ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

THERE never was such a bizarre pub before - and there's certainly never been one like it since!

For the St Helens-based Hont's Globe and London Museum Vaults (how's that for a mouthful?) seems to have been a watering hole graced by both the four-footed and two-legged species . . . a sort of miniature zoo set among the foaming pints.

This remarkable Victorian establishment must have been regarded as the eighth wonder of the world by the local arm-bending fraternity when it opened in 1878. And a faint echo of its glory has been unearthed by keen amateur historian Bernard Murphy.

He has kindly forwarded, for my interested inspection, a copy of a local newspaper advert announcing the grand opening of Mr Hont's pub with its exotic beasts - including a leopard, roebuck, seal and foxes - as well as a marine aquarium, wild-bird aviary and winter-garden conservatory.

This grandiose pub apparently had a town-centre location (now occupied by an opticians) at the corner of Barrow Street with Ormskirk Street.

And the notice of the October opening makes amazing reading.

The most spectacular section reads: 'At this establishment can be seen, free of charge, a conservatory, or Winter Garden, containing upwards of 100 of the most rare plants in full bloom and a beautiful crystal fountain of real water.'

Other attractions included: 'A marine aquarium well stocked with curiosities of the deep'; 'an aviary of live birds with real waterfall'; 'A fine leopard, full grown roebuck, fine seal, pair of large foxes, and upwards of 500 other animals and birds from all quarters of the globe.' (The notice doesn't specify it, but I rather suspect that these must surely have been stuffed examples). And there's more . . .

The bar and vaults, trumpets the special announcement, 'are the most elaborately appointed in the Kingdom; with an elegant and comfortable smoke room.'

Adding to the magnificence were eight stained glass windows ('executed by Mr Wm Gardner of St Helens in his best style') featuring full-length portraits of Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Beaconsfield, the Earl of Derby, the Rt Hon W. E. Gladstone, John Bright, Dan O'Connell and Robert Burns.

The first customer through the doors on that Saturday evening of October 27, 1878, was to be rewarded with a free commemorative glass plus a half-crown piece.

And though it all happened more than a century ago, the pub had a special feature which will be of great interest to anyone who has endured an 'iffy' pint from the first pull of the day.

Boasting of its large stock of good old wines and spirits, Champagne, Burton ale and Dublin stout, proprietor Hont announced that his super-pub was equipped with Bycroft's patent glass-tubed beer engine.

"The beer," he explained, "may be seen passing from the cellar to the tumbler. The first glass of the morning is thus rendered as clear and pure as the last in the evening."

NOW, what Bernard and I would like to know is, how long did that splendid temple of tippling last; and just what became of those magnificent stained-glass panels when the place shut down?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.