What is the roughest bar you have been to?

Redlips said:
1. Three legs leeds
2. Gilzeans Middlesbrough
3. Blind beggar London
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Three Legs? Are ya kidding?
Used to be one of the top branches when Tony ran it and always had a great time in there.

Know what you're saying about the Beggar however and always wondered why BASIL kept having their meetings there *shudders*
 
I posted this story on the old forum years ago, so sorry for the repetition -
I went to visit my lad who was at Uni in Belfast 8 years or so ago. We wanted to go to a bar playing trad Irish music and was pointed in the direction of Maddens bar.
Now I’m ex Army, so should have seen the signs, we were told to ring a buzzer and wait til we’d been looked at through CCTV to see if we’d be allowed in.
We got buzzed in, walked through the door, and as it locked behind us we looked round to see a pub full of IRA murals and a totally silent bar full of people staring at us.
I realised there was no way out, so walked to the bar and asked for a couple of pints.
On hearing my English accent the barman asked “Where the fuck are you lads from?”
I sighed in resignation and said Blackpool.
Everyone round us cheered and started hugging us and telling tales of their trips over here.
Had a great night but at that moment I’ve probably never been so scared in my life!
I’ve always thought that if I wasn’t a Seasider we’d have been goosed that night.
 
Martonmosser said:
No idea what it was called but it was in Peterlee in the North East.....what a town 😳😳😳
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I joined the Army at 16 with a lad from Shotton, just outside Peterlee.
Hardest man I’ve ever known, and that was when he was 16!! Mining area and everyone was hard as nails.
👍
 
Dave62 said:
Charlie's Bar
The Regency Cub (changed its name to Centaurs but still dog rough)
Father's Moustache / The Tache (Paddy McGintys or have I recalled that incorrectly?)
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When the Tache was the haunt of Hells Angels and the heavy music brigade I was working the door at Secrets on Topping St on a Saturday night when we'd just played Chelsea, about 20 Chelsea fans tried to get in and were obviously knocked back by me and the door crew, when they asked where could they get in one of the lads mentioned the Tache as they let anyone in but went on to warn them of the dangers if they decided to go for it. They laughed off the suggestion they would be in any danger, the following day were heard that three had been stabbed and five others hospitalised in a brawl with the local rockers. So yeah, the Tache had it's moments 🤔
 
Dave62 said:
Charlie's Bar
The Regency Cub (changed its name to Centaurs but still dog rough)
Father's Moustache / The Tache (Paddy McGintys or have I recalled that incorrectly?)
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The Regency Club, I managed to survive a few visits 😬
 
The Perseverance Lumb Lane, Bradford. Now shut and reopened as a chemists. Previously drugs were available there , but not on prescription. I went to see the landlord there and Apart from him was the only white face and was suspected of being a Police man until the Landlord shouted it's ok he's my friend.

The Eagle in Middleborough. No chairs, tables bolted to the floor, windows all boarded. Screens across parts of the bar. Awful.
 
Johnno said:
I posted this story on the old forum years ago, so sorry for the repetition -
I went to visit my lad who was at Uni in Belfast 8 years or so ago. We wanted to go to a bar playing trad Irish music and was pointed in the direction of Maddens bar.
Now I’m ex Army, so should have seen the signs, we were told to ring a buzzer and wait til we’d been looked at through CCTV to see if we’d be allowed in.
We got buzzed in, walked through the door, and as it locked behind us we looked round to see a pub full of IRA murals and a totally silent bar full of people staring at us.
I realised there was no way out, so walked to the bar and asked for a couple of pints.
On hearing my English accent the barman asked “Where the fuck are you lads from?”
I sighed in resignation and said Blackpool.
Everyone round us cheered and started hugging us and telling tales of their trips over here.
Had a great night but at that moment I’ve probably never been so scared in my life!
I’ve always thought that if I wasn’t a Seasider we’d have been goosed that night.
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Looks like you picked a good night, Johnno

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Victim 'clubbed like a seal' in attack outside Maddens Bar

Shocked witnesses last night described how they saw a man "clubbed like a seal" by thugs outside a popular Belfast bar.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

I’ll have to check it out if ever I get back to Belfast. Bloody Covid!
 
