a disaster in my time. The loud music they played could probably have been heard on the moon. There was always massive overspill onto the pavement and, in the morning, the entire area was covered in broken glass. It was a young people’s pub.’ 1979
The Bell, Middlesex St, c.1985
‘The Railway Tavern in Grove Rd was a nice pub and played a lot of jazz in my time’ c.1984
The Beehive, Commercial St, Spitalfields – seen from Christ Church yard
‘I thought The Old King’s Head was on Burdett Rd but I can’t find a trace of it, yet I do remember from my two visits that it was a nice pub’
‘The Lion in Tapp St was one of the grottiest pubs I’ve been into. If it still exists, I hope it’s changed. There were holes in the lino and the floor was sticky with beer. The beer was good but not much else.’ c.1985/6
‘The Three Suns in Aldgate had elaborate brickwork on it, but I could never understand this panel. It seemed to have something to do with a Shakespeare play.’ c.1986
‘I only went into the Forty Fives in Mile End Rd once with my friend Grahame, the window cleaner. We wanted to have a drink in every pub from The Three Crowns to the Whitechapel Art Gallery, but I don’t think we made it.’ 1985/6
‘The Albion in Bethnal Green Rd was one of my favourite pubs’
The Red Cow, Mile End Rd, 1986
Photographs copyright © Philip Cunningham
You may also like to take a look at
Philip Cunningham’s East End Portraits
More of Philip Cunningham’s Portraits
The pub was very often the hub of the community, most streets had one once. I lived 50 yards from the Waterman’s Arms on the Isle of Dogs and there were, at that time, six more pubs within a two minute walk. Each had its own character and its own crowd of regulars. Most people had their preferred local and they were loyal to that pub. The Waterman’s was a different place, however. When Dan Farson bought it and turned it into an ersatz Victorian music hall, it ceased to be a real local and became, for a while at least, a very famous tourist attraction. After a couple of year Farson sold it and although the place was still sought out, it gradually declined and faded back into obscurity, its last hurrah being one of the locations in the movie The Long Good Friday. It was originally called The Newcastle Arms and today it is The Great Eastern. The Old Globe used to be frequented by football players back in the early 70’s. Alan Ball of Arsenal was a regular on Friday nights. It was always packed and noisy. The Railway in Grove Road was a place I knew quite well, good music and decent beer. It was on the corner of Grove Road and Morgan street. The pub is gone now, although the building is still there. Further along Morgan Street was my old school, Coopers’ Grammar in Tredegar Square. I know most of the pubs in these pictures and many of them are gone now, along with the communities they used to serve. Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.
I was hoping to see Lord Rodney’s Head next to the station.
Next time ‘prahaps.
thanks anyway.
In the mid 1970’s The Old Globe in Stepney Green, was one of THE East End pubs to go to if you were young. Always packed on Fridays and Saturday nights, spilling on the street both at the front and down the side. It had a deejay and although on Sunday lunchtimes, although playlist would be somewhat subdued. It was a strictly barmaids and potmen pub, no geezers behind the jump serving.
I lived off grove rd and remember so many of these pubs my friend Barry was adas son and my son grew up with mark her grandson, next to the three crowns was the old boys club where they held dances many couples met and married including me we then went for a drink. Thank you for the memories
My gran was Ada – you were lucky to get away with a withering look nicking her jackpot. Tawfeek (Toffee) is Egyptian and moved in just after the 6 day war when my parents, brother and I moved to the Lord Rodney (mentioned above). Not sure that Polo ever lived in as he had another job as a dustman or drayman – one of the strongest men I ever met. Ada’s father Alf lived there from the beginning when grandma became a young widow in the 1940s or 50s, eventually working there when they cramped his career path by legalising bookmaking. Glory days!
Fantastic pictures, love to see more
Those were the days sitting in the three crowns getting merry with wizzy and the Luppi brothers and of course The indefatigable Phil and Sally Cunningham,watching the locals placing bets on anything that moved’ even flies on the bar or even the sex of the next person coming through the door,and even got to running races down mile end road these were usually rigged so that both runners getting half each from all the bets placed by the mugs.
When we were skint we went there to drink because we could get Alf to shakily and wobbly
get a bottle of lemonade from the top shelf behind the bar, and as he did we replenished our glasses for FREE. naughty.
Beeing in betweenlondon hospital,bancroft road hospital The three crowns was a hotspot for nurses during their times off, so,the evenings were always entertaining.
Keep it up Phil.
Something about the Oxford Arms sings to me. Like John the Beard and the Three Crowns, I think it may be to do with nurses.
Does anyone know what happened to the Luppi brothers?
Well, yes, I will have my peacefull Pint tonight …
Love & Peace
ACHIM
Riccardo lives near me in Suffolk. The last time I saw Bob I visited him in his house in Forest Hill, but I’m sure he moved. Will ask Rico, best.
PCU
Thank you for showing the photo of ” The Lion ” pub in Tapp Street, Bethnal Green , I was born at No 13 Tapp Street , in October 1947, I suppose you realise, that it was the main HQ of the Krays’ Empire, and Not ” The Grave Maurice ” in Whitechapel Road,