The most mental pub in Manchester?

I used to (about 30 yrs ago) go in the King's arms, chorlton on medlock quite often because the beer was stunning. Fucking weird cross section of humanity in there which would've made an interesting zoo or circus exhibit.
That was my local in the 70's. Most just smoked cannabis resin.

That estate is being renovated. The Kings is no more.

(Helen Turner lived nearby)
 
It had its own mystique about the place, you couldn’t see in through the windows and if you weren’t known you probably wouldn’t get in. After our initial visit probably around 1987 we always walked past wanting to go in but more than scared enough not to.
Used to go in there on match days in the 80's, if you walked in from the main rd. Lloyd st. there was a piano on the right with a really old black guy sat there dealing drugs from under the piano lid and if you walked out the back the locals who were also old black gents were always playing dominoes. I always found it funny the way they smashed their tiles down on the table when it was their turn.
 
Used to go in there on match days in the 80's, if you walked in from the main rd. Lloyd st. there was a piano on the right with a really old black guy sat there dealing drugs from under the piano lid and if you walked out the back the locals who were also old black gents were always playing dominoes. I always found it funny the way they smashed their tiles down on the table when it was their turn.

Standard in your face dominoes...

I remember seeing this for the first time at the Hotpot in hulme, was always followed by a kiss of the teeth and outrageous laughter!
 
Standard in your face dominoes...

I remember seeing this for the first time at the Hotpot in hulme, was always followed by a kiss of the teeth and outrageous laughter!

I was in there once pre-match and two plain clothes pigs walked in, went to the bar and ordered two pints. While one paid for them the other obviously spotted who they were in there for and went and cuffed him then took him over to his mate who had bought the beers and the two of them necked there beers in one and promptly walked out again.
 
Hell of a shame. Had many a good pre match session in there. The goat curry with a 5” shard of bone in it was an experience ;)
Was it the Huntsman on Wilmslow Rd? Some interesting characters in there, thought I’d stumbled in on the monsters ball ;)
And that’s where I was when we were shit. Happy days ;)
Yeah the huntsman .....should have seen it on a Sunday night ...fucking fraggle rock mate . Alberts the only pub left round there now , no idea how it stays open .
 
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Used to go in there on match days in the 80's, if you walked in from the main rd. Lloyd st. there was a piano on the right with a really old black guy sat there dealing drugs from under the piano lid and if you walked out the back the locals who were also old black gents were always playing dominoes. I always found it funny the way they smashed their tiles down on the table when it was their turn.
I saw that (the dominoes) at the Bus Drivers Club in Hulme, it is funny to watch. The other thing that struck me was most of the black guys drank Dark beer, Guiness,mild or stout. I used to go in the Bay Horse in Longsight around 40 years ago and hardly ever saw one of the Afro Caribbean’s drinking lager or bitter. I’ve not been down those parts for years, guess it’s all changed now.
 
Yeah the huntsman .....should have seen it on a Sunday night ...fucking fraggle rock mate . Alberts the only pub left round there now , no idea how it stays open .
The Albert used to be my Dad`s local in the 50`s and 60`s,it was one of the better ones then,same as the Queens on the other side of Walmer Street.
 
The Albert used to be my Dad`s local in the 50`s and 60`s,it was one of the better ones then,same as the Queens on the other side of Walmer Street.
The Queens ...bloody hell , bet not many people remember that , did you have to go up big stone steps to it ? Was knocked down in the early seventies I think , was there one called The feathers round there ?
 
As a kid in Ardwick in the early 60s I lived in the walk up flats which were adjacent to the Mancunian Way when it was built. There was a pub at the end of our street called Birdies. I seem to remember it was actually named The Shakespeare but as it was decades ago I can't be sure. I saw loads of huge fights spilling out of that place all the time as Sunday afternoons were a prime time for them.

My pyschopathic, drunken father drank in there and regularly came home covered in cuts and bruises after yet another fight. He said a favourite pastime was when a stranger came in the vault, drank a pint and then put the empty pot upside down on the table. This was a challenge that he'd fight anyone in the pub and generally my father was happy to oblige. It was demolished to make way for the Mancunian Way.

Update: I have done some research on Birdies / The Shakespeare and there is an interesting City link. That pub, The Talbot in Stretford, The Didsbury, The Seymour and the Britons Protection were built by a Welshman named Chapman. His son, JE Chapman, ran The Shakespeare and became City chairman.

Further update: John Chapman was the first Manchester City chairman - 1894-1902. He then did another stint from 1914-20.
 
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As a kid in Ardwick in the early 60s I lived in the walk up flats which were adjacent to the Mancunian Way when it was built. There was a pub at the end of our street called Birdies. I seem to remember it was actually named The Shakespeare but as it was decades ago I can't be sure. I saw loads of huge fights spilling out of that place all the time as Sunday afternoons were a prime time for them.

My pyschopathic, drunken father drank in there and regularly came home covered in cuts and bruises after yet another fight. He said a favourite pastime in there was when a stranger came in the vault, drank a pint and then put the empty pot upside down on the table. This was a challenge that he'd fight anyone in there and generally my father was happy to oblige. It was demolished to make way for the Mancunian Way.
My Nana lived on Coalbrook Street and I remember the Clock Face. Not rough particularly but part of the area.
 

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