Pubs worth celebrating

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 13 Jul, 2007 3:49 pm

drapesy wrote: simonm wrote: Usually nip into the dragon on the way to the match. Mind you, it's crap now! all the good stuff ripped out to be one of these arty farty, extra cold this and that kids bars!! Not a propper pub anymore imho!! Maybe not - but better than a boarded up shell like some old pubs!! Of course it is, but some of the pubs in this thread are still "propper pubs" imo and deserve the "pubs worth celebrating" status.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 13 Jul, 2007 3:50 pm

Sgt. Washbourne wrote: That's a sobering thought simon....going in a crap pub on the way to watch a crap football team.

OI, cheeky sod! mind you, you have a point, rather large one as a matter of fact...

Sgt. Washbourne · Post by **Sgt. Washbourne** » Sun 15 Jul, 2007 9:57 pm

Mind you Simon...I should be Public Enemy No.1 round here since I'm a Huddersfield Town fan living in Leeds!Can't argue though....Huddersfield Town were in administration a few years back and ended up playing in what's known to many as Division 4! But they prevailed...so if Huddersfield can do it...then so can Leeds Utd.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 10:24 pm

The Primrose in Meanwood, mentioned along with many vanished pubs in the Meanwood Road area in the 'Lost pubs' thread. There used to be loads of Pubs around here but now that the Globe is gone the Primrose is the last survivor. It's been painted the right colour!

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 12:45 pm

I seem to remember('ere we go!) a pub off Woodhouse St/Rampart Rd Called 'The Swan With Two Necks' Up a short street (Marsh Vale,or Marsh St?). Apparently, it should be called 'The Swan With Two NICKS', from the ancient practice of marking swans by 'nicking' their beaks to denote how old they were???!Anyone know if it's still active?Arry Awk

Ro-Man · Post by **Ro-Man** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 3:02 pm

I pass the Swan With Two Necks on my way home. It's still there, although I've never been in myself, so can't vouch for what it looks like inside.The Primrose is also a good pub for live music. It's always amazed me why other venues in Leeds get the plaudits for putting bands on, and The Primrose always seems to be overlooked. It's probably down to location I suppose - a bit too far for the glitterati of Headingley to venture no doubt.

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 7:40 pm

As far as I know the Swan is still open.I heard that the custom of nicking the beak was to mark the ownership of the swans at 'Swan Upping' time. Only two sets of people were allowed to 'own' swans. One was the monarch and the other was the Worshipful Guild of Brewers. The swans that went to the monarch were marked with one nick on the beak and the brewer's swans were marked with two. Hence the name of the pub.

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 7:52 pm

My Great-grandfather, Robert, signed the pledge after his usual Friday night in the Primrose. He saw a chap in there that he owed money, he felt so guilty that he put his pint down, went home, signed the pledge and became a Methodist lay preacher. He was one of the founding members of Clowes Methodist on Meanwood Road at the bottom of Cambridge Road, now a Seventh Day Adventist church.This sorry state of affairs lasted into the next generation, my Grandad James never drank but he had five sons. My Uncle Charlie and my dad Alan served in different services in WW2 but they were both sent on leave to Ceylon at one time and they met up in Kandy. Neither of them knew that the other one liked a tipple so they spent all day walking round Kandy together in the sweltering heat, each not daring to suggest to the other that they go for a beer. One of them finally made the suggestion and they found a bar. When they were demobbed, they used to go drinking every Friday night in the Hyde Park. The teetotal effect has almost completely worn off in the family you'll be pleased to hear.

Sgt. Washbourne · Post by **Sgt. Washbourne** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 9:58 pm

Th swan with 2 necks is very much still open....it's my local. It's awkard playing darts in there now since the smoking ban came into place. The dart board is at the end of the bar with a door which people frequently use to go outside for a crafty smoke.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 10:14 pm

I have some pics of the Swan but am unable to upload them at the moment due to deficiencies on the site.I've heard this "nicks/necks" thing before and frankly I think its a load of rubbish. An expert on pub names did some research a few years ago and found many pubs throughout the country - going back hundreds of years in some cases - with this name, but no evidence that any had ever been called by the name "Swan with 2 nicks".it seems plausible at first - It might have happened at one pub - but lots of them? and they all changed their name? and none retained the original? No its not on. The author believed that the name comes from heraldry and is a misunderstanding of a drawing of two swans one behind the other.