Bridgewater Arms / Donkey, Hardman Street

This was another old pub in the Deansgate area, at the bottom of Hardman Street on the corner with Water Street, that was better known by its nickname rather than the Bridgewater Arms. Originally known as the Baulking Donkey, it was best known as just the Donkey, named after a "sambone" (after the unintelligible "rags and bone" shout) man who used to drink in the pub and give his donkey an ashtray of ale. Sometimes the old sambone man would fall asleep on his cart doing the rounds but his faithful old donkey would always find its way to the pub and wait outside [1].

1. The Manchester Village: Deansgate Remembered, Frank Heaton/Neil Richardson (1995).