5 replies to this topic

[hesmond]

Does any one rember the contreversy when Paddys Bar was demolished at Victoria Station in the 1970s ,destroyed by British Rail befor the Imperial War Museum could save it ? or has the whole thing been lost in the mist of time ?

[Deerhunter]

I know nothing of it all, do you have any background, please?

Rgds

DH

[hesmond]

Hi D H as i can rember at the time around 1974 /73 there was a major refurb of the main station at Victoria main line , Which  during the Great War was a major transport hub for sending troops by rail to Folkstone and the major ports of embarcation to France ,the point raised at the time was that the towns of Dover / Folkstone and their public houses were out of bounds to the troops and just the time involved of the trains arriving and then being loaded as quick as possible it was very diffcult if not imposible for the lads to get a last pint in Blighty ? But Paddys Bar which had been in use throughout both world wars ,in theory was the last English pub used by the lads befor departing to France and in many cases never to return ,as i understand and what my memory serves me it was completly unchanged all fixtures fittings the bar orginal ect .
A campaine had been underway to rescue the fittings if not evan issue a presevation order for the bar as it stood ,this i understand was organised by the London Evening standard ,also it was suggested all the fittings be removed and taken to the Imperial War Museum were they would be reasembled ect . All to no avail ,there was a last night celebration in the bar as reported by the press and then the developers moved in skiped the lot ,built a new all 70s plastic bar changed the name and it was lost forever ... untill it was refurbed again in a yes classic Edwardian style ,my question is can any one rember the press campaine it would have only been London as i have mentioned this to a few other lads and the whole story seems lost ? it should bear out as a tale of how som thing almost unique can be lost and in my feelings, those responsible never take any responsablity .

It would have been pulled down around the time of the TV advert how rare a great war TV ad showing the lads in a bar and the order given to move and the NCOs comeing in and moveing the lads on ,it was done very well ,it may have evan have been by the same brewer responsible for the Victoria bar ?

[Quickdraw68]

That must have been the TV ad for Worthington "E" bitter,  with the song Goodbye "E" as a backdrop. I was in London from August to Christmas 1974 and visited the IWM every weekend for a Great war exhibition they were running at the time. Don't recall anything about Paddys Bar or a campaign, though.

[centurion]

There was certainly an Edwardian bar there in 1972 as my wife and I had a drink whilst waiting for a train en route for our honeymoon

[hesmond]

The idea proposed by the IWM was to move all the fixtures and fittings and recreate the bar in the museum as a i understand a working bar for events ,the campaine to save the bar i belive but may be wrong was carried by either the evening Standard or the News ,both London based papers ,in any event the developers moved very quick and all that happned was a last night closeing party with i belive a few noted Great war buffs and the like as the event was reported in the evening papers ,all the fittings were put in a skip .
Its just one of those things that were news worthy for a few days ,weeks then completly disapeard.