As is usually the case, when my mate Bill Burnett from Edinburgh is down for a Rangers home game we arrange to meet-up post-match in a pub.
Our latest rendezvous was the Rose & Crown in South Ealing, the day after the 1-1 draw with Norwich City.
The pub is tucked away close to a magnificent grade 11 listed church, St. Mary’s.
It is thought that there was a coaching Inn originally on the site of the pub, which was called ‘The Oliver Cromwell’ and dated back to the 17th Century.
The Fuller’s pub was described in 1823 as, ‘the first Inn on the road from Brentford and has a sunny beer garden.’
The following article appeared in the West London Observer on 17th June 1865: ‘On Tuesday Mr Bird held an inquest at the Rose & Crown touching the death of John Allen, aged 35 years. Chas Allen deposed that he was a labourer, residing there. Deceased was his brother.
On Monday last, I was at work with deceased and James Cummings in Doctor Pearce’s field mowing, when just before 8 o’clock, deceased fell down, and shortly afterwards expired.
Mr Henry Wilkins stated that on making a post-mortem examination of deceased he ascertained that death resulted from disease of the heart. Verdict of “Died from Natural Causes.”
And in September 1889, it was reported that: ‘Walter Wakelin, of the “Rose and Crown”, Ealing, was summoned for having had in use for trade or in his possession, one-quart measure which was unjust.
Mr Clabburn defended. Inspector Tyler said that on the 26thJuly he visited the premises of the defendant, and found the measure in question, which was used for measuring beer, in the beer trough, with beer in it. The measure leaked and was also one ounce deficient in quantity it held.
Mr Clabburn said that the latter statement of the Inspector, that the measure did not hold the true quantity had taken him by surprise, as he had been given to understand that the only fault with the measure was that it leaked.
He would, under the circumstances, like the measure tested in open Court. The measure was tested accordingly and was found to be one ounce and a half less than the proper quantity.
The Chairman said that importance should be attached to the circumstance that this measure was not a drinking pot, but a measuring pot.
At the same time the Magistrates considered that the use of the measure was more a matter of neglect than intention to defraud.
Defendant would be fined 20s. and costs.’
As I ordered a pint of ‘Frontier’ and something else for Bill, I was told by the staff that after they had experienced the unexplainable movement of bottles and glasses around the bar area, they decided to call in a psychic, who then identified thespirit as being, ‘The Golden Lady’, who was called ‘Rosie’.
A conservatory had been added at some point and beyond that was a largish garden area.
Steve Russell
(Thanks to Colin Woodley for unearthing the two newspaper articles and thanks also to Bill for the above photo)