SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

This is our heritage now - better get used to it.

Close up of the plaque.

I always thought the Tetley's Heritage status was just an attempt at some branding. The 'heritage inns' being old men and dominoes and not The Original Oak which merits a plaque but doesn't have one.

The only Heritage Inn I can remember was on the Snake Pass out of Sheffield, I think it was called The Norfolk Arms. I'm sure there were more, but I never saw them.

Cardiarms wrote: I always thought the Tetley's Heritage status was just an attempt at some branding. The 'heritage inns' being old men and dominoes and not The Original Oak which merits a plaque but doesn't have one. They certainly didn't ape the blue plaques because they cared.No bigger and better heritage Inn than the Duke William.They knocked it down for a couple of lorry parking spaces.They'd have tried to knock Chadwick House down too when they had it if the plans hadn't changed.This was marketing nonsense so don't get too upset Drapemeister!!!Not sure Rising Sun was of any great note, I love heritage stuff but you can't keep them all.

They were some of the first pubs to be dumped during the ill thought out reorganisation of the pub/brewing industry.

There is no future in the past, as my old history teacher used to say.Ironic isn't it though, that the shutters have been adorned with an advert for 24 hour home alcohol deliveries.

Cardiarms wrote: I always thought the Tetley's Heritage status was just an attempt at some branding. The 'heritage inns' being old men and dominoes and not The Original Oak which merits a plaque but doesn't have one. Are these plaques not a manifestation from the brewery for as you tentatively suggest branding/advertising hype? It is certainly not from the Civic Trust Blue Plaque scheme is it?    

chameleon wrote: Cardiarms wrote: I always thought the Tetley's Heritage status was just an attempt at some branding. The 'heritage inns' being old men and dominoes and not The Original Oak which merits a plaque but doesn't have one. Are these plaques not a manifestation from the brewery for as you tentatively suggest branding/advertising hype? It is certainly not from the Civic Trust Blue Plaque scheme is it?     I was working at the brewery at the time and we had a gentleman or two in the publicity department that was tied in with the Marketing department who had a great sense of history and were responsible for kicking off some Tetley's archives and digging out some historical stuff, photos etc from older members of staff. They even wrote a history of the brewery which was a very good book.On the back of that someone somewhere decided it would be a good idea (which it was) to extend the historical look back to Tetleys best pubs as well. The Cardi Arms is a classic old pub (The Citadel of the old St.Johns Rugby Ground) as is the Garden Gate etc etc etc.The marketing department didn't miss a trick and felt that if you stuck placques on all these pubs (in the Tetleys classic company colour of Royal Blue) and called them "Heritage Inns" people would go and look at them ( and sup the ale). It was a good idea and people did do that.Inside these pubs they put up potted histories of them. I remember the Adelphi one in which the changes in that pub and the rebuilding of the frontage etc was very interesting indeed.So the blue placque on the rising son is from a scheme which was partly marketing and partly a nod back to history - no thanks to "Tetley's" per se, but thanks to the two lads who took it upon themselves to preserve some of the company history - full marks to them and "nil pwan" to the corporate body.Of course to maximise history buffs going in the pubs I think all old pubs got a placque. Wether they deserved one or not - but then I suppose it depends on the criteria you set.Some of the old "Hotel" pubs are quite magnificent (but would be more so if one or two could be returned to former glories) some of the backstreet boozers are equally little palaces.How many deserve a "real" blue plaque is up to the civic society or whoever dole them out. I just hope (and I don't know this) that they haven't given real blue placques to just the big grand old pubs and have also considered a couple of the simple red brick backstreet jobs. They can be just as historicaly evocativeANYWAY stuff the marketing people, and never mind the civic society.Come on seceret Leeders, which old pub makes you look twice wether it's the architecture, the grand interiors, the sense you are stepping back in time, or the sense that you are in a simple monument to the thirst slaking of the working classes who built the old city we all take such an interest in????You first Chameleon. The Manston doesn't count...........

Not just a name mind - what looks good about it, what's interesting, why you felt that was the one above all others, and location as well.