Was there a pub in Brighton station once upon a time?

[Weatherman]

In the seventies the cafe was the entrance end and the pub was platform end, unlike M&S now there was a dividing wall. To the right of the bar i think you went up ( or down ) a couple of steps and there were a couple of alcove areas with padded bench seating along the wall part. It wasn't that bad and was actually quite cosy , it was no worse than many of the pubs around at the time.

 

[MJsGhost]

Great shout!!

Wikipedia seem to agree with you:Marks & Spencer occupy the western side of the concourse, having opened early in the first decade of the 21st century. The M&S site had previously been occupied by fast food concessions and a bar. (From May 2008 to October 2008 M&S expanded into Bonaparte's bar area.)

I last remember it about 7 years ago?

Defo not closed 10 years ago as I remember some argy bargy with some Swansea fans outside there in 07.

It can't have closed down that long ago as I remember having a drink in there a few years ago

Thank god for that, I thought I was going mad for a minute there. I had a drink in there about 3 years ago with my boss.

Post #10 has is at 2008, which sounds right to me.

 

[thekinglives]

Before it was renamed Bonapartes, it was a proper pub called the Prince Regent. Bit of a dive in there.
Not sure when it was renamed, but during my fruit addiction days of 1995-1999 it was always the first stop on a night out.
Dread to think how much money I lost on that Casino Crazy machine.

 

[Birdie Boy]

I can't remember the number of times I found myself in there when a train was delayed or I had 5 minutes spare before my train, a very swift Grolsch if I remember correctly. I think they should bring it back, where do we sign the petition?

 

[nordicgod]

It was the Prince regent and i became one of the licensees for it , was always fun when millwall came down. Peter stringfellow used to drink
In there.I remember Bass on draught along with tartan ale carlsberg and Guinness for all the Irish painters that came in with names like Dublin Joe .when Casey jones became quicksnack with wonderful microwave burgers it then turned into uppercrust and then M&S and the pub turned into Boneparts for a short while before Marks expanded

 

[The Pilsbury Echo]

Late 80s into 90s...I remember this place well, I will not name names, but if you knew the phrase" has anyone seen my brother?" (In a squeaky scouse accent) or knew a lad from the Isle of man then this was the place to be on a Fri tea time. Never has it ever been so cheap to travel round the country watching Brighton. As for the pub, all I can remember about it was it had a tetris machine which I won money on!!!

 

[HHGull]

It was the Prince regent and became one of the licensees for it , was always fun when millwall came down

11 years?

 

[Surf's Up]

For some reason my recall is that it was called the Cricketers but that's probably just my senility kicking in......

 

[Comrade Sam]

An old school mate, the late and lovely Carl Wilton worked there in the late 80s.

 

[nordicgod]

An old school mate, the late and lovely Carl Wilton worked there in the late 80s.

Carl passed? My first job was there from 88 onwards working in Casey jones whilst at college , Carl was the supervisor if I remember correctly

 

[Dinner with Gotsmanov]

Wasn’t there a craft beer pub called the Cyclist or something on the other side by the platforms that trains to Falmer depart from? Don’t think it lasted long and May now be (yawn) a coffee place.

I remember the original pub from 80s/90s but could not recall its name though all the ones mentioned seem familiar. My now TT brother has an encyclopaedic knowledge of old Brighton boozers, I must ask him…

 

[AZ Gull]

Wasn’t there a craft beer pub called the Cyclist or something on the other side by the platforms that trains to Falmer depart from? Don’t think it lasted long and May now be (yawn) a coffee place.

I remember the original pub from 80s/90s but could not recall its name though all the ones mentioned seem familiar. My now TT brother has an encyclopaedic knowledge of old Brighton boozers, I must ask him…

Their instagram account is still up (most recent post January 25 2017):-

 

[Comrade Sam]

Carl passed? My first job was there from 88 onwards working in Casey jones whilst at college , Carl was the supervisor if I remember correctly

If it's the same Carl, funny, gay, from Storrington? I think it was a heart attack about 1992 when still very young.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Wasn’t there a craft beer pub called the Cyclist or something on the other side by the platforms that trains to Falmer depart from? Don’t think it lasted long and May now be (yawn) a coffee place.

I remember the original pub from 80s/90s but could not recall its name though all the ones mentioned seem familiar. My now TT brother has an encyclopaedic knowledge of old Brighton boozers, I must ask him…

There was indeed. Brilliant pub it was too. I think it got zapped by the 2016 rail strikes that made nobody want to spend any more time in stations than was absolutely necessary.

One of its quirks was it didn't have any loos, other than a disabled toilet. So you had the choice of joining in the baton relay for the key, or the bar staff would give you a 20p coin to use the station toilets next door. I don't expect that helped their profit margins very much

 

[carlzeiss]

Late 80s into 90s...I remember this place well, I will not name names, but if you knew the phrase" has anyone seen my brother?" (In a squeaky scouse accent) or knew a lad from the Isle of man then this was the place to be on a Fri tea time. Never has it ever been so cheap to travel round the country watching Brighton. As for the pub, all I can remember about it was it had a tetris machine which I won money on!!!

I must confess I do miss the old days of free travel with British Rail

 

[Durlston]

I do remember the old station toilets under the concourse having the strongest smell of urine possible. However, they were free but always felt uncomfortable after being chatted up by a seedy old man when I was about 14. What a nonce.

 

[Guinness Boy]

There was indeed. Brilliant pub it was too. I think it got zapped by the 2016 rail strikes that made nobody want to spend any more time in stations than was absolutely necessary.

One of its quirks was it didn't have any loos, other than a disabled toilet. So you had the choice of joining in the baton relay for the key, or the bar staff would give you a 20p coin to use the station toilets next door. I don't expect that helped their profit margins very much

Profit? The Cyclist lost a fortune which is why it closed. Shame as they did some good beers.

The other station pub was a proper station pub full of alkies, although in those days they all were. The Nightingale had footy lad alkies (and an old lady who drank barley wine non stop every Saturday night) while the Bell in those days was more smelly anorak than Clone Island.

 

[GT49er]

Back in the days of British Railways (and earlier) station buffets were licensed premises anyway.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Does anyone remember the shriveled old woman in a curly blond wig and stripey knee socks? She'd hang around Brighton station and would approach young men then make an ok sign then lick her circled finger and thumb. I have to confess I wasn't tempted by her sexual allure.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Profit? The Cyclist lost a fortune which is why it closed. Shame as they did some good beers.

The other station pub was a proper station pub full of alkies, although in those days they all were. The Nightingale had footy lad alkies (and an old lady who drank barley wine non stop every Saturday night) while the Bell in those days was more smelly anorak than Clone Island.

Do you not remember just how vicious and malevolent those Southern Rail strikes were in 2016? A lot of people lost their livelihoods then. People were forced to move house to the operating area of another rail franchise eg South West Trains, to retain their jobs. There were tales of London companies refusing to hire people who intended commuting to work on Southern. It was total Russian Roulette if your train would reach your intended destination or whether you'd be de-trained in the arse end of beyond. It's little wonder The Cyclist was forced to close. People were sick to their stomach of hanging around train stations in the Southern region