Bygone Britain

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@PubHistoryTours ....... @Lost___London @Britains___Pubs @VinnieSull1van

[Bygone Britain @BygoneBritain]

Upcoming Pub/History Walking Tour/s

Rochester, Kent 🚶‍♂️🚶🚶‍♀️
🗓 27th June (SATURDAY)
👥 Rochester Station
🕦 11 AM @PubHistoryTours

Prices: £20 per person (for over 18s),
16-18: £10
Under 16s: Free (If accompanied by a paying adult)

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

Upcoming Pub/History Walking Tour (#KENT)
https://t.co/8oswFXHPR7

Rochester, Kent 🚶‍♂️🚶🚶‍♀️
🗓 27th June (SATURDAY)
👥 Rochester Station
🕦 11 AM With @PubHistoryTours

Rochester, the historic port town in Medway, Kent, is one of my favourite places in the world. Famed for its Norman castle, ancient cathedral, and deep connections to Charles Dickens, the town offers a charming High Street filled with independent shops and annual festivals. From Roman walls to homes that housed kings of England, there's far too much to talk about in this small town than I have room to type.

With a 1000 year old castle, and a Norman cathedral with it's foundation stretching back to 604 AD, this really is one of the most historic, and wonderful sights in England. You will be taking photographs all day and will want to return. Once you walk around, you understand that even though it's small, it takes more than one day to really take it all in. I travel down often just to appreciate the area and relax.

Direct, frequent services run via Southeastern and Thameslink. Fast trains from London St Pancras International take about 40 minutes.

We will be covering so many topics and observing so many forms of architecture that however much I want to talk about them now, I'd better wait until the day.

I find this are to be incredibly special, and somewhere I feel at home. I hope that (if you're joining us) that you will too.

I am very much looking forward to this outing and can not emphasise enough just how beautiful, and educational the area is.

Each tour will last roughly between 3-1/2 to 4 hours (or more) and will include several pubs that we will both visit and pass. We will be visiting some of #London's most famous and impressive locations, and of course, pubs, whilst venturing into various historical epochs. If you need to leave early, then please let me know at the time, and I'll direct you.

Prices: £20 per person (for over 18s),
16-18: £10
Under 16s: Free (If accompanied by a paying adult)

Ps. Thank you all so much for all of your custom and support. It means the absolute world to me. 🤝

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

🍃 🐦 Hedgerows:

Britain has lost approximately half of its hedgerow network since World War II, a situation that @JeremyClarkson rightfully addressed on Clarksons Farm.

An estimated 118,000 to 300,000 miles were grubbed up or severely neglected as farmers merged smaller fields to accommodate large-scale, mechanized agriculture. Or, as we see often, companies or building contractors levelled them to create warehouses, factories, or rows of stagnant houses.

Hedgerows are Britain's largest priority habitat. They act as "wildlife corridors" that connect fragmented habitats and support roughly 80% of woodland birds and 50% of mammals. They store significant amounts of carbon and act as physical barriers to air pollution.

The view of the landscape and the environment itself has suffered immeasurably. We are told a great many fibs about climate change, but few of the truths that the state and its cooperative mindset are responsible for.

You may have noticed less bugs stuck to your windscreen, or less birds thanks to the decline of our hedgerows, among other things.

Farmland birds have been the hardest hit, with populations declining severely over the long term. Species such as the Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge, and the European Turtle Dove have seen devastating long-term population drops.

It's quite obvious to me that in order to have a great nation once again, we must undo the many corporate, internationalist, and damaging actions that have been made in the last few decades. If you agree with this, or feel others need to know, then kindly share and make others aware.

These days, things are deliberately overcomplicated in order to hide how simple it is to make things clean, safe, and beautiful.

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

Laying Hedgerows in the 1940s.
Britain has lost half of its hedgerows since the days of WW2. This, like the many things that have since affected the people of Britain, has harmed our countryside, the creatures who live there, and the very air that we breathe. ⏳️

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

The very sight of the flying Scotsman in bygone Britain fills me with an intense sense of longing. ⏳️🚂

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

The eyes of the fallen. ⚰️

On 1 July 1916 (WW1), the 1st Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers numbered 700 to 800 men. During a disastrous assault at Beaumont-Hamel, the battalion suffered devastating casualties, with 163 men killed (including 7 officers) and 312 wounded.

Stationed forward in the "Sunken Lane" in No Man's land, the men were torn to shreds by intense German machine-gun fire as soon as they advanced out of the lane.

On the lead-up to the battle, members of the 252nd Tunnelling Company had secretively mined underneath the formidable bastion and planted 40,000 lb (18,000 kg) of explosives.

Its detonation would signal the end of the artillery bombardment and the start of the Allied attempt to take Beaumont-Hamel.

At around 06:30 hours, the cinematographer Geoffrey Malins used the tunnel to reach the lane (directly below the German position) where he famously filmed the Fusiliers resting in the "calm before the storm".

The soldiers stationed near Beaumont-Hamel were tasked with securing the village. In preparation for the assault some of these men, the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, had occupied a forward position in a low country road called ‘the Sunken Lane.’

Despite suffering from shell-shock (due to the huge explosion), the Germans manned their guns.

They knew that the British Battalion had situated themselves in the Lane and quickly focused their firepower on the soldiers as they emerged. Casualties mounted rapidly. Many of those whom Malins had filmed hours earlier did not live through the day with 163 killed, 312 wounded, and 11 missing.

