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Date of photo: 1976	Picture source: Keith Stevenson
The Cow was situated on Middle Street, Beeston. This pub used to be called the Beech Tree Lodge and was one of the oldest pubs in Beeston. Tesco bought the pub in 2004 and demolished it in 2007- the store was finally built 2010 and there is now a Tesco petrol station on what was the pub.
Source: Alan Winfield
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and almost certainly for many decades before that, this was not a pub but was a members club belonging to the MUIOOF (Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows) known locally as the Unity Club. There is a large old photograph taken outside of the building hanging in the gents toilet of the Hand and Heart on Derby Road in Nottingham (although I suspect they don't know what it is a photograph of!). I lived in Beeston back in the 50s and 60s and because our family were all members of the Oddfellows we visited the club from time to time. It was famous for its pristine bowls rink and it retained a men only room for many years. I actually held my 21st birthday party there,
Steve Westby (August 2015)
The building stood on Middle Street, Beeston and the Independent Order of Odd fellows, based in Manchester bought the building and set up Lodge no: 831 The Loyal Nelson Lodge. In the days before the National Health Service the I.O.O.F. provided working class people with a “sick club” and for a few shillings a week members received a small amount of money if or when they were unable to work through sickness or injury. When I was very young, I remember taking dad’s card and payment to the “Lodge” on a Friday night, when he was too busy to go himself. As the lodge only needed the first floor, the ground floor became a social club, and so the Manchester Unity Social Club was born. Dad had been a member of the Manchester Unity, for some years, as membership of the Lodge entitled you to automatic membership of the club. In fact, one year he had been elected the Club President. A role I was to perform many years later. In October 1961 the steward and stewardess of the club; Lol and Lil Porter, decided to take over a pub in Derby. So, the position became vacant and Dad applied. It seemed a strange decision for a man who had worked in heavy industry all his life as a miner and a boilermaker to want to run a social club, but as Dad was to say later in life, it was one of the best decisions he ever made. After several interviews he was offered the job, so after 25 years at the Beeston Boiler Co. became a club steward, and after 19 years at 6 Evelyn Street they moved to live in the club. The long serving Lodge secretary at the time was Bert Lander, who was also the manager of a dairy on Union Street, and although a committee controlled the Lodge, Bert was technically Dad’s boss. The club now became the centre for every family occasion. Wedding receptions, 21st birthday parties, christening, wedding anniversaries were all celebrated at there. I was elected the Social Secretary in the 1960's and every Saturday night organised a group on the stage. Sadly after being changed to The Beech Tree, and The Cow the club was bought by Tesco and demolished to be replaced by a petrol station, but the Beech tree still stands.
Keith Stevenson (July 2025)
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