This handsome little boozer was crammed in amongst the factories (and what looks like a church on the left) that once lined part of Oldham Road leading into town from Collyhurst through Miles Platting. The Old Pack Horse was a Wilsons house and in the early 20th century was run by a Tim Carlisle. He was a musical sort, and as well as running the pub, he sold sheet music in Blackpool, performed in plays and sung in pub concerts, while his sister Elsie was a locally famous singer in the 1920s and '30s [1]. By the 1970s, the factories around it were being pulled down and by the early 1980s, the Old Pack Horse was closed.
Remarkably, 1985 saw a restoration project on the Old Pack Horse, and this set of pictures show Wilsons 'restoring Manchester's oldest licensed premises'. A year later and the Old Pack Horse is shown here in glorious colour, fully restored even if it is standing alone, with a car park to the right and flats visible to the rear. Despite this noble restoration which must have cost a packet, it seems that the pub was demolished anyway as there is no trace of it on Oldham Road today in Miles Platting or Collyhurst. Oddly, there is no mention of "Manchester's oldest licensed premises" on-line or in any more books.
1. Ancoats Lad, Mick Burke / Frank Heaton (1996).
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ReplyDeletei would like to add when it was restored it was then owned by lees middleton brewery..the church to the left was the st jameses church, and theres a debate which was the oldest pub at the time in manchester,, this one used to say on the brickwork on the right hand gable end 17 something lees brewery... but one pub now gone which had cells in it was reputed to be the oldest LICENSED one,, name i cant recall am sure its here, that was pulled sadly down with a few others to make way for the shudehill monstrosity bus station and metrolink. we used to live at back of the pack hores which was afacing the Angel.. pub also gone, my mum n dads local in the late 60/s to 80,s.... John Sidebotham.
ReplyDeleteTim calisle was my aunties husband..she was called milicent (milly)tim tnd milly mill landlord and landlady ofthe pack horse
Deleteit was the ROVERS RETURN pub on shudehill now sadly gone
DeleteThank you
DeleteI used to live on Rodney Street close by to this pub. The church on the left was St Georges in The Field (I think). The building to the right was the sunday school we used to go to. Thanks to Ancoats lad for this great memory.
ReplyDeleteI had my 21 st there and the old piano was always getting the old Karioki types up. Some would have been able to put the modern Britain s Got Talent to shame. Great memories Thanks
ReplyDeleteMy parents held their wedding reception there in March 1954.
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it was the ROVERS RETURN pub on shudehill now sadly one
ReplyDeleteit was the ROVERS RETURN pub on shudehill now sadly one
ReplyDeleteI was born ( home birth) in the Pack Horse 1960. Mum and Dad were tenants for a few years and then we moved to the Dan's further down Oldham Rd. I think dad said there was metal floor in there which he used to throw beer on if there was a fight, they would end up slipping on their backsides.
ReplyDeleteI think this pub was where my Dad lived as a boy. The publican I think was Paul Wallace, his grandfather. The 1921 census shows 9 people living at 203 Oldham Road with the head of household shown as a Publican. My late Aunt who also lived there took me there around 45 years ago. Apparently my dad would climb out of the back yard onto the roof of St George’s Church - now the site of a community centre. In her youth my Aunt would entertain guests by dancing and singing!
ReplyDeleteit was nicknamed "the thorn between two roses" as it was between the church and the Sunday School
ReplyDelete