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Back yard of The Darby & Joan, 1905

The Darby & Joan was situated on the High Street. This pub was present by 1872 when the publican was William Duckles. It closed in the 1970s and has now been demolished.

My Aunt and Uncle ran the pub when I was young from about 1958 to 1965 - that is just an estimate. They were Ada Fletcher and Walter Fletcher. I visited a number of times and stayed there once when I was about 12 and walked out into the country and went pea pulling. The yard was through the arch and went right through to the road behind. In the yard at the back they kept poultry and the odd pig. The Ladies in the photo are sitting outside what I knew as the kitchen. In the yard (just opposite the ladies) was a two storey out building. The ground floor was for the pig and storage, the upper storey was a Lodge which I think was Masonic. I went in it once and looked at swords and regalia and my Father played the organ. In about 2004, I was working near Crowle and went to try and find it. I couldn’t and asked one of the locals nearby. He took me to the bungalow which is now built on the site and said they called the landlady Fatty Fletcher which did accurately describe her!

Steve Fletcher (September 2020)

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