By Bill Exley
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The Oak, c1914 |
91 High Street, 2001 |
The Oak - was a Beerhouse and now 91, High Street today. It used to be a favourite with the land workers, along with others in the village, for all had their regulars. They were all open most of the day, then later tougher drinking hours came into force. A Beerhouse, like a pub but No Bar, was granted an 'Alehouse Lic' by the Authorities.
The site is unchanged with the passing of time, it's past can easily be recalled , the weathered space where the old sign was fixed can still be made out. Today it has a small plaque near the door - 'The Old Oak' - so preserving a part of our Bunham history, in the same way as plaques at - 5, High street / The Ragged Staff and 12, The Hill / The Old Post Office,
. RECORD OF LANDLORDS & TENANTS |
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Thomas Winters - buys The Oak for £100 - and gets first Licence |
1849-1872 |
| - Also known as 'The Generous Britain' - |
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George Thomas, - now Simpsons of Baldock / Brewers |
1872-1884 |
Thomas Winters - as records show , (again, Son ? ) |
1884-1899 |
Arthur James Nears |
1899-1901 |
Charles Gamer |
1901-1903 |
| Geo. Battle (a one armed man) |
1903-1907 |
Now a Blunham Population of 603 - Served by the 8 Pubs in - |
1909 |
| Geo. Henry Davey (now The Oak , name change unproven) |
1907-1910 |
| Thom Stevens, now we have Wells & Winch / Brewers |
1910-1914 |
| Archibald and May Hull |
1914-1924 |
| Hector Rawlins |
1924-1928 |
| Annie & Harry, (Henry) Lovell - with daughter Betty (born in Sheffield 1920) |
1928-1958 |
| Annie Lovell |
1957-1958 |
| The Oak now calls - "Last orders please" and closes down on - |
15/9/1958 |
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Mr and Mrs Jack White (nee Lovell) - They then later move into a Large red bricked house he had built for them, further along the High Street., opp. The Salutation Pub.
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c1984 |
MISC, OR FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Old Oak Tree, or The Tree of Knowledge can Live to over 1,200 to 1,500 years
- Or . . A little known fact, : Origin : - a 'Mastermind' T.V. Prog, question (2/6/2022) - Hedy Lamarr a Film Actress of the early Black and White film days, c.1930s / 40s , and Samson and Delilah. (Col. in 1949) . . Suprisingly, was also an Inventor and - responsible for the, 'Frequency-hopping, - Spread-Spectrum' , inovation / technology. (b. in Austria 1914 & d. 2000 at 85 yrs old) - It is now used today in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, G.P.S. and CDMA systems and she holds 49% of the Patent. She had become interested in Torpedoes. and their Guidance Systems and detection in use, so working with the composer Geo. Antheil, they came up with a Freqency- Hopping / Changing idea to make enemy Jamming harder. But America had turned all her ideas down until the mid 1960's. , now her Induction into The National Inventors Hall of Fame takes place in in 2014 - (3/6/2022) * - *
Just one of the interesting, unusual or irrelevant Facts out there.
Or . . 'The Likely Lads' : Origin : -The term is from the Tyneside area in the N.E. of England, meaning 'he's got Potential ' , and a Boxing term. - * - 'The Likely Lads' was also a popular T.V. show starring Rodney Bewes as Bob Ferris and James Bolam as Terry Collier. It was written by Ian La Frenais and Dick Clements, being aired over 18 episodes by the B.B.C. in 3 series during 1964 to '66. - Or for other snippets visit Misc & Mash
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In the early 1900's and child labour was common, a Foreman would walk down a line of eager 10 to 15 yr olds and pick out healthy, strong looking lads to work in - Cotton Mills (a dangerous job, crawling obout under the huge noisy Looms) , Factories or down a Coal Mine alongside men, and he would say "he's a Likely Lad" . / . My Father, (b. 13/8/1903) - was down a Coal Mine at 13 yrs old - (2/08/1916 - record to hand - Factories & Workshop Act form of 1901) - at Monk Bretton Pit, in Barnsley, S. Yorkshire. Due to 'his' Father's strict Yorkshire Dogma., He can now work for his keep, signed up at 12yrs old ! This then authorised Schooling Excemption.
Last Revision made by Bill Exley on - / - 26th June -2022
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