In the late 90's on a holiday and work trip we walked into a bar in Nogales in Mexico. It was the only place I've ever been in where the barman actually had to brush the roaches off the bar top before serving us. That was before the cartels took a grip there, god knows what it's like now.
 
Recidivist3 said:
Looks like you picked a good night, Johnno

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Victim 'clubbed like a seal' in attack outside Maddens Bar

Shocked witnesses last night described how they saw a man "clubbed like a seal" by thugs outside a popular Belfast bar.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

I’ll have to check it out if ever I get back to Belfast. Bloody Covid!
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Doesn’t surprise me mate, the barmaid ( from a different pub) who told us to go there, said the next day that it was regularly shot up during the troubles, hence the buzzer.
Still amazed at how they saw us ((Blackpool) as exempt from their politics!!
 
I'm told, by Fleetwood types, that the Cutty Sark in Fleetwood was the roughest pub in the world but I had some great nights in there as a young lad. It was a bit like walking in to a western saloon when you first visited but if you had the nads to front it out and get to know the locals, it was a cracking boozer.

The Melting Pot at The Welcome was guaranteed to kick off every weekend, The Lion Bar, that became South Shore Yates', was little more than a boxing ring at weekends, as was the Foxhall, but The Farmers Arms has always been the most consistent "rough pub" until it's last couple of refurbs.

The most Famous "rough pub" I've ever been in was The Hammers in East Ham, they actually loved the fact that an 'innocent' 17yr old walked in on his own, for a pint, after an argument with his girlfriend and was happy to declare he was a proud Seasider. I had respect for Spam fans until that day at Wembley!
 
AllTheBoysAreCheerin' said:
I'm told, by Fleetwood types, that the Cutty Sark in Fleetwood was the roughest pub in the world but I had some great nights in there as a young lad. It was a bit like walking in to a western saloon when you first visited but if you had the nads to front it out and get to know the locals, it was a cracking boozer.

The Melting Pot at The Welcome was guaranteed to kick off every weekend, The Lion Bar, that became South Shore Yates', was little more than a boxing ring at weekends, as was the Foxhall, but The Farmers Arms has always been the most consistent "rough pub" until it's last couple of refurbs.

The most Famous "rough pub" I've ever been in was The Hammers in East Ham, they actually loved the fact that an 'innocent' 17yr old walked in on his own, for a pint, after an argument with his girlfriend and was happy to declare he was a proud Seasider. I had respect for Spam fans until that day at Wembley!
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The Cutty Sark was a rough boozer for sure, went in there once with a couple of workmates when I was working on a building site in Fleetwood many years ago, everyone in there was steaming and lairy as fuck, so it was just the one pint and out as it was only a matter of time before we would have ended up brawling in there.
 
Plumbs said:
Three Legs? Are ya kidding?
Used to be one of the top branches when Tony ran it and always had a great time in there.

Know what you're saying about the Beggar however and always wondered why BASIL kept having their meetings there *shudders*
Click to expand...
Lovely pub is three legs-only seen it get raided by police & sniffer dogs a few times! 😃
 
Johnno said:
I posted this story on the old forum years ago, so sorry for the repetition -
I went to visit my lad who was at Uni in Belfast 8 years or so ago. We wanted to go to a bar playing trad Irish music and was pointed in the direction of Maddens bar.
Now I’m ex Army, so should have seen the signs, we were told to ring a buzzer and wait til we’d been looked at through CCTV to see if we’d be allowed in.
We got buzzed in, walked through the door, and as it locked behind us we looked round to see a pub full of IRA murals and a totally silent bar full of people staring at us.
I realised there was no way out, so walked to the bar and asked for a couple of pints.
On hearing my English accent the barman asked “Where the fuck are you lads from?”
I sighed in resignation and said Blackpool.
Everyone round us cheered and started hugging us and telling tales of their trips over here.
Had a great night but at that moment I’ve probably never been so scared in my life!
I’ve always thought that if I wasn’t a Seasider we’d have been goosed that night.
Click to expand...
Great story, my Dad has a similar one where him and a few lads went into a rough bar in Manchester - he described it like it being a Western and everyone watching you as you came in. Someone asked them where they were from and once they said Blackpool everyone was their best mate telling tales of going there for holidays. Hilarious how that can change a room!
 
