Blunham Pubs : The Salutation

The Salutation Pub is a large building in the High Street and the centre of Blunham village ( 20, High Street ) and I would think the entrance into todays' Wells Field bungalows area, plus The Horseshoes Pub .car park area (10, High Street) is where other cottages would have stood , such as 12, 14, 16 and 18 ? - It has also been called The Old Salutation and Ragged Staff, but records show one Auction Day in 1849 it was The Salutation.

Dwellings / cottages that were numbered 22 up 60 inclusive have also all disappeared for various reasons, because 62, The High Street a large Georgian style house is the 'next dwelling' on The High Streets' in the even numbering system.. So the total loss of cottages around the village square is actally Twenty Six plots / homes to go over many years.

The front facade changes of the Pub, from the 1906 photo (L.H.S.) such as Bay Windows , Roof change and wooden add on's must have been carried out between 1910 and the 1940's perhaps ? - Now it's a pseudo Medieval Style we have around the 1700 & 1800's as in Lavenham, Suffolk, so I suggest all was carried out perhaps with the Roof Change.

The Salutation name itself, dates back to when horsemen took a 'Stirrup Cup' or 'Salutary' drink outside a Pub in the old days of Hunting etc. (Salus, (L.) - health to or Salutare, ones' good health . - During my researches it was found that the original name was The Ragged Staff, The Salutation in 1849 , then changing to The Old Salutation during 1768 for reasons unknown.

It is of interest to note, The Queens Head pub in the square was also called The Ragged Staff and The Salutation in its time. - also 2, High Street in the square, 'The Ovens' thatched cottage of today . Battle Cottage being 4, High Street adjacent. - I think that when a change of landlords took place, they tried to entice their regulars to follow by calling the pub The Old Salutation. to meet up, to play cards, dominoes such as Crib etc with a pint..

Here follows a listing of Occupiers to date, from records researched at Bedfordshire Archive Service plus information kindly supplied by Greene King Brewers at Biggleswade. - In 1961 a merger of the Wells & Winch Brewery and Greene King, (formely of Suffolk) had taken place, then closing down in 1997, demolitshed and now a Supermarket.

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Free House now, owner Countess Cowper, Wrest Park in Silsoe

THE SALUTATION DEBATING SOCIETY :

: A Motley band of drinkers who came to the 'Sally' for a pint (or two) on a Friday evening around 8pm for conversation, banter, a laugh with enlightenment. It was made up of the following characters, Ted Jeffries a Land Worker for a Mr John Quince a local Land-owner, then Jim Goodwin and his best mate Cliff Payne (or Paynie) who had his own farming business, They were both very good Dart players, and hard to beat.

: Jim was always the one with a deadpan face, always observing, yet full of dry humour, a twinkle in his eye, and soon quick to spot any chance for a quick joke, but never personal. Jim always remarked on the amount of holidays taken by local teachers as they entered, or a character who wore smart jackets and he would say, "is your Coach parked around the back ? " - He always enjoyed a challenge to a game of Darts or Pool.

Joe Norman a quiet man, astute and always a smile, with his daughter Mary a nurse, who was also as sharp as a razor within the male company. He was a very good dart player and made his own flites of huge proportions. On a 'Bull Start' game we often played, I saw him place 3 darts into the Bullseye, (tiny) so the flites were no barrier. I saw this only twice before in my life time (Andrew Brown and Lawrence (Lol ) Charteress, so 3 times now) . - . I once had 2 bulls and and a 25 one lucky night, also many 180's in my playing days.