The Plasterers Arms

[ChipbuttyG]

Did anyone go here back in the day? It was down near Cholmeley Rd.

I believe it was knocked down and re-built.

[KeithW]

The pub in Cholmeley Road was the Eastgate, the Plasterer's was on Rupert Street and there was a passageway through from Sun Street. Been to both, neither were remarkable, though the Plasterer's did look quite attractive.

There were many pubs in Newtown, but only the Eastgate in the Chomeley Road, Liverpool Road and London Road triangle. I think because that area was H&P houses and they were temperance or somesuch.

[ChipbuttyG]

I can't find any photo's of the rebuilt Plasterers Arms which is a surprise.

The original was attractive, the rebuilt one wasn't IIRC. I only have vague memories of the rebuilt one as I was very young at the time.

[KeithW]

I didn't know it had been rebuilt in recent decades, though the mock Tudor one which you're probably thinking of wasn't the original.

http://collections.readingmuseum.org.uk ... tsStart=30

Apparently, Melvyn Bragg's parents ran it for a time.

[chris_j_wood]

I too remember the Plasterers and it was certainly still open when I moved to Reading, although I never went in it. I recall it as a mock Tudor, probably Victorian, building surrounded by the (then new) buildings of the Newtown redevelopment. It was certainly demolished, but I think the replacement was just more residential property in the style of its neighbours. I did try and find the site a few years back, but was unable to convince myself that I'd succeeded.

Sorry, no memories of the Eastgate at all. I suspect that I didn't know it existed until after it had gone. Heck, I only found the Roebuck (Auckland Road, not the one on the river) a few years ago when we had our annual forum meetup there.

[ChipbuttyG]

I think we used to go in via the rear entrance (LOL) via Sun Street. Of course it's all changed around there now. The back of the pub, as I recall definitely had a council estate look about it, with red bricks, similar to those used on the Orts Road flats.

[dave m]

https://library.reading.gov.uk/cgi-bin/ ... ,6?FMT=IMG

[OLDMAN]

I remember and have drunk in all the pubs in Newtown from late 70s on and watched then all go (apart from the 2 down by the river) - even had a drink I the Dreadnought once!

This is the Plasterers as I remember it, but the rear had an extension (the public bar) and was a bit different / modern looking
Used to go a few times with some old schoolmates who became Hells Angels who used to meet in there

[ChipbuttyG]

My recollection was only ever of the modern extension as my parents used to enter via Sun Street. I didn't as kids weren't allowed in....

[maggieaitch]

My uncle was the landlord of The Anglers Arms for some years but it may have been before your time OM. His name was Sid Langford. My mother's family lived in Albert Rd, so it was my grandparent's local.

[OLDMAN]

I didn't know it had been rebuilt in recent decades, though the mock Tudor one which you're probably thinking of wasn't the original.

http://collections.readingmuseum.org.uk ... tsStart=30

Apparently, Melvyn Bragg's parents ran it for a time.

They moved to the the Roebuck after that 1969-1971, I remember them being pointed out to us when and got told Melvyn visited a couple of times and some older locals had met him