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Picture source: Steven Johnson

The Baltic Tavern was situated at 21-22 Commercial Street. Aa notorious pub with a reputation for hard drinking and accommodating ladies of the night - world-renowned among many sailors. The publican in 1893 was Alice Bruce, and from 1912 to 1926 J.R. Boddy.

Many years ago a group called the Teesside Fettlers (one of them a guy called Stewart MacFarlane, who worked for BBC Cleveland) wrote a song called "Baltic Taverners".  The premise of the song was that the council invited a Duchess from Kent up to open a new ward at the General Hospital - but the Duchess turned out not to be the snooty type. The chorus went: The procession it started at Ayresome Past the Park and Museum as well Past Kirkham's fruit stall and the Boro town hall Back to the Baltic Hotel

James McLaren (July 2012)

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Other Photos

Picture source: Steven Johnson

Picture source: Steven Johnson