The Coach & Horses in Soho. It’s former Landlord was
Norman Balon who prided himself on being “London’s rudest landlord”. So proud
of the fact that he had it printed on the pub matchboxes. He also published
his memoirs entitled “You’re barred, you bastard – The memoirs of a Soho
publican”
I once spent a lazy afternoon in the Coach and Horses
enjoying a cheese sandwich, a cold Guinness and a fresh, crisp copy of the
Guardian. I looked up from my newspaper and Norman nodded at me. No words, just a nod
of acknowledgment. It was like being accepted into a secret sect. Now he is no
longer the landlord a bit of me wishes he had shouted “your barred, you bastard”
and included me in his memoirs.
This interior was recreated on stage for Keith Waterhouse’s
“Jeffery Bernard is unwell”. The play’s title refers to Jeffery Bernard’s habit
of missing deadlines for his “Low Life” column in The Spectator. The single
line apology “Jeffery Bernard is unwell” was printed when he was too drunk to
write.
He once barred me twice in one night!
ReplyDeleteGreat story on it here, the legend lives on, he’s in his 90’s now and living in Golders Green -
ReplyDeletehttps://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2230/people/norman-balon-londons-rudest-landlord