The Foundry: formerly Pedestrian Arms
A pub in a time warp
During the late 1960’s and up to 1974 I was a regular at the Pedestrians Arms; thankfully it was a pub in a time warp, and a real slice of Brighton history. The pub is in Foundry Street and is now, unsurprisingly, called The Foundry. The business had been in the same family for over a hundred years as the then landlord Henry Hazelgrove had taken up the license in the 1950s. His wife Eadie had taken it up from her father in 1928, and he had been landlord since the 1860s. This is my memory from thirty years ago so dates may need tweaking after research.
Helping out the elderly landlord
As Henry was 82 when he gave up the pub, there was a great deal of customer participation in helping him in the last year or so. Last leavers after ‘Time Gentlemen Please’ were given a broom and/or wet cloths to clean up the bar. As you left after the chores he always thrust very large dark rum into your hand to down in one. Hefty late leavers were sent to the cellar to lug up crates of ale. These were invariably crates of bottled pints of Guinness, as the pub was opposite the GPO it was generally peopled by postmen, especially at lunchtime, and they all seemed to drink bottled Guinness.
A proper pub – a boozer
One lunch break I went in for a pint and as the cricket was on, Henry said to get my self a drink, as I was pulling my Watneys Mild, some strangers came in and thought I was the barman. They were followed by others, and some postmen arrived. I never sat down for my entire lunch break. Henry always stated his pub was not for entertainment; no music, no juke box, no ‘bandits’ – it was a boozer. The one exception was a large, well large for the 1960s, television which was only on for ‘Test Match Special’ as Henry was a cricket fan. The pub had their own angling club – The Pedestrians Arms Deep Sea Anglers or PADSAC, and the saloon bar had a wonderful old marine chart showing the fishing grounds off the Brighton shore. A proper pub!
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My grandad, Ernest Longhurst, was a regular in this pub. It was his escape, and he always referred to his trip as “…just going down ‘enry’s”
As a small child at the time, it was a bit mysterious to me as children at that time (1950s) were never admitted to pubs as it was definitely an adult environment. I do remember him and one of his sons, Roy, being members of the angling club.
Ernest lived in Frederick Gardens, and the area was full of local “boozers” on almost every street corner.
I remember going to this pub on Saturday mornings whenever I was in town. My mother and sister would be with me. As we left, the landlord would always give the women a kiss on the cheek and a ‘fondle’ on the way out. Great fun, great pub. How many years ago.
My Grandmother used to work in this pub in the 60’s I remember sitting on the stairs behind a closed door as children were not allowed inside back then.
Hazel, you and l shared the same lovely grandmother, known as Peggy. I have many happy memories of the Pedestrian Arms and Foundry Street.
Yes, sitting on the stairs, waiting for the pub to shut, so gran and me could go home for Sunday lunch! Lovely memories of happy days.
How do I contact you Peggy?
A late comer to this page but I would like to add my memories of the Pedestrian Arms way back in th 50s when my dad Jim (nobby)Clark was a regular along with his wife Sadie,
Ernie and Elsie Payne and someone called winkle who were all avid members of the fishing club.A certain incident comes to mind during a fishing trip on a warm summer day with the beach packed with day trippers and the boat they were all in turned sideways with the incoming tide and spilled all occupants out into the surf no doubt to the amusement of all onlookers luckily no one drowned.One other time I vividly remember was Queen Elizabeth’s coronation when Ernie the publican allowed my two sisters my brother and me to watch the event from the stairs that led to their flat looking at a tiny black and white tv in the bar and then having to stand outside with a packet of Smiths crisps with salt bag and a drink of orange squash.Good memories. Brian Clark.
Brian,
Good that you remember the Smith’s crisps WITH the little separate screw of salt in them!
I also remember watching the Coronation on a little 9 inch screen TV. (Not black & white more like grey and white!) and the bigger one in the window of Barnards radio & TV shop in St George’s Road.
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