Interview with
Harry King in The Approach Tavern
with Sally Musgrove
4th September 1998
Where were you born and where?
28th of August 1922 in Bethnal Green.
How long have you been associated with the Approach
Tavern?
About 70 years. There is a photograph of your father in the bar, was he the
landlord? Yes, that was taken just after the war.
When did the pub first open?
I have just read a book that said that Approach Road existed in
1881, we used to be number 49 but now we are number 47, because they have
probably built more houses.
Why is the road called The Approach?
Queen Victoria came this way when she came to open Victoria Park and this
road is the approach to the main gates.
Did you take over as landlord from your father?
Yes with my mum at first and then I took it over.
What are your thoughts about the changes to the pub,
now that it has also become a gallery?
Well I was here when it first happened but Julian is landlord now. It has
gradually worked its way up, when we had the first opening night we were astounded
because we have never had anything like that, there were thousands of people.
Of course the type of customer has changed a bit, the regulars can't make
them out but before the gallery opened there was Sally (Musgrove) and other
artists in here.Things had gradually changed, one of the first people was
called Dave King, he found the studios in Robinson Road. There were originally
brush people there and then it became a bed factory ( Steeles the people who
invented the Z Bed), then they went into liquidation. Everyone around here
worked for Steeles at some time. Then it was empty being a Crown Property
and Dave King must have seen it, thought about it and invited some artists
over. But then it became a company or charity and now they are the biggest
ones, Acme.Sally lives in the house where my mum was born in Approach Road.One
of the people involved early on was called Janet Ludlow and she ended up as
Mayor of Tower Hamlets.She is now leader of the Liberal Democrats and still
has a studio around here. A lot of boxing people used to come in here. There
used to be lots of boys clubs but Mrs Thatcher closed them down she wanted
them to go to evening classes instead. Repton which is University House now
was a famouse boxing club, its where "Which" the magazine started, its a shame
its all flats now.York Hall is still there but next door in the Drill Hall
is where my father used to teach boxing. That is the police station now. Victoria
Park Square is where Moseley before the war had all his rallies of the British
Fascist Party. did the pub get hit by bombs? Yes look at the photographs,
one night there was a string of bombs and one hit the pub. The ceilings are
original upstairs but all the rest of it is new. We had one bedroom left upstairs
that my dad used to sleep in and they put me in a room across the road. My
old aunt was in her eighties when they said they were going to knock the houses
down across the road (Approach Road). There was the LCC and the Crown properties
and two women one 86 and one 85 who were so scared by this that they both
died within a day of each other (one over the Mile End and one in The Chest
Hospital).
They were all supposed to be demolished werent they?
Yes
thats what happened to my aunt,frightened by it after living their all their
lives, and look they are still there.
The Chest Hospital is still here?
Yes it had its 150 year anniversary this year.
Sally:Do you remember the man who had 23 children?
Yes, Mills
Sally:he was in the Chest hospital for three weeks and was told no alcohol
or cigarettes
Yes he came out of the chest straight in here for a drink went
out the back and dropped down dead. I worked in the chest hospital as ARP
in 1939.
What different breweries have there been?
It was a Berkley Perkins a Dr.Johnson brewery originally, then it expanded
to a brewery in Egypt and one in Australia, and then I think they went up
the wall. They sold out to Courage. Port and the beers used to come in barrels
I used to have to deal with it downstairs. We always kept real ale even when
keg came in. First pub my dad had was The Blue Platter in Stepney that was
in the 1890's, we have always been in pubs.
Sally: There used to be lots of cinemas around here?
Yes , yes lots but mostly closed down now. There are more galleries now. I
want to know how all these artists make a living, there wasn't one gallery
or one studio and now we are invaded.We cant see how they make a living apart
from teaching.
Sally:You used to put artists work up
Yes we had a few here.
Sally: Do you remember the man that wanted you to
show the academic life drawings and you said to him that they were a bit old
fashioned couldn't he do something like Andy Warhol!
Yes I only said it to wind him up because he didn't think I knew anything.
What do you think your fathers response would be
to having a gallery upstairs?
Before this I had alternative comedy, Lee Hurst and co.We had Jo Brand and
all of them. Jo Brands a cry baby, she got barracked and it made her cry.
Sally: There have been lots of films made here too?
Ive lost count, a lot of interviews done here. There was Alan Bates and Gary
Oldman with an Alsation, more recently was Sean Bean in the film about the
gold heist. We also had so many churches along here that the street was swept
twice on Sundays. We used to have outside toilets before the "Red Room' was
there and there used to be a policeman called Blossom who used to come on
his beat and we used to have to take him a pint of mild and bitter out to
drink in the toilet.Now they come and want gin and tonics with ice and lemon.Everything
changes you see, everything. There must be quite glamorous people here now
at the openings. Oh yes you can see that by their red and green hair, its
nice what a change! I can remember openings years ago in the Bonner Gallery
round the corner. They used to give free drinks and people would come in here
afterwards drunk as a lord and steal the old posters and adverts that I had
up from years ago.I used to see the same ones every time, freeloaders.That
has been finished now. I don't see those people or type of people now.
Notes: Harry King now lives in a flat in the East End having sold The Approach Tavern to Jake Millers mother and step father. Harry helps out daily in the bar. The new landlord is called Julian.
Other Educated Persons
Artists and Art Organisations in the East End of London 1972 to present