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Picture source: Andy Hagerty

The Royal Charter was situated on Richmond Road. This pub was also known as The Three Fishes and closed in the 1980s.

I'm a kiwi who was living in London from '76 to '79. I don't know how I heard about the 3 fishes but what a place!! Loved it soo much. Sunday lunchtime was awesome with two hours of ear splitting great music and lots of beer. Then at 2 minutes to 2pm when they kicked you out for a while the DJ played' The Young Rascals Groovin ' I play it from time to time and go back. Friday and Sat nights too and also remember some of them ha ha

Steve Nichols (June 2018)

Ear splittingly loud thumping rock/metal, great place, everyone's head bobbing as they sucked their pints! I was there on the very last night when everyone went mad grabbing stuff as souvenirs, including the absolutely filthy, nicotine laden dodgy curtains!

Rosco White (March 2019)

Not long before it closed a group of heavy looking 40ish Hell’s Angels sat down in the front bay. One went up to Martin (DJ) and Martin just shook his head, no! I asked him at the end what they wanted and he said they asked for the music to be turned down so they could talk! Summed it up, what a place, so many years, so many great nights!

Ian Sinclair (October 2020)

I was a regular at The Fishes (as we knew it) from 74 to 79. We used to jump in between there and the Jolly Brewers around the corner. Both pubs had DJ’s. Martin at the Fishes and several different ones (of which I was one) at the Brewers. Music was central to our lives then and Oh what music the Fishes played.... I vividly recall in summer 76 Martin got an import of the first Ramones LP and played it Bon stop next to Jefferson Starship and the rest... we couldnt believe it, amazing !Happy memories.

Steve Budd (March 2021)

Back in the early to mid 80's I used to ride out to this pub. It was notorious. It kept losing its licence then someone would come along and relaunch it. They had to tear it down in the end. Public bar rammed with young kids playing the fruit machine etc. Large lounge bar littered with bodies all spaced out on Wacky Baccy and the music so loud that your pint would have to be chained to the table to stop it dancing off the edge! We would communicate using sign language because to have someone press their mouth up to your ear and shout just hurt. The DJ had floor to ceiling wardrobe cabinets crammed with vinyls and could pretty much play anything you requested. My friend thought he was being clever by asking for Tonto's Expanding Head Band. Sure enough, up it came. It was where a track called 'All Night Long' by American Singer Robbie Dupree caught my attention. At that volume it sounded wonderful. I tracked down the album in an off-the-wall back street record shop in London and fell in love with Street Corner Heroes (1981) In fact I loved every other track more than 'All Night Long'. Bizarre.

Rus Yates-Aylott (February 2023)

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Name	Dates	Comments
Richard King	1972-1982	Great pub.
Harry Roberts	late 1970s	Music so loud your ears would bleed! Great times though - Cheap Trick, BOC, Pere UBU, Toto (yes Toto) Dwight Twilley, Real Kids - all first heard at the Charter, oh and the classic was the Talking Heads Psycho Killer....The music was 100% album tracks and 100% class.
Moose	early 1980s	Every Friday night either by train from Epsom or on the bikes. Loads of Courage Best, great music, sign language 'cos it was so loud. Bartender in a white shirt we called him 'Cellerman'. Getting chased by the police for trick riding on the way home. Great memories. All those people we could never talk to. A sadly missed old pub.
Alan Restel	1974-1984	I travelled there by 281 or 285 bus from Teddington. I remember Tom the landlord,Martin the DJ and Richard who deputised when Martin was not there. The hippies of which I was one.  The music, the friends, ...I will never forget it and was so lucky to experience it in my formative years. The 60s and 70s were revolutionary in music, fashion and changing people's attitudes towards modern life..
Trog	late 1970s to close.	Great Pub. Loud Music. Lip reading bar staff. DJ had wall to ceiling album rack capable of playing different tunes every night for at least a year. A good mix of people from local Black and White Patch bikers to happy hippies and everything in between. Even the odd office gent. The police sometimes came in as well, but normally only by invitation.
Philip	1970-1976	I too remember tom the landlord and martin the dj .there are many nights i dont remember though because i got too stoned
Sarah Payne	1978-1982	Loved this place - had so many great nights there, some I can even remember! New Years Eve I think maybe 1981 - fantastic. I remember watching the football World Cup in 1982 and getting my first declaration of undying love in the frontbar by the tv from my then boyfriend while he stood on the table - he then promptly fell off face first on the floor, pissed - does it still count?
Hank	1978-1982	A Kiwi in London, most Sunday afternoons - amazing Rock collection played hard out by the resident DJ - too loud to talk but what a great atmosphere - haven't come across anything like it anywhere else since
Pete Schembri	1970s	Great atmosphere and great memories. Most weekends were spent in our regular corner of the front bar, drinking light and bitter and listening to imported American rock albums, which became the basis of my record collection. Especially recall 'Who Do You Love' by Quicksilver Messenger Service. Felt like being at a live gig.
Roy	1974-1980	I remember the landlord was Tom, Martin the DJ played mainly American Imports
Clare Roscoe	1971-1974	Used to go with my chums, Tina Webb-bourne, her chap Colin, his mate Mick Beltrami, Steph and others. The place to be on a Friday night - the air so thick with smoke you could cut it! Punctuated with the odd drugs raid by the police! a far cry from my polite life in Weybridge! we really let our hair down. Remember Landlord Tom kept kicking my chum Steph out because she was under age and looked so very young.
Tony W	1970s-1980s	Fantastic music very heavy very loud bought many us. imports there from martin the dj.
Michael Game	1970-1981
Nick Davies	1980-1984	I used to go there regularly at weekends to listen to the extremely Loud music, the DJ Martin was a pal of mine, and used to sell me some of the best Vinyl Albums around at the time
Mark	1975-1980	What a pub! Lip reading was a must. Great music and so friendly, I don't recall ever seeing trouble there.
David Rostance	1972-1973	I was a student living at Kew Bridge and used to catch the 65 bus to Kingston (then still an RT) with my mate Bill Huntley. Great music and atmosphere. We moved to another part of London later in 1973 and I regret never re-visiting the pub.
Geoffrey Hicks	1974-1976	Customer,particularly on a Sunday lunchtime. First time I ever heard Springsteen(Rosalita)& Dan Fogelberg(Part of the plan).I still have the albums I bought immediately after.
Margery Thorogood	1978-closure	Was a part time barmaid there. Remembered the great music from Martins amazing collection, the 4 enormous speakers and learning to lip read the customers! Good times.
Sheila Lanham	1976-1981	At least four nights a week. Irish Paul, Robin Choudray, Paul Hayes, Nick & Vicky, Little Paul & Little Sheila, Jimmy Slark. Remember biscuit tin going round on raid nights & everyone was honest reclaiming after the raids. Salvation Army sometimes came in on Saturday nights & virtually everyone donated. Psycho Killer (Talking Heads), Spirit of a Woman (American Flyer), Fountain of Sorrow (Jackson Browne), Marquee Moon
Richard Gregory	1972-closure	I propped up the bar at the Fishes for most of the 1970s and early 1980s, and was present at the epic last night when it closed down. Tom Kellaher was our genial host, Martin the DJ was an absolute master, Dick was an able deputy, the staff were cool, the patrons friendly, and the Sunday lunchtime session was as good as it gets. The only pub I ever cared for, I have never known anything like it. Regards to all.