6. Golden Fleece – Corner of Market Street & Brighton Place

 

The bar currently called The Market Inn was once known as The Golden Fleece.

‘Someone said to me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t ever go in the Golden Fleece. It’s full of that sort of people.’ So the next night I went down there.
It was the most notorious of the bars, was the Golden Fleece in Market Street. There were two bars there, one was fairly discreet, presided over by Bert. Bert was an elderly gentleman of a charming character, the soul of discretion, who would listen to all sorts of people’s confessions and keep everything well under his hat. The other side was hilarious and riotous, presided over by a gentleman called Dennis whose second name I never discovered. Dennis was one of those flamboyant queans who couldn’t give a shit about anybody and had frequently been in trouble for all sorts but always bounced back, larger than life. One of those few, in those days, who would actually probably be too indiscreet and compromise you in public, so not everybody took kindly to him. We had to earn a living in the town, so we didn’t really want to be screamed at in the street.’

Walk up Brighton Place to the newly created Hanningtons Lane, next to Pugin’s House, and turn right to follow the lane until it meets with Poplar Place.