Tuesday 5 January 2010

VICTORIA INN

barrel organ grinderThe photograph at the top shows a Barrel organ player known as an ‘organ grinder’ with others outside Victoria Inn, Vale Road (Greenfield Place) c.1890. The gent in the bowler hat is out of focus; perhaps he hiccupped. The photo is from Gaynor Williams (was Jones) whose great grandfather on her father’s side of the family was Robert Evans, landlord of the Victoria Inn at the time.

The copy-of-a-copy-of-a photo of the interior was taken around the same time. The figures are not identified but I like to think it shows Robert and a couple of helpers. The Victoria Inn was demolished c.2000 to make way for the Brantano part of the £1.8 million Matalan development.

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TUE 21st JUN 2016 UPDATE: Mike Davies thinks that the organ grinder's name is Nicoline Gizzi.

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