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The Beehive was situated at 128 Cobourg Road. This pub has now been demolished. Publican from June 1895 to June 1897 was Frank Sweeting, in 1904 Henry Sweeting.

Source: Ian Chapman

I lived at 120, Cobourg Road until I was 19 years old. It became my local. It wasn’t a large pub (like The Thomas ‘a’ Becket up the road), just a small saloon bar, a larger public bar, and a very low door in the wall that separated them (you had to duck right down to pass through!). It was a Courage pub. Landlords names are a challenge. I know the guy who had it in the mid ’50’s had a son named Martin - we used to play football together, and a Mr. Bill Isaacs had it with his wife Bab’s & daughter Ruth. After him was a chap named John, but I can’t remember his last name. I know Bill Isaacs went to a pub in Manor Place, Walworth. He bought a Bentley!!! In WALWORTH!!! The Beehive was pretty much a standard back street boozer - except for Sunday lunchtimes, for a couple of years. Bill Isaacs asked my father (a musician - and a good one too) to play piano. My father agreed on condition that I (as a 12 year old) played drums. Bill agreed, and word got round among musicians (my dad knew loads of them), and a regular jam session took place on these occasions, with up to 10 or 11 musicians playing at once. This place kicked off my musical career. I retired from music last year, aged 70, and a long way from The Beehive, but I’ll always remember it.

Bob Quickenden (April 2020)

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