As pubs across Salford gear up to mark Remembrance Day with celebrations, a popular drinking spot in the heart of Boothstown has emphasised the importance of “keeping the memory of people who served in war alive for younger generations.”
Each year, the Royal Oak Pub on Simpson Road commemorates Remembrance Weekend with a series of events reflecting the spirit of the war years.
Landlady Karen Baird says it is nice to remember those who served for Queen, King and Country while helping to educate young people about the United Kingdom’s past at a time when the number of surviving witnesses of war is declining.
On Saturday, her 15-year-old Granddaughter, Tilly Taylor-Baird, will perform a set of wartime songs and party favourites to a packed pub audience, before professional singer Bob Young leads the Remembrance Day tribute on Sunday with classics from the war years.
Karen said the pub would be “dressed up in red, white and blue,” with a complimentary spread of hot pot and sandwiches laid on for drinkers on Sunday.
Singer Tilly Taylor-Baird (Right).
She noted that Remembrance Week feels especially poignant as her brother was killed by an IRA bomb while serving in Northern Ireland.
“He was killed in 1991 after a bomb was planted underneath Musgrave Park Hospital by the IRA.
“Armistice lets us remember him. Each year, the family go to a service in Swinton or Eccles and lays a cross for him.
“We have an older clientele at the pub, so the events we have allow people to remember loved ones from all wars who have served and passed away.”
While the Royal Oak is always busy at the weekend when punters pile in to watch Manchester United play, Karen said that events give the pub much-needed footfall at a time when “everyone is struggling.”
“We try to encourage everyone to come out of the house and celebrate. It can be very difficult at the moment because people do not always have money to spend and they can get beer from the supermarket for much cheaper.
“But we are a community pub that keeps the social side of drinking alive. We have a golf society, a darts team and are currently running a toy and food collection for the Salvation Army,” she highlighted.
For Brian Furlong, one of The Royal Oak’s regulars, Remembrance provides a chance to reflect on the positive contribution his dad made.
He explained that his father had served in the Royal Navy, where he was one of about 39,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen subjected to nuclear bomb trials.
“I think these sorts of events are beneficial, you have got to have Remembrance. Those people who gave their lives have changed the world. I don’t think young people are being taught enough about the sacrifices they made,” he said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Karen delivered free meals from the pub to lonely and needy people in Salford.
According to Brian, she is “too humble and undersells the charity work she does.”
“They are currently doing a Christmas toy collection, have raised money for a girl with cancer and it’s just a top quality pub with brilliant pints and a great atmosphere.”
He is a member of The Royal Oaks Golf Society, which sees 30 or 40 members travel to different courses around the country each Sunday from April to October.
“It’s good to get away with the lads from the pub, we generally play courses that cost about £30 but are good quality.”
One of the other TROGS players, Malc, explained that it was inside the Royal Oak pub that he realised this part of Salford was where he wanted to live.
“It’s a good real community pub,” he said. “Before I knew anyone, I came in here with my wife and stood at the bar. It was before Christmas and everyone came in with food to share with each other.
“It’s a brilliant place and there’s someone for everything; if you need your computer fixing, your plumbing done or someone to build an extension on your house, there’s someone in here who will help.
“And it does the best pint of Stella in Salford, the best pint anywhere,” Malc added.
More information on the Royal Oaks Remembrance celebrations can be found here.
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