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Posted by Editor on 8th January 2010 at 11:33 AM CAMRA's Traditional Pub of the Year
by Tony Flynn
Lynn and Chris Benson were gratified to win the Campaign for Real Ale's coveted Traditional Pub of the Year Award on Wednesday night for their efforts with The Queen's Arms in Patricroft.
The pub is also known as the Top House given its position at the top of the hill next to Patricroft station, and originally opened in 1828 as Britain's first real ale railway pub, hoping to catch the passing trade flying by on the new Manchester to Liverpool rail line.
Originally called the Patricroft Tavern when it opened, the name was changed following a visit to Salford by Queen Victoria in 1851. She arrived at Patricroft Station and then transferred to the Royal Barge on the nearby canal for transfer to Worsley where she stayed as a guest of the Duke of Bridgewater.
Dave Hallows from CAMRA presented the couple with the Neil Richardson Award, named after the local history publisher who died in 2006 aged just 58. The area lost one of its most respected publishers when he died of cancer: Neil's first booklet on local history, about Salford pubs, appeared in 1978. Books on local breweries and public houses were followed by more general histories, all rooted in the experiences of people whose voices were, at best, marginal in the conventional historical record.
Increasingly aware of the difficulties of obtaining particular types of documents, Neil made available nearly 300 out-of-print guide books, directories, maps and other publications, and changed the world of local history publishing. He helped to establish a more democratically produced history, based on the lives of ordinary people.
Said The Guardian's obituary: "historians who discovered Neil's publications found them an invaluable source in their own teaching and researches. Indeed, some found in Neil a more appropriate outlet and congenial publisher for their own work.
"He was a shy, modest man with a dry sense of humour, who peppered What's Doing with spoofs and satires of landlords and breweries. This resulted on three occasions in solicitors' letters on behalf of upset licensees. His commitment ensured that the newsletter appeared every month for 30 years - and 368 issues - until surgery in June prevented its publication. Neil announced that this was "owing to essential maintenance on the printer".
Lynn and Chris are deserved winners of the award.
 Comment by Guest 25th August 2010
My great grandad drank in the Top House in the 1890s when he lived in a cottage on the opposite side of the road where the ROF was later built. and i went in every dinnertime for a pie and a pint when I worked at ROF in late 1960s. One of these days I'll get back there with my sons so they can enjoy a pint in the same pub as their g g grandad.
Mike |
Comment by lynn benson ( member ) 9th January 2010
thank you tony for the correction much appreciated taxi drivers get confused when people say the top house but its the older generation myself included in that who still refer to us as the top house.I like to think it could also mean one of the best
thanks Lynn Benson |
Comment by Tony Flynn ( member ) 9th January 2010
Nice of you to plug the Eccles Pub book, sadly it is long out of print, I do not have a copy myself, so if any readers are feeling that benevolent Xmas spirit, please feel free to send me a copy via SalfordOnline!.
The Swinging Sporran was indeed a terrible "pub", it became "Legends" in later life and is now boarded up.
Eccles Pubs is available at local libraries, it was written in 1981 and it is interesting to see how many pubs Eccles has lost since publication.
A big thank you to Neil Richardson who talked me in to writing it and publishing it for me, Neil is sadly missed not only by me but many other people whose work would not have seen the light of day without Neil's encouragement, mine included, what a great legacy he has left behind though. Bless him. |
Comment by Guest 9th January 2010
Tony Flynn I am going to plug your old publication, the history of Eccles pubs, one of the Neil Richardson publications, which is an excellent piece of work and details the various histories of the pubs of eccles and district. Quite a few have unfortunately closed since it was published, which I guess was early 80S, although the bulk still remain. I got the impression from your write up on the swinging sporran that you don't personally miss that one. Nether do I! |
Comment by Tony Flynn ( member ) 9th January 2010
Right then here we go, The Queens Arms in Patricroft was orginally caled The Patricroft Tavern until it changed it's name in 1851 to The Queens Arms following the visit of Queen Victoria to Worsley when she stopped at Patricroft train station to get a barge to Worsley, it's nickname The Top House is because it is at the top of a steep brow.
The Railway in Church Street, Eccles facing the train station has always been called that, the nickname Top house comes about because it is at the top of Church Street. Confusing I know, but I hope that this clears the situation up. |
Comment by TomSO ( member ) 9th January 2010
Thanks for the corrections. Note to all SalfordOnline readers - if you see any inaccuracies in Salfordonline articles don't hestiate to let us know. |
Comment by Guest 9th January 2010
Not saying the qa has never been nicknamed the top house, but the article states that it s next to eccles station in the second para. The pub next to eccles station is called the top house, formerly the railway I think. Queen Victoria visted in 1851 |
Comment by TomSO ( member ) 9th January 2010
I was under the impression that the QA was nicknamed The Top House as well, but I'm open to anyone willing to correct me. |
Comment by lynn benson ( member ) 8th January 2010
we were very proud to have been awarded the award and to see such a good turn out of the camra members who came from far and wide on such a terrible snowy night.thank you to you all and Tony Flynn who filmed it. Lynn benson |
Comment by Guest 8th January 2010
Is this article not referring to two different pubs? The Queens Arms in Patricroft is next to Patricroft train station. The pub known as the top house at the top of church st in eccles is next to eccles station. |
Comment by Guest 8th January 2010
Lovely film, which showed the friendly atmpsphere of the pub and the happy nature of the occasion, which I'm sure is what Neil would have wanted, being the cheerful, witty soul he was. Thank you for covering it so well,
Sue Richardson |
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