STATION MASTER .

            

 

I thought that I would like to write a little bit of history about the Station Master public house, High Street, Warmley, Bristol.

 

The pub started out as "The Maypole", and was owned by Ashton Gate Brewery, -later it was purchased by Georges Brewery and renamed "The Station Hotel". Then came Courages to Bristol - buying out Georges.

 

In 1976 because "The Station Hotel" did not come up to the trade description act laws, ie: if pubs were called 'Hotels' or 'Inns' they had to do accommodation and that was not possible for us. Hence the name change to it's present one "The Station Master.

 

My name is Sylvia Silverthorn (nee Blacker) my dad, James Blacker, was a councillor on the Warmley rural district council for 9-10 years.  I had two brothers Jim who I lost in 2001, and Cliff who now lives in Westerleigh.

 

I married Jack Silverthorn, we were landlord, and landlady of the Station Hotel, in Warmley High Street.  I have three wonderful children, 2 boys and a girl- Tina, Kerry and Paul, all now married with children of their own. We lived in the pub for 24 years taking over the licence in 1956, before us my father-in-law Ernest Silverthorn was licensee, which he ran with his wife Florence )Flo) for nine years from 1947. They had three sons, Jack, Bob & Jim. While there, with the help of a small committee, they used to hold Harvest home, and one year it was featured on the front page of the "News of the World" Sunday newspaper.

 

They also had a lodger who was well known, a jackdaw, he used to get on the mirrors of the buses and go for a ride, his regular trick was, he would get to the bus by the railway station, and ride to the village of Wick, then he would fly across the road, get another bus for the return journey to Warmley. One day he missed his stop ending up in Bristol, he was taken into Bridewell police station where he escaped ending up in a family home at Westbury. When Jack and I went to collect him, the family was afraid to eat their Sunday lunch because every time they went to put the food into their mouths the jackdaw would swoop and take it off their forks, they were really relieved when we arrived to take him back to the pub. He also went visiting at Hembrough's builders yard in London Road, Warmley where Bob worked as a carpenter. He would perch on the timber where the men was working, and as they tried to hammer nails into the timber, before they touched the wood, he would have them out of their hands, he was a real character.

 

Before Ernie his father-in-law (Flo's father) Bob Higgs was licensee, with his landlady wife Susie. They had the pub for 19 years from 1927. Bob lost a leg during the first world war, and was in a lot of pain most of the time. During the time they were tenants, the pub was altered, where the public lounge is now, that was their living quarters.

 

When the second world war happened they had many collections in the bar for the armed servicemen. Bob and Susie was very popular with the locals.

 

When Jack and I took on the tenancy of the Station Hotel in 1956, Ernie and Flo took over the new pub that was built in Kingswood, "The Royal Archer". For a few years we carried on with the Harvest Home, taking the local senior citizens for an afternoon coach trip, ending up at a pub in the evening with free drinks, sandwiches and entertainment.

 

We had some wonderful customers, we always looked upon them as friends not customers, and to them the pub was always known as Jacks, not the Station Master. At one of our Harvest homes we had the Lord Mayor (cl. Raymond) and the Mayoress, the sheriff of Bristol (cl. Gilbert Adams) the clerk of Warmley district council (M Fudge), and the chairman (Mr Jeffereys). That was a wonderful and memorable evening.

 

When the pub's name was changed from the Station Hotel to the Station Master, the new sign was unveiled by a local station master, and regular customer Mr Albert Hendy.

 

We had some wonderful skittle teams. On the alley at one point there were nine home teams in one season.

 

It was also for many years, headquarters of the "Oldland Homing Society" (The pigeon club). They used to meet every Friday and Saturday evenings. The birds used to be sent off in a big transporter.

 

I catered for a number of weddings, private buffets, and supper- Warmley and Syston church skittle team suppers, the pigeon club suppers, to name but a few.

 

Jack and I decided to terminate our tenancy of the Station Master in May 1980 owing to Jack's health. Sadly he died in 1982.

At the present time the pub is closed down and no one seems to know what the future holds for, what was , a wonderful, friendly village pub.

 

Mrs S Silverthorn.

 

If you were once a customer or just remember these days please feel free to leave a message or a story.

 

Check out our photo's for pictures from the past. Do you have any, if so please post them on this site.