Examiner writer DAVID LOCKWOOD has happy memories of his DJ days at Castle Hill – and strong views on the current planning row
NEVER can there have been a more emotive subject than the ‘Pub on the Hill.’
In recent years we’ve had petitions and thousands of words on moving maternity services to Calderdale from HRI; numerous debates on Sports Centres; University take-overs; Technical College re-location and supermarket plans, all of which have invoked responses from various councillors and MPs.
But absolutely nothing compares to the ‘column miles’ which have been produced in the Examiner since the Thandi brothers made such a hash of their original building plans for the old Castle Hill Hotel.
I’ve listened to, read and inwardly digested many of the arguments, both for and against the proposed re-build, and eventually decided, having had some personal involvement in the past with the old hostelry, to put forward the views of someone who actually worked at the Castle Hill Hotel.
During the late Seventies and early Eighties, I was employed (part-time) by the excellent Bassett family – daughters, Elaine, Lynn, Judith and Gail and mum Eileen – who ran the Hotel – as one of two disc jockeys for private functions upstairs, along with close friend John Hirst.
After my mate decided he’d had enough, I ran the ‘decks’ on my own for another three years, as well as hosting three New Year’s Eve fancy dress functions downstairs, which proved so popular there was barely room to swing the proverbial cat.
During that time I must have ‘entertained’ thousands and thousands of the Huddersfield populace, who enjoyed everything from 18th and 21st birthday celebrations to silver and golden weddings, engagements, divorces, end-of-season presentation discos for a variety of sports clubs, and if my memory serves me correctly, even the odd wake!
I don’t remember ever seeing any trouble, violence or unsavoury behaviour as one ridiculous letter contributor once implied, suggesting bottles and glasses would be thrown down the banking and young people vomiting everywhere. They didn’t then – why should they now?
The girls (the Bassetts) ran a tight ship: the music was switched off at midnight, no matter how many people were still up there dancing. Sometimes, this was much to my dismay, as I felt I was just ‘warming the younger end up’ for a late night session down at Johnnies!
A few years later, the pub was taken over by the legendary (now sadly late) publican Peter Midwood, who had earlier made his mark at The Masons and The Golden Cock at Farnley Tyas, and who introduced gourmet food to The Castle Hill clientele.
Much has been made of the perceived problems of the access road. I don’t remember many when I worked there.
After all, it’s not a major artery, but a road up to car park, and there are a couple of passing places (which I’m sure could be expanded without too much trouble).
The worse that happened in my experience was occasionally, during the depths of winter, a handful of people would pop out of the pub to help someone negotiate the tricky left-hand uphill bend when skidding around on an icy surface.
Where do people get the idea from that the ‘lane’ will resemble the ring road at rush hour?
I couldn’t agree more with the recent simple offering from Gary Skaczkowski, who said: “why are there so many objections to the pub being re-built where it was before?
“It was there for many a year before the tower, and I don’t remember people wanting it pulled down saying it spoiled a landmark.”
If anything, a bigger mistake was building a Victorian tower (many, many years after the pub) which serves no purpose, is rarely open, and is nothing but a genuine ‘folly.’
As the Examiner’s cricket writer (among other things), when I’ve visited Hall Bower for a Drakes League match, I’ve sat on the top side of the ground and looked longingly up the hill to stare at the blank space where in the past I’m sure many hundreds of thousands of Huddersfield residents (as well as those from farther afield) down the years have enjoyed countless hours, enjoying food, refreshment and general ambience, of what helped make Castle Hill such a notable landmark in the town.
What’s betting the majority of objectors are the same people who demanded ‘smoke free pubs’ – surely the biggest single death wish on the public house – but who still don’t bother visiting their local, and probably never did.
And I’m surprised at just how many of those objecting come from many a mile away from Castle Hill. Someone even wrote from Selby – what has it got to do with them?
Most have probably only ever visited the hill on a couple of occasions, and are never likely to.
I can just imagine the dialogue on the very rare occasion when these people take a visiting friend or relation up the hill to admire the views: “there used to be a pub here, where you could get something to eat, have a drink and, if necessary, avail yourself of the public convenience. But fortunately, they pulled it down and never replaced it, so we’ll have to go somewhere else if you need any of the above!”
And as for Mr Marsden and his Civic Society buddies, I’m sure there are better causes to throw their limited weight behind, if they want to be seen to make a difference (which they rarely have up to now).
I had some great times at the Castle Hill Hotel, be it working or simply calling up there for a bite to eat or the odd drink. What a shame current and future generations could easily be denied the same opportunities by the objections of the vociferous and noisy ‘must-be-heard’ minority!
