Pegasus Caving Club
aka Pegasus Club Nottingham
The Pegasus Club Nottingham
Pubs, AGM's & Dinners
The Weekend Started On A Thursday
In the early days the Pegasus Club ‘weekend’ did start on a Thursday.
It was important to make an effort to go to the Thursday Meet as this was possibly the only way to find out what the weekend plans were. You packed your gear on Thursday too to get ready for the off as soon as work finished on the Friday. Furthermore members went out for a whole weekend returning home on Sunday.
It must be remembered that in the early days of the 1960’s and 1970’s there were no mobile phones. Indeed very few people had phones in their homes. Phoning a member at the work place was generally frowned upon and messages left rarely reached the intended person. There was no social media either.
The Thursday Meet was always held in a designated pub near to the Nottingham City centre or on a good bus route or within walking distance of a bus route. Venues changed over the years of course and there have been many.
The drinking on a Thursday was of secondary consideration as members needed most of their money for the club caving and climbing activities. It was always a pleasant and interesting meet trying to finesse lifts from those lucky enough to have their own transport. If no transport was offered then buses and ‘the rule of thumb’ were used. Most people got quite adept at using a combination of buses and hitch hiking in order to arrive on a Friday night at the arranged venue. Hitch hiking was common then.
When the Pegasus Club met in “The Royal Children” fondly known as “The Kids”, the climbers would liaise with the Nottingham Climbing Club that conveniently held their meeting next door at Ye Old Salutation Inn. Thereby acquiring lifts with them on a Friday evening if they were going to the same area.
The Pegasus Club did eventually move to the Salutation with the Nottingham Climbers Club until both were barred after a very embarrassing incident for the Landlord.
Good quality "Real Ale" was essential and this was probably one of the main reasons for changing pubs.
Barbara Wright
The Pubs
The 1950's
The Generous Britain
94, Alfreton Road Nottingham
The Inaugural Meeting of the Pegasus Club Nottingham took place here in 1953. (Click here to see article)
The Newcastle Arms
282 Nuthall Rd, Nottingham
The caving section of the Pegasus Club Nottingham used the cellar here as a tackle store.
The 1960's
The Royal Children
50A Castle Gate, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Known as 'The Kids' by The Pegasus Club, this was the venue for Thursday & Sunday nights for most of the 1960's
Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Hounds Gate, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Anyone who knows the Salutation Inn would be aware of the extensive ancient cellars cut into the Bunter sandstone that Nottingham is built on. After a few weeks of meeting in the "Sal" we, along with the Nottingham Climbers Club were offered the use of these cellars as a meeting venue. You could either carry your pint down or, as a few of us did, buy a half gallon jug to save making too many journeys back up to the bar.
The back door to the pub is shown on the above photograph and this gave access to a short corridor. On the right hand side was a door into the old bar, staight on was the newer part of the pub and the cellar door was on the left.
On the last night of being welcome at the Salutation, myself and Paul were busy talking and drinking what was probably our second or third half gallon, when we realised that everyone else had gone. A quick check revealed that it was well past closing time.
On opening the door from the cellar into the corridor we were met with darkness and the back door bolted and locked. So had the landlord locked up and gone to bed?
Standing in the darkness and considering our options, we heard a crackly sound coming from inside the old bar which resembled a message you would have heard on Z cars, "Z Victor one to BD". We soon realised that this made our situation a lot worse but had no choice but to reveal ourselves to whoever was in the old bar. Opening the door and peering into the gloom we could see that the whole bar was jam-packed full of drinking uniforms.
The landlord took one look at us and went totally berserk, opening the back door, chucking us out into the street and barring us all from ever entering the Salutation Inn again. Thinking back over the years I do not recall ever going back; I wonder if the ban is still in place?
Cheg Chester
The 1970's
The Dolphin Inn
North Church Street, Nottingham.
Photo courtesy of The Dolphin Morris Men.
Demolished in 1971 and replaced by a new pub called 'Byrons' which closed in 1990 and was demolished in 2002.
Spread Eagle Hotel
Goldsmith Street, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
This was the 'Spread Eagle Hotel' in the 1970's when the club met there. It changed its name to 'Fagins' in 1984, 'Goldsmith Pitcher' in 1994, then 'Speak Easy' & Finally 'Horn in Hand' as the above photo shows. (Maybe they changed the name because it was frequented by tossers)
Forest Tavern
257, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
This is now two venues in one, the Forest Tavern on Mansfield Road is the bar open to the general public. At the back is the Maze, a music venue which has its own bar.
Hand & Heart
65-67 Derby Rd, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Parts of this pub consists of man made caves dug out of the Bunter sandstone.
Rose & Crown
55, Alfreton Road, Nottingham
Photograph © by kind permission of Alan Winfield
The Landlord of The Rose & Crown, Cliff Arme, all twenty plus stone of him, and his wife Elsie, severn stone maybe, were good friends of the Pegasus.
One Thursday night in the late sixty 's a group of maybe six or Severn members were in a drinks round. One of the people was a member but had moved up to live and work in Aberdeen maybe two years earlier.
