A collection of photographs of another former Stockton pub – The Brunswick on Yarm Lane, Stockton. While I was taking these photographs I started talking to a chap who was passing by and he remembered it as The Brunswick. He also remembered that the large red door led to what was the 21 Club. I always remember this as The Birds Nest. October 2013.
Photographs and details courtesy of David Thompson.
Hi Dave, where’ve you been for 59 years? We did get paid a fiver between us, and there was always a fight. If the police were called the landlady would usher us upstairs to her flat because we were too young to be in the pub. I live in California now and still play bass. I’d love to send you the photo but I don’t know if this website will give out your email address.
Anyone remember or have any photo’s of the Stakkatos Band who played in the Brunswick around 1964/65.
I was the bass player in the Stakkatos. Are you related to Ian (who, I remember, preferred Dave) Hislop who sang and played guitar? We played upstairs on Saturday night – little stage about a foot high in the corner of the room. I do have a photo from the early days before we even played a gig.
Hi Rob, That was my sister and I’m still Dave Hislop. The Brunswick was a rough old pub in those days. I think we got paid £5 for a gig which usually ended up in a fight erupting somewhere in the room. Living in Somerset now and still playing guitar. I’ve even learned a few more chords. I’d be interested to see the photo.
Hello Picture Stockton Archive I would love to be able to contact Dave Hislop directly. Not sure how to do that. I give you permission to give him my email address if you are able. Thank you Rob Hull >
I’ve notice that there is old painted sign on the side of this building, its obscured by the decorators shop building next door, so you can only see the end of a word which I assume is “Brunswick”. You can just about see it here https://goo.gl/maps/cjC5smmc8cU2
Mr Grandfather lived at the Brunswick arms as a child. William Edward Batey Richardson (1875-1953). His grandfather Richard Wilson ran the inn from about 1840’s to 1876.
Julie Dalton
I used to live in that pub in 1982, my dad was the manager of the 21 club, I have lived in south Wales since 1985 and still do.
Was there a dance hall over the road from the Brunswick in the 60s?
Holy Trinity churchyard and school were over the road from the Brunswick, the Garrick pub further down the road from the Brunswick was across the road from the Maison De Dance.
It was the Maison de Danse. There was no alcohol so my friend and I used to go for a drink at the Brunswick before dancing the night away on Mondays and Saturdays in 1963/4, leaving in time for the bus back to Billingham.
When we started going we were only 16 but were never refused a lager and lime or a Babycham!
You might remember my group Patricia – The Panthers. We played the Maison many times about that time. Great days !!!
I certainly do. You were brilliant! The only reason I stopped going was that I left home in April 1964, aged only just 17, and returned only for brief visits.
(Only just seen your message after almost 18 months. I always subscribe but never get any notifications.)
I went to school with a lad, who was related to someone who either worked their or ran it between 1966-71. We would get the old records out of the jukebox that had no centres in them, classics LOL like Leapy Lee singing Little Arrows, ah the innocence of youth.
I think my grandad had this round about this time Alfie and Pat Small ,my dad was a regular and married the landlords daughter . Alan Aowden , he was living in the Bowsfield area at this time
‘Where were you when you heard that President Kennedy had been shot in 1963?’, the answer to that question, in the case of my pal Stewart Adams one-time bass-player with local 60’s group The Fireflies, was.. ‘In the back of my Dad’s car with all my gear, age 16, listening to the radio whilst on my way to play a gig in the upstairs room of The Brunswick at Stockton’
At the top of the stairs when a neighbour came to the door to tell us. We stood there waiting for the punchline, thinking it was one of his silly jokes.
Almost right Chris. This was the Fireflys first ‘proper’ gig. We were on our way to The Brunswick in the back of John Kelly’s dad’s car. We got a regular Friday night slot there playing for the Landlady – The formidable Mrs Owen?. Those nights were quite an eye-opener for a quiet 16 year old schoolboy. I seem to remember the evening often ended with a fight. It was also the night The Beatles played The Globe in Stockton – Guess who got the biggest audience?
This was one of the first of Stockton’s pubs to be modernised in the 1970’s, around 1975 I think. It was bought by the former Excel club manager Laurie Pig and opened as the Birds Nest with the upstairs later becoming the 21 Club. The first Managers were Laurie and Margaret Stewart. Happy days!
In the 1940’s it was called The Brunswick Arms and my father used to go for a quick pint after work!
Are you the Ron Harbron who lived at the top end of Eamont Road near to Norton Avenue? Also worked at Maggie Fosters on Norton Green as a paperboy. Your brother being Albert who worked with me as delivery boys for the butchers which was Walker and Simpson before it was Londons. If so I do know you, do you remember me?
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Prior to our marriage my husband and I enjoyed many a good night at the 21’s club dancing to the sultry tones of Barry White and other popular music in the mid to late 70’s. We remember deciding to pay a ‘nostalgia visit’ some years later – only to be stopped, by the doorman, at the foot of the stairs leading to the club.
“I don’t think you want to go up there” were his words to us. Puzzled, we asked “Why? He then told us it was now a Heavy Metal music club – so we, deciding he was right, and not being appropriately dressed, decided to spend our evening elsewhere.
Around the mid sixties, whilst I was a student at Billingham Tech I would occasionally go to the folk club at the Stork and Castle which, if my memory serves me right, was above the Brunswick. There was always a good, chilled- out atmosphere in there – unlike many present day establishments with rise in violent incidents
Wasn’t this pub called ‘The Falchion’ or something similar at some time after ‘The Bird’s Nest’ ?