I was once told by a passenger on a bus along that road that it used to come into its own on Sunday evenings when people came from the villages on the Welsh side of the main road to drink in England.
The other day the Shropshire Star had some reminscences and photographs of the More Arms and gave an interesting little piece of its history:
“Ronnie Lane frequented the place, and so did Eric Clapton. Eric Clapton played at the Drum and Monkey (at Bromlow). My husband’s father used to drink with Ronnie Lane and Eric Clapton.”The Drum and Monkey is now called the Callow Inn and, while very friendly, it is a little piece of suburban Birmingham in the Shropshire hills.
And you know how I am always going on about things falling down old lead mines in the area? Well:
“Beauty, our dog, once saved me from an old ruin where a lead mine is. He held on to my dress until someone came. The dress had started to rip. We also lost a calf down there.”
5 comments:
does anyone know where on the Shewsbury to Bishop Castle road the More Arms was?
It was just north of White Grit. Map reference SO321982.
Almost opposite the turning for white grit, easily identified by the Cornish tin mine shat head opposite.
I spent three summers in the mid 70's living at the More Arms for my holidays. My uncle Alvin Evans from Pontesbury, was the landlord there with his wife Diane. It all ended sadly I think. But I did serve at the fuel pumps each day to earn my keep, to the right hand side of the pub as you looked from the road. I had great memories of these time youthful Rose tinted glasses. Carefree.. My family has Christmas there too one year, when we came across from Birmingham and met up with my Aunt Vera Evans and uncle Bill at Alvin's pub at the More Arms. Great times I recall. I met Ronnie Lane and his wife. Ronnie was a lovely guy, very kind, quite quiet. I got on with him well. He gave me an acoustic guitar he had with him one evening. He left me and my brother some months later x2 tickets at the box office to see a concert of his new band Slim Chance. Don't think I ever saw him again.
His wife, a lovely, lively type of Bohemian lady, used to dance in the main bar and Ronnie and her came into the back kitchen for a few drinks after closing time with Alvin and Diane and me on more than one occasion. Eric Clapton did indeed come in and so did Mick Jagger. They used to use/record at Ronnie's (mobile) studios I think down in Ronnie's farm that he'd bought locally. Though I don't know exactly where.
Many thanks for your memories - and please forgive the belated thanks.
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