Coach & Horses, London Road, 1986. (c) Mick Pye.
The Coach & Horses, seen above and below in 1985 on London Road, was originally an artisan's house with a workshop on the top floor [1]. It ended its life as a Tetley house at the bottom of Piccadilly Approach on the corner of Upton Street.
Coach & Horses, London Road. (c) Alison G.
The knackered rectangular sign on the side looks like a Bass sign and in Manchester in the '70s there is a photo of the pub with Double Diamond (The Beer That Men Drink) signage. Before it closed it was also offering Jubilee Stout and Worthington 'E' as seen in the top photo from Mick Pye.
Coach & Horses, London Road. (c) Geograph.
The barber's next door of course ended up as the famous Piccadilly Indian. I remember having a particularly dodgy-looking but very tasty curry in there on the way back from Bolton in August 1999, so the little old Hillman motor is a bit of a red herring.
Piccadilly Indian Restaurant (Coach & Horse boarded up). (c) Aidan O'Rourke.
The City Inn Hotel complex now stands on this site in this part of the city centre that has been utterly transformed in recent years. Visitors to Manchester who've not been back in a while must get a shock when coming out of the station.
Coach & Horses, London Road, 1985. (c) Alison G.
1. Manchester in the 70s, Chris Makepeace (2007).
The Coach & Horses, seen above and below in 1985 on London Road, was originally an artisan's house with a workshop on the top floor [1]. It ended its life as a Tetley house at the bottom of Piccadilly Approach on the corner of Upton Street.
Coach & Horses, London Road. (c) Alison G.
The knackered rectangular sign on the side looks like a Bass sign and in Manchester in the '70s there is a photo of the pub with Double Diamond (The Beer That Men Drink) signage. Before it closed it was also offering Jubilee Stout and Worthington 'E' as seen in the top photo from Mick Pye.
Coach & Horses, London Road. (c) Geograph.
The barber's next door of course ended up as the famous Piccadilly Indian. I remember having a particularly dodgy-looking but very tasty curry in there on the way back from Bolton in August 1999, so the little old Hillman motor is a bit of a red herring.
Piccadilly Indian Restaurant (Coach & Horse boarded up). (c) Aidan O'Rourke.
The City Inn Hotel complex now stands on this site in this part of the city centre that has been utterly transformed in recent years. Visitors to Manchester who've not been back in a while must get a shock when coming out of the station.
Coach & Horses, London Road, 1985. (c) Alison G.
1. Manchester in the 70s, Chris Makepeace (2007).
I read somewhere that the Coach and Horses was 'reputed' to be one of the oldest pubs in Manchester?
ReplyDeleteI can only presume if that is the case this Victorian job was built over the original Coach and Horses which is often the case.
I went in the pub before it closed. It was a dump. I've heard Marx and Engels drank in the pub.
DeleteIt was a dump. I only went in because I had heard Marx and Engels had used the pub.
DeleteI think even the final structure predated Victoria. Though it usually stocked Tetleys, it was a genuine free house; one of the few places you could enjoy a pint of the late lamented Winkles Saxon Cross. It also stocked Pollards and a changing range of guest beers. When the bland, late period Ruddles County turned up, I remember asking the landlord why. "They give me a telly." was his laconic reply! Sadly missed.
ReplyDeleteThe landlord was a fine chap called Bill O'Reilly. I drank there from 1978 - 84 and reckon it was the best pub ever. Bill died a few years ago and has a plaque in Mother Mac's (Back Piccadilly). He started to sell grub in the early 80o's and obviously became known as Reilly - Ace of Pies. 'I'll have a Guiness with you' was my favourite mannerism of Bill's.
DeleteMark Harrison
Mark I remember Bill. I used to drink there with the Head Security man from the Portland His name was Mike - can't remember his surname. He was an Irish man like myself. That would have been 1979-81. What a great pub it was.
DeleteHarry McMahon
Sadly, since the pub's recent refurbishment, the placque in Mother Macs commemorating Billy seems to have disappeared. The Coach was a good bolt hole when working at the Aytoun st dole office in the late 80s
ReplyDeleteI was a regular for over 10 yrs and had many a memorable drink or three , Bill bacame a very good friend, best pub bar none
ReplyDeleteYes I was a big pal of bills and had regular sessions with him and the regulars , a knock on the back window would get you in sadly missed
DeleteMemories of Bill when I worked in Gateway House on the station approach 1971-1986. In the days before all day opening enjoyed the occassional afternoon lock in.
ReplyDeleteFirst stop after coming home on leave from Plymouth. Bill served the best pint of Boddingtons. He was later a landlord of the British Flag a pub outside one of the cricket grounds in London.
ReplyDeletei had the finest pint of Taylor Landlord in my life/ Never tasted better in thirty years.
ReplyDeleteGreat pub great beer great landlord Nuff said
DeleteBill O’Reilly sounds like a character
ReplyDeleteI was a lunchtime regular at the Coach and Horses from 1978 to 1986, while I was working at Gateway House on Station Approach. Bill served a superb pint, and the 'craic' was always brilliant.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it was right under the eye of the senior execs in Gateway House, which may well have been a factor in my eventual departure...
I even had my 'leaving do' there.
BUT two things deserve a mention here. Firstly, Bill's long-suffering partner, Jean, who fought a
(usually unsuccessful) battle to keep him under control. Secondly, there was usually a lemonade bottle of the foulest poteen East of the Irish Sea, lurking in a cupboard under the till...
Wonderful times!
I remember having a decent pint in there in the 80s, but the gents toilet seemed to be just an unlit large hole in the back wall, through which I pissed! Maybe it was better when they changed the bulb. Maybe!
ReplyDelete