Forest Legends In Stapleford

Larry Lloyd is a football and pub legend.  Firstly, he won the First Division title (that’s the equivalent of the Premier League kids) and UEFA Cup (that’s the equivalent of the Europa League kids) with Liverpool.

As well as playing for England he also, arguably more impressively, won the First Division title with Nottingham Forest and then won two European Cups (that’s the Champions League kids) with the same club who are now languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship (that’s Division Two kids).

I feel the need to add in the brackets just in case anyone reading this was actually born after 1992 (highly unlikely) when, apparently, football records began with the advent of the Premier League.

However, not only did Lloyd prove himself to be a real footballing legend in Nottingham he then went on to run a pub (that’s because players earned normal wages kids) in the centre of Nottingham known as The Stage Door  before running another boozer in Spain.

In terms of being a football/pub legend it doesn’t get much better than that and, to top it off, he proved he was a real football hardman as he subsequently chucked Roy Keane, Stuart Pearce and the Forest squad of that era out of his boozer as he thought they were being ‘a bit naughty.’

Anyway, as part of my trip into Stapleford ( I have spoken to the Stapleford Marketing board and agreed to show this new picture of Mr Fix It’s shop next to a burgeoning business),

this side of the A52 is clearly Forest territory and Lloyd would have been proud of the boozer I found nestled in the centre of this town.

184 – Larry’s NG9 7DE couldn’t have been any more different from The Horse And Jockey  if it tried but it was certainly livelier and attracting a different crowd.

This boozer used to be an HSBC Bank but was converted into Larry’s in 2014 and it reminded me of a bar on the strip in Spain.

I don’t mean that in a derogatory way as it was lively with lots of laughter at the bar and this is clearly a pub for the local community whilst the fact they have made it the hub of the Stapleford/Long Eaton Nottingham Forest Supporters Club branch is a shrewd move.

It isn’t what you’d call a conventional pub inside in terms of decor…but it reminded me of a boozer in Magaluf or Benidorm and it really worked in creating an atmosphere.

It was 2pm on a Tuesday but there was a healthy crowd in discussing pub life and there is plenty on offer all day every day by the look of it. A 9am opening time also reminded me of a continental approach to bar life and everyone inside the pub was friendly and welcoming.

(Gaffer was round the corner with plenty more punters)

As pubs shut in Stapleford, such as The Nags Head and Plough, then I Like the fact Larry’s recognises this and has created their own shrine in the corner and welcomed on board all and sundry.

Why Larry’s?  Well, I was chatting with one of the boys outside who was having a fag and he told me that the owner of the bar is called Lloyd and has always been nicknamed Larry (as you would be if you were of a certain age in Nottingham) and that was the reason for the name of the bar.

Lloyd was friendly and sitting at the bar indulging in some boisterous humour with his staff and regulars but made sure he welcomed me and also made a point of saying see you again when I left which tells me this a bloke who runs a good boozer.

Apparently, it sells ale and there was a Castle Rock drip mat but I couldn’t see any so I plumped for a half of Worthington Creamflow at the princely sum of £1.10!!!

I like it as a drink and it is possibly still one of the best-selling beers in the country (particularly in East Birmingham and Solihull suburbs).

In fact, sticking with the football theme, I like Worthington despite the fact one of Lloyd’s former clubs denied Birmingham what would have been their second League Cup triumph back in 2001 when it was sponsored by William Worthington and the boys from Burton.

A 1-1 scoreline for Championship Birmingham against Premier League Liverpool and a Stephane Henchoz tackle foul that would have been given as a penalty under VAR (that was when referees made decisions kids) that would surely have won it for Birmingham before the customary heartbreak of a penalty shootout defeat and tears for manager Trevor Francis (another Forest link there).

Anyway, I digress, in an era when pubs are evolving and springing up in all kinds of shapes and sizes, (Micropub revolution) then this little cracker, which is anything but an orthodox, traditional bar, looks set to be a permanent fixture in Stapleford for years to come.

I suspect it won’t feature on any Ale Trails any time soon but it’s a boozer I’d happily go to and watch any sporting event, have a pint, have a laugh, chew the fat and generally enjoy the cracking atmosphere in Larry’s.

NB: I’ve just read my comments section and seen that Alan Winfield recommends Larry’s – I couldn’t think of a better recommendation than Alan agreeing with me that this is a rollicking good bar!