Beehive Pub
By Eric Goodwin
For all the people who wanted to know about the Beehive,the pub was run by Whitbreads in the 50’s and 60’s.The managers name was John Bradwell but cant remember his wifes name.He had a son Martin I think.The man named Eric, was the head barman and promoted when John left in the early 60’s.I can honestly say that there was quite a bit of under age drinking,but the social and political climate was a lot different then.I can remember at the age of ten my dad parking me beside the fireplace out of the way and giving me half a pint of bitter or chandy!!The ugly green building was indeed owned by Hatfield Hyde CC and was pulled down and the brick building erected in the around 68-70.There were a couple of sheds or small barns in which chickens and I think pigs were raised,my mother worked in the pub and would help feed them.They were raised to build a place for weddings and other events.I have been in America the last 33 yrs and look on Google every now and then,things sure have changed.I used to live around the corner on Ryelands.The pub has changed a lot too.Hopa this bring out some good memories.
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The old ‘Beehive’ pub sign stood to the left of the pub as seen from Beehive Lane and carried a painting of a traditional ‘bee skep’, woven from wicker. I should think that sign went sometime before 1970, and was replaced by a new sign to the right, with a picture of a more modern wooden white painted Beehive.
St Mary Magdalene church mentioned by Anthony Brewer still stands at the other side of of KGV playing field, and visits by carol singing parties have occurred over the years when sufficient singers in good voice can be got together. The last such will have been about 2015, and we had a great collection from all present (toward relief of famine in Ethiopia, if memory serves). There are at least three current regulars in the congregation who might well remember the Brewers, I will ask.
The original Beehive Public House was one of the pubs in the little settlement of Hatfield Hyde, and I would guess at a 17th/18th century origin. It has now been greatly enlarged to the rear to make a dining pub, no longer the rather spit and sawdust place it once was! The car park to the right took the nice clump of trees adjacent the road access to KGV. The once pleasant pub garden to the left had the abandoned ‘white house’ mentioned by Rob built in it circa 1990, but this is now totally neglected and overgrown.
Adherence to the licencing laws was not that scrupulous well into the 1970s, it was well known while I was at secondary school that if you were quiet and sensible you would be served. Then again that was true of most other WGC pubs, I imagine that none of them would now serve someone wearing school uniform, no questions asked, these last thirty years.
Anyone know what the abandoned White House next door was or is? Very over grown now.
Anthony, my mother was a friend of your mother (Olive, if I remember correctly). I remember Sanchia who was about the same age as myself. I am the Robstan who posted below. I do also remember the twins!
From 1952 up to 1966 I lived next door to the Beehive pub in Beehive lane. I was 4 when we moved in to our house on the corner of the small road that went to the King George 5th playing fields. No 64 Beehive lane. I had two sisters Brenda who 8 yrs older and Sanchia who was 4 yrs older. I also had a much beloved identical twin brother called Clive. We were locally known as the Brewer twins and the grounds of the Beehive pub and the playing fields were our playgrounds for all those years of sheer happiness. This was in spite of my mum who had been diagnosed with MS a few yrs before. She would be always taken around in a wheel chair by my dad. On a Sunday my dear father could be seen rushing across the playing fields to St Mary’s church to get to the service on time.
Even though we lived closest to the pub than anyone ( until they built the row of houses opposite ) I only recall my dad going into the pub on Christmas eve as he didn’t drink. My brother and I were choir boys at St Mary’s and on a couple of years we would sing carols in the pub for the locals having a drink or two.
I also recall the original pub sign which was I think a straw type upside down basket thing pretending to be a beehive.
I think it had a history of having some very ancient timbers from the 1600s or so??
I too didn’t drink even up to the age of 18 when I left for London as a student so I do not have any inside knowledge of the pub but mainly memory of the grounds which were super for playing cowboys and indians etc. Now there’s a memory for some of you older ones I am sure.
I remember the Park keeper was a Mr Turton ( think I have that right?) whose son William went to Blackthorne as we did. He later took his own life in the 60s whilst involved with drugs. Certainly not my scene but was sadly growing in our ‘new ‘ town.
So many memories mostly good.
Would love to hear from anyone of that time who even would recollect to Brewer boys
Thanks for that. As someone who played for Hatfield Hyde Colts and 2nd XI (nowhere near good enough for the Firsts) I remember the green building – no great loss.
What is a sad loss is the beautiful ground surrounded by trees that was behind that building. By comparison the current HHCC ground is a sad disappointment.