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Picture source: T C

The Nags Head was situated at 79-81 Heath Street. Known for a time as The Cruel Sea, it is now used as an estate agents office.

I lived in Hyelm hostel at 79 Fitzjohns Avenue for a year between 10/1971 and 12/1972. I stayed in the area or visited Hampstead for two more years. This pub was one of my locals. Most memorable thing about it was the full length paintings that ran along both side-walls, apparently these murals were by Robert Lenkiewicz who had some fame back in the day. There was a documentary about him, I think. His patron was Lord St Germain. It was alleged that he had had a friend mummified and secreted in his house.

Jon (July 2019)

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Name	Dates	Comments
Barbara D'Gama	1964/1965	My late father and mother used to run the pub back in the mid 1960's and our family lived upstairs. As an adult and having explored my family's heritage I learnt that my father was the first "coloured" publican in London prior to the 1965 Race Relations Act. My father was Indian and my mother Irish and were encouraged by Finches to run the pub. We were a family of 7 and as I understand, perceived as eccentric.
Jon	1971/1974	Regular.
Victor Maloney	1963/1964	I worked in a pub, Wargrave Arms owned by finch’s. A colleague was sent to the cruel sea. Richard burton and Elizabeth Taylor came in. Cleopatra had just opened in the odeon. My colleague said they were fighting and burton paid the manager to clear the bar. My colleague and him were left with Burton and Taylor.
George Blundell-Pound	1965/1969	A customer when I could afford to be one. It was the local for a group of us. I remember that the bars were back to back in the middle of a large Victorian room. Very busy at weekends. You could buy party fours or sixes of beer and head out to parties after the pub closed. Not sure I could afford such extravagance but the people who did were worth following to see if you could blag your way into said party.
Belinda Gifford	1973/1974	I worked at the Cruel Sea as a barmaid back in the 70s. It was my first encounter as a barmaid , coming as a young woman from New Zealand. The Bar managers name was Del?? And I remember a very famous singer at the time Dave Clark, would come in most nights. ( I’m pretty sure that’s who he was) it was fun times