Which of the faces in this video perished in this video, I'm not sure, but any who survived would have been left damaged for the rest of their days.

You're looking at the reality of war and death in its harrowing stages.

I, for one, and always sickened when I see the world wars celebrated or glorified as if they were anything but a disaster for all those involved. To this day, we are missing entire families who haven't existed (across Europe), all thanks to wars that never needed to happen. Those who did make it home were ruined inside and out. Only to find little to no work, and in most cases, no help whatsoever. Meanwhile, the government, who'd sent them (our ancestors), celebrated as if they'd won anything other than the deterioration of Britain, Europe, and the people who call them home.

What a waste 🕊

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

A wholesome salute from the Coopers in Rochester. See you soon, crew. 🤝

@LukeHL27 @Cal_III @PubHistoryTours @Britains___Pubs

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

The British have always been good at tree shaping. An impressive horticultural practice that involves training, bending, and pruning young trees to grow into specific artistic or structural forms like arches, fences, or abstract living sculptures.

It is achieved through a combination of formative pruning, framing, and approach grafting. Bygone Britain saw this in abundance, whilst today, it's a rare sight. So beautiful were our surroundings in bygone England that we worked to improve upon them.

This mindset now exists among very few people as opposed to it being a nationwide policy. Say what you like, England would look a lot better if people went back to art forms that work with nature instead of accepting the cold, steel buildings that have numbed the minds of all those who live or work, within, or around them. This is what we mean when we talk about quintessential England. ⏳️🤝

[james smith @PlainJamesSmith]

@VinnieSull1van @BygoneBritain @PubHistoryTours World's gone mad

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

When I click my fingers, you will wake up in 1960s Britain, where you will stay for the rest of your days.

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

On the Hampstead tour for @PubHistoryTours, we discussed the oldest surviving house in Hampstead (Fenton House), a presentable, late-17th-century merchant’s home built around 1686.

The expansive walled garden stretches across multiple levels. It features a kitchen garden, a sunken rose garden, and a 300-year-old orchard.

Because it is a protected heritage site and a national asset, it has no commercial market value.

However, historic and prime detached properties of this magnitude and location in Hampstead regularly sell for anywhere between £15 million to over £28 million depending on the plot size and condition.

Another fine example of what we should be building like today.

Unfortunately, due to building works we couldn't get up around the other side to see it properly. But as you can see, she's a beauty.

[Britain's Lost & Living Pubs @Britains___Pubs]

Still not rebuilt:

Let us not forget the tragic tale of the #CrookedHouse, in Himley near Dudley, famously known as "Britain's wonkiest pub," which @VinnieSull1van. There, in an episode, we asked a few questions we noticed hadn't been asked. Originally built in 1765, its signature slant was caused by 19th-century mining subsidence. Though destroyed by a fire and subsequently and suspiciously demolished in August 2023, the owners were legally ordered by the South Staffordshire Council to rebuild it brick by brick. This has not yet been done. ⏳️

Kindly share and make others aware. Thank you. 🤝🍻

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

1950s Birmingham, despite being in post-war Britain, looks like a paradisial safe haven.

[Bygone Britain @BygoneBritain]

Bromley, England, 1980s ⏳️

[Bygone Britain @BygoneBritain]

Glasgow shipyard, Scotland, 1944

[Bygone Britain @BygoneBritain]

2nd Parachute Brigade 🇬🇧 🪂 In Athens, Greece 🇬🇷

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

On this weekends tour you will have the option of stopping for a spot of lunch at a pie and mash shop or a lovely bakery.

This will be a very photogenic day, so make sure you have memory on your phone or bring a camera. See you soon. 🤝 @PubHistoryTours

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

In a few hours, for @PubHistoryTours, we explore Rochester, a rich tapestry of ancient Celts, Roman occupation, medieval power, and literary heritage. A place of monarchical struggle, religious ups and downs, war, and achievements of all kinds that have left their mark for millenia. A gorgeous town thats famous for its Celtic and Roman roots, magnificent Norman castle, second-oldest cathedral in England, and rich connections to the celebrated author Charles Dickens.

I look forward to seeing you all soon and hope that you'll be ready to photograph this wonderful area. Try and get a good breakfast down you, and if for any reason you're running late, you can message me, tag me in the post below, or message my Instagram, upon which I shall direct you. The area is easy to reach from central London, and it looks like the weather should be suitable. Apparently, it's going to cool down somewhat tomorrow, but still be nice and sunny.

Thank you to everyone who supports my tours and to everyone who's been by my side. 🤝

[Steve 2467 @steve24673]

@VinnieSull1van @Britains___Pubs @PubHistoryTours You can’t beat a night out hitting a few pubs…..& ending up in a “working men’s club”
My first experience with a working men’s club was the one at Baldock whilst doing basic training at Bassingbourn 1983
We’d go into Royston, have a bit of a pub crawl then head over to Baldock

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

Britain's pubs and social clubs used to inexpensively bring us all under one roof instead of being sat apart in our homes.

[Vinnie Sullivan @VinnieSull1van]

In time, everything that we have taken from the earth will take it back.

#Greenwich, South #London

[Pub and History Walking Tours @PubHistoryTours]

On this weekends tour you will have the option of stopping for a spot of lunch at a pie and mash shop or a lovely bakery. This will be a fine day out, so make sure you have memory on your phone or to bring a sperate camera.