The Mersey Hotel was a huge interwar roadhouse pub on Princess Road between Chorlton and Didsbury in what I suppose is technically West Didsbury. At the archive there are a couple of 1961 photos of the pub. Here you can just make out the Groves & Whitnall sign; and this shows the proximity of the it to the still-standing neighbouring houses.
The Mersey Hotel became the Snooty Fox and then the Mersey Lights before it closed. Towards the end it had something of a rough reputation and was also a popular stop-off point for coaches of away football fans to stop off and smash up before they hit the M56 motorway. The nail in the coffin for the Mersey Lights was by traditional means - a mysterious fire which caused irreparable damage.
As the Pub Curmudgeon perceptively pointed out 10 years ago, visitors driving into Manchester from the M56 along Princess Road are these days met with a pub-free route through the city boundaries, since the demise of (from south-to-north) the Royal Thorn, Mersey Hotel, the Oaks and Princess (and a shyte brewery):
Large communities on either side of the main road are now more than half a mile from the nearest pub. These pubs were not in blighted inner-city areas... These oversized, echoing drinking barns probably never gave anyone much of a positive reason for visiting them and have now paid the price [2].
Large communities on either side of the main road are now more than half a mile from the nearest pub. These pubs were not in blighted inner-city areas... These oversized, echoing drinking barns probably never gave anyone much of a positive reason for visiting them and have now paid the price [2].
Former location of the Mersey Hotel, Princess Road. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.
Cheers for the mention. It raises the question as to whether the big 1930s "roadhouse" pubs ever actually worked.
ReplyDeleteWow, you can just make out the old front corner of my garden in one of the photos. Hadn't realised the pub was so big, only the old Texaco garage was on the site when I first moved in. The garden was reduced when they widened Princess Road.
ReplyDeleteWow, you can just make out the old front corner of my garden in one of the photos. Hadn't realised the pub was so big, only the old Texaco garage was on the site when I first moved in. The garden was reduced when they widened Princess Road.
ReplyDeleteI used to drink in here as a sixteen year old. Never saw any trouble (1980). It was then known as the Snooty Fox. Nice pub nice building. Pity the building did'nt survive.
ReplyDeleteAnyone got any photo's of inside Mersey Lights? I would love to see them as I used to go in there in the 1980's Please post if possible. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see photo's of Mersey Lights or Snooty Fox pub! Someone must have some? Good Times!
ReplyDeleteWhen was the traffic lights first installed at the mersey lights please
ReplyDeleteHad some good nights in here with good friends those where the days
ReplyDeleteI met my husband at the snooty fox and have been married 40 years in April!! Happy days
ReplyDeleteI HUNG OUT WITH Dave James, the DJ who taught ME to mix. FORTY YEARS on I am teaching MY apprentice. Lovely memories of a sadly missed era....
DeleteWhat a strange coincidence. I met my wife at the Snooty fox on this day in 1979 and we got married a year later in the April 1980
DeleteUsed to go there in the 80s also, great night out, dance floor surrounded by the upstairs balconies, and music pumping out
ReplyDeletePlenty ov great nights in there it was mylocal
ReplyDeleteJust lived around the back wot a pub that was
ReplyDeleteWhat brewery owned Mersey Lights?
ReplyDeleteThe post states that it was owned by Groves & Whitnall, who were later taken over by Greenall Whitley.
ReplyDeleteMoved into h house on the green opposite the mersey in 1969 aged 10 remember the big bands that played in there Joe lock and his big band I think. Coaches parked around the green outside our house. Men peeing up the lamp post before getting on coaches to go home. Years later watching punch ups on green with men drunk going home and going out 7 am Sunday morning with my sisters before church because they'd lost money in fights from their pockets. Introduced my husband in there aged 16 (Only lived 4 doors away from him but had never met ) married at 17 going strong 46 years on. Loved the place. We've lost all our locals now all garages, shops offices or restaurants.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the elo tribute band called
ReplyDeleteI used to be my local pub in late 50's living on Mersey Bank Estate used to have a great time playing darts on a Manchester board (Double & Bull at 6d a turn. Pint of beer 1 shilling. There was no trouble in those days, great times RGR
ReplyDeleteLived around the back does anyone remember the off licence in the corner shame its gone had great notes
ReplyDeleteUsed to go there late 60’s,
ReplyDeletecourting my wife.
Evening cabaret shows with various artists of the day, singers,groups even a sword swallower/fire eater “STROMBOLI”