I have just been catching up on recent
postings and came across the one about the closure of the Unity Inn in Hyde.
That establishment holds countless
memories for my wife, Wynne, and I as it was Wynne’s mother, Jennie Cooper, who
took over the license in 1960. We had just returned from Singapore where I had
been serving with the RAF to be given the news of the move. Jennie had been the
extremely successful licensee of the Grapes Hotel in Gee Cross for several years
but family circumstances had forced her to move on. Stationed at RAF Waddington
in Lincolnshire, some of our leaves were spent at the Unity, which became
somewhat cramped as we now had our two children, Duncan and Debbie with us.
We left the RAF in 1966 and settled initially
in Denton and as the children grew older and attended school Wynne began to
work part-time for her mother, which was the start of an extremely successful
partnership.
During this era pubs offered very little
in the way of food – meat pies, crisps and nuts were about all that was on
offer. Jenny was a very astute landlady and on Monday evenings, when the pub
was quiet, she would put free food on the bar. It was simple fare – a bowl of cut-up
tripe, simple sandwiches, potato pie, or black peas and cowheel, but it brought
in the punters! Some of the ‘regulars’, who worked locally, suggested that if
such food was available they would be
only too glad to partake of it along with their lunchtime pint and so, a whole
new episode in the life of the Unity began.
Wynne was, and still is an excellent
cook and began serving simple, freshly prepared food at lunchtimes. Everything
she served was cooked from fresh produce including all the roasts and, as the
menu increased, so did the lunchtime clientele, which now included many local
businessmen, solicitors and doctors alongside the engineering workers from
Adamson’s and the like. The kitchen at the Unity was tiny and ill-equipped and
how she managed to produce such outstanding food, all of it to order, I will
never know. Eventually, the pub was heaving at lunchtimes and, although there
was no evening catering, many of the customers made The Unity their favourite evening
‘watering hole’. It also became very popular with the members of the local
amateur dramatic societies who used it as their base when there was a
production at the Festival Theatre. Over the following years, The Unity enjoyed
considerable success which, undoubtedly, was in great part due to Wynne’s
efforts, ability and dedication.
Jennie retired in 1988 when The Unity
was taken over by Bill McDermott for whom Wynne carried on working. The
character of the pub changed considerably under the stewardship of Bill and his
partner Alma. Out went the organ, which had been played by Charlie Perrin on
most evenings and which made the pub more attractive to older customers but
lunchtimes continued as before.
The photograph of Jennie and Wynne in
the bar of the Unity may remind some of your readers of whom I have been
writing.
Thank you so much for sending in your great memories, Ken.
Much appreciated ! :)
2 comments:
I remember Charlie Perrin very well. He was a close friend of my father at one time, and his elder son, Peter, was in my class at Holy Trinity School. Did he and Jennie ever marry?
The story brought tears to my eyes.
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