Leeds in the 1970s: The landlord with a strong arm and pride in the pints he pulled
Do you remember Lawrie Graham, landlord of The Garden Gate pub in the 1970s?
He was a landlord with a strong arm and a pride in the pints he pulled.
Lawrie Graham was also caretaker and guide to Hunslet’s showplace - The Garden Gate pub on Whitfield Place, a piece of preserved Victoriana.
The pub stood alone and unscathed in an area that, by the late 1970s, had been dealt a hefty blow by the demolition men.
A petition of Garden Gate regulars had saved it when it looked as though it was to endure the same fate as the surrounding property.
Lawrie was one of the men of Hunslet who put his name to the list, never knowing that one day he would become the incumbent.
The 36-year-old who was born and bred within a stone’s throw of the pub, had been the licensee for to years when this photo was taken in early 1977.
He told the YEP that when his hands were not manning the pumps, he spent his time showing round parties of sightseers.
“They’re mostly students,” he said. “But we also get quite a lot of Americans calling. Sometimes they come when we’re closed, but I do let them in and show them round just the same. They’re all very impressed.”
The Garden Gate was built in 1903 by architect W. Mason Coggill although it can trace its roots back to 1823 when gardener Thomas Walton purchased the plot.
It boasts one of only 14 remaining ceramic bar counters in the UK. The level of interior intactness is nationally rare, prompting its Grade II listed building status by Historic England.
The ornate panelling and fittings were made and installed by J Claughton, “complete house furnishers” of Hunslet.
The interior famously featured in the 2012 BBC adaptation of Room at the Top.
DO YOU REMEMBER LAWRIE GRAHAM? Share you thoughts with Andrew Hutchinson via email at: [email protected] or tweet him - @AndyHutchYPN