Home > Staffordshire > Burton On Trent > Gladstone Arms Gladstone Arms
Date of photo: 1944	Picture source: Dennis Harrison
The Gladstone Arms was situated on Wood Street. This pub has now been converted to flats.
Source: Jason E Potts
In 1942 Mr. Percy Ernest Harrison and Mrs Rose Harrison (see above photo) took over the licence of this pub, known as The Gladstone Inn at that time. In the late 1940's Mr P E Harrison purchased a coal delivery business which operated from Bond End Wharf, Burton on Trent. The horse (Blackie) and cart were kept in the stables and yard at the rear of the Gladstone Inn. The horse and cart eventually being replaced by a green coloured Morris commercial lorry with the cab doors being sign written P.E. Harrison & Son Coal Merchants. Sometime between 1953 and 1955 Mr. and Mrs Harrison moved out of the Gladstone Inn and after a short break took over the licence at the Waggoners Inn, Horninglow Street, Burton on Trent, leaving there in 1962 to retire and live on Lichfield Road, Branston, Burton on Trent.
Dennis Harrison, son of P.E. Harrison (June 2012)
I was browsing ‘closed Pubs’ recently when I came across an article by Mr Dennis Harrison regarding the Gladstone Arms pub in Wood Street Burton on Trent. I was gobsmacked when I saw Dennis’ name, it sure was a blast from the past. My interest in Dennis’ story is his family was our next door neighbour, Mr Percy Harrison and Rose and son Dennis were once our neighbours at Stanton Road Burton on Trent. It was wartime and Dennis was a member of our children gang. Dennis relates his parents moved to become the new licensees at the Gladstone Inn located in Wood Street, Burton. It was a family exchange of sorts where the exiting licensees (Jacksons) took up residence next door to us as private residents and neighbours. I remember Dennis as we were friends as children and played in the surrounding fields and far away, Dennis was a member of our gang and enjoyed our adventures without a care. After the Harrisons moved and took over the Gladstone we never saw him again, but over the years have wondered what became of him. Among our new neighbours the Jackson family was son Keith who was about our age, which in a way was another sort of exchange. I have no idea how long the Jacksons had kept the Gladstone but any former customer of the pub would know and perhaps others might be interested. In conversations Keith often mentioned among us his former life at the Gladstone, so it in that context we came to know about a pub called the Gladstone Inn.
I Giles (May 2017)
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