Not sure about the roughest but the weirdest one was the gun club Ridgecrest California.
Circa 2000 while working/living in America at the nearby China lake naval weapons airbase we were invited to a bar in the town called the gun club you had to have a gun on you to get in.
Obviously being Brits we didn’t have our own guns so being invited guests a bloke brought out a selection of hand guns for us once inside you had to hand them over the bar for safe keeping and if you went home in a soberish state they handed them back to you on leaving the bar.
Funny but we were told there was never any trouble in all the years it was open. 😮
 
Many years ago I would have said the NAAFI bar at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falklands. Most of the time it wasn’t too bad but when a Submarine was alongside it was only a small matter of time before it all kicked off. How bad also depended on which army regiment was there at the time, never seen so many beer cans (most either half or completely full) flying in the air. Bar never made it to last orders😂
 
Reno’s, the after-hours shebeen in the cellars of a dilapidated building on the corner of Moss Lane East and Princess Road, in Moss Side, Manchester in the early-mid 80s. It even had a continuous police presence on the front door. After hours you just walked past the cops and went around to the cellar entrance at the rear. The cops did not mind one bit. 50p entrance. Cans of Red Stripe were the obligatory drink.
I once went in after returning from a wedding dressed in my best suit and tie and, half-cut, took on the Rastas on the pool table. I was in great form and after my fifth consecutive winning frame my mate was begging me to lose.
 
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We went into a little back street pub in St Pauli once. Didn't stay long. Proper bikers bar.
 
GrahamwantshisOates said:
I remember a pub called “Bettys bar” by the docks in Limerick.
You wouldn’t argue with the ladies in there!

Rough pub in Middlesbrough called the Robin Hood. I remember staring at the TV in there when Tommy Cooper suddenly keeled over.
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Its now known as Dolans Warehouse lots of gigs go on there great venue

Went in there one night with an ex girlfriend for a few drinks, this guy walked in with an American accent on second glance ended up been WWE legend Mick Foley turns out he was doing a comedy gig there that night, bought us both a drink had a nice chat with him
 
The Concorde Lounge at LHR.

I met Tony Blair in their once, and he was responsible for more death and wars than anyone else mentioned so far!
 
Went to a bar in Sheffield whilst working there, can’t remember name but it was like the bar out of Shameless. Great night just watching the locals and their antics.
 
The Royal, Dalry in North Ayrshire. I should have guessed from the name. I used to wear a St. Christopher years ago and this was picked up on by a friendly group of chaps keen to know if I was a left footer. I got the 3rd degree, "what school did you go to" was a common one up there. If your reply was Saint something or other you were pegged as a Fenian b****ard. I supped up quickly (awful beer) and left. Colleagues at work laughed when I told them I'd been there. They asked me if I'd seen any ladies in there with the price on their shoes...if you know what I mean.
 
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Devonshire said:
Many years ago I would have said the NAAFI bar at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falklands. Most of the time it wasn’t too bad but when a Submarine was alongside it was only a small matter of time before it all kicked off. How bad also depended on which army regiment was there at the time, never seen so many beer cans (most either half or completely full) flying in the air. Bar never made it to last orders😂
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Jesus that was an awful place. Used to drink over in the civvy bar instead or just our own bar in the Armoury.
 
I landed in Porto Alegre in Brazil snd went in search of some local colour. Within in an hour I was totally lost in a favella near the port. Took in a bar. Guns on the tables and gang tattoos in every direction. Went back the next night 😀
 
Stag do Prague about 2008, center with all the nice bars etc great...come out a bit for the cheaper beer..fuk me was like that hostel film...scary, wouldn’t mind was cheap in the nice pubs....🤣
 
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