Home > London > N1 > Golden Fleece Golden Fleece

Picture source: Charlie Goodwn

The Golden Fleece was situated at 126 Essex Road. This pub was present by 1862 and has now been demolished and replaced by the shops and flats in the photo below.

Source: T C

Since I was born at number 7 Queensbury Street within yards of this pub. Most of the neighbours used this popular place for a pint or a social get together. Certainly my parents rented house was not suitable for family parties and visits from Aunts and Uncles. As children we were not allowed inside but we could sometimes wait inside a lobby eating some chocolate or large Arrowroot biscuits provided by a relative drinking inside. I recall no violence or unsociable behaviour at any time before this ended with evacuation in September 1939 with the outbreak of War. On the opposite corner of Queensbury Street there was a very good fried fish shop run by a family from Wales, named Cotton, that was well patronised by Golden Fleece clients For a few pence it was possible to buy a super dinner from a wide selection of fish and chips: a large pickled cucumber cost an extra penny or two. Between the pub and fish shop stood an old fashioned metal 'Gents urinal'in the centre of the road built on a raised area up 2 steps with door-less entry/exits at each end. For some more daring and adventurous boys this provided amusement since one or two would run through quickly to the exit shoving forward any poor guy urinating. This stopped when one or two mistakenly pushed a relative or close neighbour and were recognised. With the building of brick street war-time shelters all was changed. Most children had been evacuated or moved; most schools could offer only part-time teaching due to bomb damage or lack of teaching staff. Queensbury Street and the Golden Fleece had a plentiful sprinkling of Incendiary bombs that were quickly dowsed, (two by me); and later when these were more explosive children were stopped attempting this. In June 1944 a V1 (that I later learned had been deflected by a fighter) retraced it's course and hit the Fish shop corner of Queensbury Street and the Golden Fleece went with it.

Henry Atterbury (May 2017)

Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.

Other Photos

Picture source: Ann Holmes