Raise a glass to the pubs which we have lost

If you're a believer in nominative determinism, which is the idea that a person's name influences the career path they follow, you'll be pleased to learn that when the Airport Inn at Staverton opened in July 1965 the landlord was George Beer.

- Robin BROOKS

In similar vein, at the early part of last century there was a pub in Gloucester's Barton Street called the Merryfellow and its landlord was the splendidly titled Edward Wallop. Unfortunately the Merryfellow is one of the numerous Gloucester hostelries that have called last orders for the final time.

The process of pubs disappearing has been going on for a long time. When Edward V11 was on the throne, prior to the Great War, Southgate Street alone had 22 pubs. Northgate had 18, as did Eastgate. And Westgate boasted 14.

Among the city centre pub names that have disappeared were the Bunch of Grapes, Mason's Arms, Swansea House, Prince's Plume, Severn Trow, Ten Bells, Three Cocks, Three Kings, Bicester Arms, Plasterers Arms, Shipwrights Arms, Golden Hart, Pineapple and Reindeer.

Four pubs were named after dukes, Gloucester, Sussex, Wellington and York.

Two took the names of marquises, Bute and Gramby. And there was also the Sir Colin Campbell in Llanthony Road, a pub named after a 19 century Scottish general of the British army who appears to have no connection with Gloucester at all.