JOINERS ARMS – GLASSES, 73 SANVEY GATE

pubprojectleicester

March 1836 is the first record I can find, when who else but Moses Pegg charged the landlord for selling ale after 10pm, several witnesses were called who contradicted Peggs testimony, the Mayor told Pegg to think about his charge as he was tended to believe the landlord. Pegg shrunk back and withdrew all information.

Samuel Broome, a carpenter and joiner who recently was also victualler at the Duchess Of Kent, Orchard/Royal East Street, moved from there to what was to be known as the Joiners Arms, circa 1852.  Samuel was to die there in September 1872 and his son, John Thomas, held the licence briefly until transferring to Charles Clayton. The Joiners brewed its own ale until City Brewery of Lichfield purchased it, circa 1900.

In January 1954, firemen were called when an upstairs hearth caught fire causing damage to floor boarding, plus two wooden beams running underneath the fireplace were damaged.


Late 1950s pic of the Joiners Arms, note the green ground floor tiles.  Soon to be demolished.
A new Joiners Arms was to be built adjacent to the old one, circa 1960, but the green tiled façade was still in place, 1993. 
The new Joiners, with typical architecture of the early 1960s.  The wall behind the blue lorry was where the old Joiners Arms stood. Planning was applied for in 1963, completed 1966
1966

photo above and below credit Chris Pyrah

Landlord Chris Carr in his cellar 1984, photo by kind permission and copyright Paul Smith photography. Note the kils of beer. There are fifteen visible (over two thousand pints), plus the kegs of lager – and that’s just one side. Testimony to what a popular pub it was.
Classic pub interior photos, featuring Joiners’ regulars in the mid 1980s.
By kind permission Paul Smith copyright paul@mainleymono.co.uk
Banks’ advert of 1980s.  They had acquired City Brewery Litchfield in 1917, under the Wolverhampton & Dudley banner.

Circa 2005, the pub changed its name to Glasses – as the Joiners, it had suffered in recent years with some unsavoury incidents, including one in 2004, when violence erupted when one man attacked customers with a shovel.

This was a shame as it was always a good pub for a good pint. During the 1980s, I ran a Bank’s pub so would call in the others in Leicester for a cracking pint of Bank’s mild.

Barry Lount

Glasses wasn’t to last very long before reverting this time to the New Joiners.  Its time was soon up, however, as part was to be used as a shisha bar and takeaway before finally succumbing in 2015.

The New Joiners, circa 2012.
Atmospheric photo of Sanvey Gate, copyright by Paul Smith  The Joiners on the left, Sanvey Gate Tavern on the right. 
Sign of the New Joiners & Shisha Bar depicted – by Hadial Singh Brar.
The New Joiners taken circa 2020, still with the pub sign visible. Photo credit: Mark Shirley.

Desolation 2023, closed and unloved, Jeremy Corbetts photo captures Sanvey Gate much removed from its bustling hey day

The Pub History Project has a podcast. Please subscribe and have a listen with a pint of your favourite ale.

3 Comments

  1. Glad to inform chris of pub project i knew he would be interested in this site. I have read some cracking info n tales of old drinking houses .language used in 18th century was funny

    Reply

  2. Great era for pubs in town 70s to millenium .i worked in the Market Tavern cheapside 76,7,8,9 (David and Ann Platt kept it then got Nags Head ,friar lane,till they got tenancy of the Railway inn glenfield) also I worked in Bier K.eller in centre hotel . We would go to niteclub after in humberstone gate INGOGNITO or The hole In The wall.

    Reply

Leave a Reply