Imperial Inn, Birch Street, West Gorton. (c) Gary Taylor at manmates [1].
Shown above still open as a freehouse, the Imperial Inn on Birch Street, West Gorton was fairly recently a Boddington's house, if I recall cirrectly. As seen in 1971 and 1972, the Imperial Inn was previously a Wilsons Brewery pub with Watney signs.
This wonderful 1964 photo shows the Imperial Inn also advertising Wilsons Stout and Ales (X, XX and XXX were different strengths of ales), with not only a group of young girls posing, but a gent fixing his scooter.
Imperial Inn, Birch Street. (c) Longsight-memories at bluemoon.
Opposite the new Travel Lodge, the Imperial Inn has closed in the last few years, as has its neighbour on Hyde Road, the Nags Head, though the Travellers Call is still serving.
Former Imperial Inn, Birch Street. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.
I first visited in about 1980 when it was run y an old guy called Wilf - he and his missus had moved there from a pub called the Fox (I think it was in Longsight, which had been knocked down). There was a famous punk club across the road and he told me how the regulars at the club had got his dog glue sniffing! Some of the best Wilsons beers around I recall - and a wonderful two roomed interior with lots of etched glass. There used to be a small industrial estate at the back which had once been Stopford's Imperial Brewery - hence the name of the pub I guess.
ReplyDelete