MEMORIES OF THE ANCHOLME INN - A BRIGG PUB MANY ENJOYED VISITING 1960-2012

 

Following the popularity of Brigg Blog's recent post featuring past pictures of the Brocklesby Ox pub, we thought we'd so something similar today for the Ancholme Inn.
Like Bridge Street's Brock Ox, Grammar School Road's Ancholme hostelry closed, suffered demolition and has since been replaced by new housing.
The Ancholme was built in 1960 to serve the expanding post-war Springbank housing estate and those people living nearby in the Woodbine Grove prefabs, Hawthorn Avenue, East Parade and adjoining streets.
It had an extensive car park and a large room at the side used for family events and functions of various kinds staged by local groups and societies.
When the Ancholme opened, the now familiar licensed clubhouse at The Hawthorns had yet to be opened by Brigg Town Football Club.
So the Ancholme bar was the only one operating in this part of town.
A successful Ancholme football team operated in the 1970s, playing home games at Brigg Rec, and the pub took part in the Brigg & District Games League over several decades, playing darts, dominoes, fives & threes, etc.
Many successful music nights were staged as late as November 2011 - just a few weeks before the last pint was pulled.
The Ancholme had many licensees in its time, one of the longest serving being Alan Long.
Also lost to this part of Brigg: the small convenience store adjoining the pub, but not connected with it in business terms.
It was run for many years by Ernie Robinson, who could be seen walking to and from work with the assistance of his trusty guide dog.
In the 1960s this shop had a range of slot machines on its frontage offering a range of chewing and bubble gum made by firms like Wrigley and Anglo.
Thankfully, the long-established and popular fish & chip shop on the corner of Grammar School Road and Preston Drive is still with us today.
Excepting the chippie, this small area of Brigg has seen more changes than most within living memory.

A Brigg Town Cricket Club presentation evening at the Ancholme in the mid-1980s

Liz and Col Mumby at a party held at the Ancholme to mark the latter's 60th birthday