The round had almost completed and closing time was drawing near when the person from the North went to the bar and ordered himself a pint. Paying for the pint he handed over a five pound note and was surprised to see that his change was just a few pence.
Pointing out to Cliff the landlord that he had given him a fiver in exchange for a single pint, the following explanation was given.
"I have noticed that you have been bought a pint by all of my friends over there and that it is surely your round. So I have taken the liberty of buying them all a drink out of your fiver". A friend indeed!
The 80's Onwards
Wheatsheaf Inn
72, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham
Photograph © by kind permission of Alan Winfield
The Wheatsheaf Inn closed August 2007 and is now a 'Boots the chemist' formally 'Burrows Close Pharmacy' (2017)
Royal George
6 Ilkeston Road, Canning Circus, Nottingham
Photograph © by kind permission of Alan Winfield
The 'Royal George' opened in 1972, was renamed 'Junktion 7' in 2002 then closed in 2008. It then reopened as 'Seven' in 2008 and finally closed 2011. Site re-developed for student accomodation.
The Peacock
11, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
The Pegasus Club met here when closing time went from 10:30pm to 11:00pm some time in the 1980's. This had the effect that most people arrived half an hour later than usual.
The Yorker
36, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Up until 1967 it was the 'Rose of England', and then it was 'The Yorker' until 1993. It later changed to the 'City Alehouse' the 'Filly & Firkin' and then back to the 'Rose of England'.
Lincolnshire Poacher
161-163, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Golden Fleece
105, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
The Navigation
6, Wilford Street, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
The Queens Hotel
Corner of Arkwright Street & Sheriffs Way, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Tom Hoskins
The Vat And Fiddle
12, Queens Bridge Road, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Originally 'The Grove Tavern', followed by the 'Miami Bar', Ziggy's, 'The Grove Tavern' again, then 'Tom Hoskins' and finally 'The Vat And Fiddle'. The Club, along with the Notts Climbers were attracted to 'Tom Hoskins' as the beer was excellent and only 99 pence a pint. We stopped using the pub when it had to close, along with all Hoskin's pubs due to a problem at the brewery. I remember ordering a pint of bitter just as the barrel finished. When the new barrel was tapped it was undrinkable so another was tapped and that was the same! It remained closed for some time and was eventually bought by Tyne Mill and re-opened as 'The Vat And Fiddle'. Good beer brought us back here and became the meeting place for well into the new millennium.
Bunkers Hill
36 - 38, Hockley, City centre, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Horse & Groom
462, Radford Road, Basford, Nottingham
Photograph, Dave Gough
Compiled by Dave Gough with additions by Cheg Chester.
Alan Winfield who kindly gave permission to reproduce some of his photographs on this page has a blog called 'The Never Ending Pub Crawl' which should appeal to Pegasus Club member old & new.
http://neverendingpubcrawl.blogspot.com/
Annual AGM's Venues
1969 Spread Eagle.
1970 Dolphin Inn.
1971 Spread Eagle.
1972 Forest Tavern.
1973 Three Stags Heads, Wardlow.
1974
1975 Three Stags Heads, Wardlow.
1976 Three Stags Heads, Wardlow.
1977 Three Stags Heads, Wardlow.
1978 Three Stags Heads, Wardlow.
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983 Derbyshire Somewhere?
1984 Devonshire Arms, Peak Forest.
1985 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1986 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1987 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1988 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1989 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1990 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1991 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1992 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1993 The Newcastle Arms.
1994 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1995 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1996 The Hut, Peak Forest.
1997 The Limelight Bar.
1998 The Vat & Fiddle.
1999 The Vat & Fiddle.
2000 The Vat & Fiddle.
2001 The Vat & Fiddle.
2002 The Vat & Fiddle.
2003 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2004 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2005 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2006 Ingleton
2007 The Hollybush, Grangemill.
2008
2009 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2010
2011 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2012 The Vat & Fiddle.
2013
2014 The Hollybush, Grangemill.
2015 The Vat & Fiddle.
2016 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2017 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2018 Magpie Cottage, Sheldon.
2019 The Plough Inn, Nottingham.
2020 Covid
2021 The Plough Inn, Nottingham.
2022 The Plough Inn, Nottingham.
2023 The Plough Inn, Nottingham.
1969
1970 Devonshire Arms, Peak Forest?
1971
1972 Midland Hotel, Peak Dale.
1973
1974 Wanted Inn, Sparrowpit.
1975 Palace Hotel, Buxton.
1976 Bennetston Hall, Sparrowpit.
1977 Bennetston Hall, Sparrowpit.
1978 Three Stags Cafe, Wardlow Mires.
1979 Palace Hotel, Buxton.
1980
1981 Fishponds Hotel, Matlock.
1982
1983 Marquis of Granby, Bamford.
1984 The Bull I'th' Thorn Inn, Hurdlow.
1985 Railway Hotel,
1986
1987 Haddon Hall Hotel,
1988 Haddon Hall Hotel,
1989 Haddon Hall Hotel,
1990
1991
1992 The Commodore, Nottingham.
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002 Horse & Groom, Basford.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 Horse & Groom, Basford.
Annual Dinner Venues