Early 1960s licensees Syd and Ivy Chandler
(The above three photos by kind permission of Michael Parker who tells us the Chandlers were followed by Jim and Pam O’Neil and then by the Scholes family) Michael (pictured in his garden the Two Triangles in the background) also supplied the photos below of bar customers and a Tramps party at the pub.
In the Bar
Tramps supper
photo Chris Pyrah.
Typical estate pub of the 1950s – built in 1957 by Duxburys local builders, on the New Parks Estate and opened on the 25th of March 1958, with license from the Generous Briton.
The first licensees Ray and Marjorie Harlow, they had a Mynah bird that was adept at swearing at customers. Ray and Marjorie left in 1967 to take the Dixie Arms on Vaughan Way ( T Harlow)
As with many of these estate pubs which left a lot to be desired, architecturally, it fell on hard times from the 1980s.
It is difficult to understand why, surrounded by chimney pots, many of them should go this way, when after an early impact that saw these pubs packed out – decline occurred just under thirty years later.
New Parks in the 1950s-1960s was a good place to live. After the war years there was a lot of pride for those who were moved out of the poor inner city housing areas to the new estates. It always had an ‘edge’ to it – understandably as a lot from the town were street wise. Nevertheless as a youngster I spent happy times with my cousins in New Parks.
Barry Lount
Little care was forded to the Two Triangles after 2000, and decline became more rapid. The locals formed a boxing club at the pub, which seemed popular, but obviously the site was becoming more valuable as a building plot.
In 2009, it was put up for sale, eventually fetching 130k, a piffling amount really, when considering a year later planning was granted for ten houses on the site.
News paper clipping above happened in April 2005, and the bottom one in 2009, gave the pub a further bad name, pushing its closure ever closer.
May 2024 Michael Parker sent me a further email on the Two Triangles.
” A Two Triangles Reunion flyer which was held on 24th May at New Park Social Club, The event was arranged by Martin ‘Waggy’ Hussey and attracted around 300 people, It demonstrates the legacy and spirit of the Two Triangles which continues to this day”
