strange stories from world wide

The social focus for the majority of most people then changes as class-mates go in their separate directions and can only meet again infrequently (if at all again). Everything changes. Even for those who do not then wish to partake in the social drinking of alcohol, visits to the public-houses (pubs), Working men's club, Night Club's and theatres tend to become the normal social meeting places for the new adults in the majority (as it has done for many past centuries in different forms and names) and this trend tends to remain so for the rest of Adult life.

The humble Pub is to be found everywhere in Britain, even in the remotest of accessible areas, where the traveller or local has socialised or found relaxation for hundreds of years.

Every establishment has it's own tales to tell of people who have passed through their doors, or indeed the public house may have been the centre of an historical event. This section of the web-site passes on a few records of these hostelries.

Singer David Alexander: Oakfield Public House

David Alexander is descibed as 'The Welshman who sang love songs like no other' and was the main 'opposition' to the great Welsh voice Tom Jones in the sixties period. Singing the same style of popular love songs as Tom, some say David Alexander had the better voice, certainly he had a huge fan following and this still remains so today.

David Alexander lived in David Street Blackwood and schooled at Bedwellty Grammar School Gwent. Then to help support his family he became a miner at Oakdale Colliery, leaving a few years later to work at Girlings Brake Company in Cwmbran Gwent as a machine engineer, foreman. However he saw his future on the stage and went on from the factory floor to become famous with his songs 'If I could see the Rhondda one more time' and 'Come home Rhondda Boy'. He was an International Star supporting many charity organisations, becoming a Barker in the Variety Club of Great Britain.

David visited the Oakfield pub on his rise to stardom and played darts there many times with his friend Tony in the hostelries bar-room. One day he was being hounded by regulars to sing for them as the night wore on. He had just finished a run of gruelling stage performances,this was his day off and he was in the middle of a darts game that he was enjoying any other evening and he would have been glad to have sung a song or two.

'I only sing for money' he jokingly replied, in the dry humour of the area, only wanting a bit of peace that night. However the remark was taken in umbrage by some of the drinkers and although he returned to the pub many times there-after some of the regulars frequently showed their displeasure to him at this remark. However they never asked him to sing again and he did get the relaxation he was looking for. He referred jokingly there-after to this as his 'feud' with the Oakfield.

Visit The David Alexander Web-Site

- Monty Comment -

By Jove... You Know, it just goes to show why famous people

do not generally hang around in Public areas, such as

Pubs and shops on their days off.

Actor Ray Milland: Lower New Inn Public house

The actor was accustomed to using many different names to blend into one of his many film roles. Ray Lewis... (This second name borrowed from his Auntie to blend into the local Welsh community) regularly returned to his origin's and frequented the Lower New Inn Public house Pontypool Monmouthshire where he and his brother went for a drink while Ray was visiting at his brothers home.

Ray had worked in his youth and well before any fame at Pontymoile steelworks Pontypool Monmouthshire, a little piece of his history left out of his later biographies. He held a good job and position, being one of the better paid steelworkers, but he had always wanted to become an actor. So when he packed his bags and headed for the star lights he had to change his name. The fact that he worked in the mills and held the position of second leading hand lead to him choosing the name 'Milland'... Although to live up to the romantic image fostered on him by the film studios, he always gave a different, more acceptable source for the name.

- Monty Comment -

By Jove... You Know, it just goes to show how some actors

choose their working names from the strangest of places.

Chartist Reforming body 1839: Greenhouse Public House

The Working Class Reforming body 1837-1848 demanded the peoples charter for greater equality. This was, Annual Parliaments, equal electoral districts, universal male suffrage, a secret ballot, removal of the property qualification for MP's and the payment of members of Parliament.

The aim was to present a reformist charter of equality and National petition to Parliament.

In November 1839 Ironworkers and Mineworkers marched on the Town of Newport Monmouthshire to protest at the arrest of chartist leader Henry Vincent. Three separate groups of workers armed themselves and assembled in the hills. However many of the marchers had stopped at the Green House Inn on the way to the town to take refreshment. The 'one for the road' drink became many and the majority of the force never reached Newport deciding to remain at the Inn. Only the group led by John Frost (a draper and ex mayor) reached Newport and gathered around the West-Gate Hotel.

Troops hiding within the Hotel opened fire and many protesters were killed. Had the full force arrived all together the protest may have achieved it's aim peacefully with the soldiers holding fire due to the mass of numbers. This led to riots in other towns throughout Britain. In 1848 with Revolution sweeping across Europe as a whole the chartist's reforms were peacefully accepted to pacify the working class and in the end the greatest changes in Britain's political history came about by reason and discussion not force of arms.

John Frost

- Monty Comment -

By Jove... You Know, it just goes to show how a simple drink at a public house,

can have help changed the course of Democratic History.

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