The Crown on Great Ducie Street is described as "a bikers pub under the railway bridge just before you got to Manchester Cathedral... in the late '70s [2]." The Crown is then said to have "the best jukebox in Manchester at the time. It also had a mural on one wall of the Rolling Stones in a stagecoach going to London. I recall it being a Tetley's house. It shut ages ago and is now an Indian supermarket [2]." Finally, "I remember seeing it on my way into Manchester opposite what is now the Arena [2]." This 1899 photo shows the Crown on the right after the shop.
Former location of the Crown, Great Ducie Street, 2010. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.
Another account on Manchester Beat describes the Crown in the '60s: "I was a regular in the Crown Pub in the sixties. It was the only pub in Manchester that would serve people with long hair and it became known as the long-haired pub. My first experience of smoking dope was in a pub called the Assize Court which was across the road from the Crown [3]." The old Manchester Assize Courts were on Great Ducie Street before being demolished in 1957 after terrible war damage, explains the pub of the same name opposite the Crown.
Former location of the Crown, Great Ducie Street, 2010. (c) Google 2010. View Larger Map.
2. http://services.salford.gov.uk.
3. http://www.manchesterbeat.com.
I was a local here 1972-76.. and it was a bikers/hippy pub but was also a beatnik/rockers bar in the 50's and the music and alternative culture theme carried on thoughout its life. Bowies/Ziggie fans also turned up here with their make -up and blue zig zagged faces. the Police once confiscated the jukebox for attracting the wrong type of people..and when i went to bootle street to ask for my single back..i was thrown out onto my head....literally.....they also served Double Diamond and much to my shame, I drank it for a short while..
ReplyDeletethe Stones picture with the wild-west wagon and horses was painted by a guy called Pete Clemenson,[sp]? but i did work with him for a short while at Connelays cables, Blackley 1973. ...Ps.and i still see an old regular Little Joe around.
Never - little Joe still around! Mind you, you commented back in 2011, I've only just found this pic. Loved this pub.
DeleteVicky Spedding
Is this the same little Joe as the Joe who had the long, blond, curly hair? He had a white Bedford van (or similar). He took a group of us to London for the ban the bomb march in...was it 1969? It was dark when we got there and we pitched our tents on some grass. I'm still not sure where it was. We never did get to the march though, we just ended up walking around London for the day. I hope Joe is still around.
DeleteJean
I was pleased to see the comments on The Crown pub in Great Ducie Street Manchester,I used to go there with my friends from Congleton Cheshire. We really loved going there, we went every weekend and some nights in the week.I remember on the left hand side there was the juke box room with the jukebox in the middle of the room. On the right hand side the room had a television.We started to go there in 1967 there were all long haired lads there and it was a great atmosphere. We went to see if it was still there a week ago and were sad to see it had gone. Marie
ReplyDeleteHi Marie.Thats when I used to go in mid 60s to late 60s.Bill and Frank was me and my mates names.Long haired as you say and great atmosphere.Sam and Norma had it when we went in and Sam sorted the painting out with the Stones on.Im sure it was him.x
DeleteLoved this place, started drinking in there around 1970 - slightly underage, lol. Superb jukebox, great bunch of people, rarely any trouble. Sad that it was lost.
ReplyDeleteVicky Spedding
I loved The Crown. I was a regular there in the late 60's. It had a great atmosphere, a fantastic juke box and lovely, friendly people. I used to go to the Jungfrau until it closed, but after that my friends and I took up residence in The Crown instead. It became my home from home, I'd be there every weekend and often on week days too. I can remember us all watching the Magical Mystery Tour film on the TV in the smaller room on the right. The back room had a couple of football tables. The long room on the left was the juke box room. I don't remember there ever being any trouble or fighting. Once or twice the police came in to do a drugs search and they would walk round checking everyone's pockets and looking through the girls' handbags. I seem to remember there being an Indian restaurant a bit further up on the other side of the road, nearer to Victoria Station. I wonder if anyone else remembers it? Sometimes we would go to the Magic Village in Cromford Court after closing time. I wish I could go back in time and see the great group of friends I knew back then, George Stretton and his pals Alan, Mack, Ken, Baz and Ian. The twins Bill and Dave Nichols from Reddish, Tom Tyrer from Irlam, Christine, Johnny and Les. I remember a group of us going to Rhyl for a week's holiday in about 1968. Another time we went to see George Best play in a match at Blackpool. I have a lot of good memories from back then. They were halcyon days but we didn't know it. It's a shame The Crown has gone. I wonder what it would be like if it was still there now? At least it never became some trendy bar! It would have been good to visit the old place again but perhaps it's best to remember it as it was.
ReplyDeleteJean Lunn (nee Harrop)
Hi Jean.I went in Crown then and I knew George Streton and the other lads too.Mack ended up my best mate and we still knock about together.I still see Alan Acres in Ape and Apple.My name is Billy so I don't know if you remember me.x.I was going in crown just before them but remember them all.
DeleteJean I also remember we got a football team together from the Crown to play the police.Most of those lads you mentioned played.They even searched us before the game.haha.
DeleteUsed to go there 74/76 loved every mom EF nt
ReplyDeleteDrank there 74-76 loved every minute, little Joe I remember had long brown hair parted In the middle and and a tash. Also remember lots of other memories, such a good time of my life
I went to the Crown..met my husband there...then boyfriend December 31st 1969. Good old days. I got searched by oolice in 1973..pregnant..they only found baby buttons I bought to sew onto a baby javket I knitted. The Indian restaurant was The Shah or sumat like that...pulled down but left end bit standing...Kath Beckett nee Phelan. Mike Beckett I met there.
DeleteRemembered name of the Indian restaurant - The Joy King.
DeleteHiya Kath.Do you remember me Billy.I knocked about with Frank and I think you lived Broughton.Glad to hear your still with Mike.Last time I saw you was in Rob Schofields house.I still have a drink with Frank.Great days Kath.Give my regards to Mike.x
DeleteI went to the crown in the sixties remember stapie from rochdale also tony and Renee from wythenshaw nobby pete Bernard mike Becket Ted stead shrinks in fact every one we were like a family of rebels but what a great bunch of people miss you all
ReplyDeleteI remember Stapie from Rochdale, surely there was only one - Dave Stapleton. I went out with him for a while in 1966. I met him in the Jungfrau. He was my first long haired boyfriend.
DeleteI must know you Jean.I remember Dave Stapleton.No front teeth and Pete Anderton went out with a girl called Jill.I was always in Crown.Little Nobby and Bernard Dudson alias Duddy.Great days and great people.Im Billy by the way.Knocked about with all those lads.Ive been trying to find Kev Mitchelĺ from Reddish but to no avail.Used to go Old Trafford with him.
DeleteI bumped into Kev at Ray Lowry's funeral a few years back.Still looked the same.
DeleteI used to go in my lunch break from the Tax Office at nearby Highland House - this would be 1968. At the time it was an Ind Coope pub and I would succumb to the Double Diamond as the best of a bad lot. I remember a juke box with lots of BBC banned records and a pinball table. I used to go with a mate called Dave Wood - not every day but probably about once a week.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a picture of the Rolling Stones mural in the Crown?
ReplyDelete