Geezer, John Forster, explains how he came to run 10 East End pubs

History, News in and around Bow, The Geezers, Where's my Boozer Gone?
The Old George, 379 Bethnal Green Road
John Forster
John Forster

John Forster was born in 1941. In 1973 he started working as a pub manager for Trumans. Then he created a company called Town and Country Relief Service which put temporary managers into the following East London pubs between 1978 – 1988

  1. The Derby Arms, Warspite Road, SE18. Now Closed
  2. The Old George, 379 Bethnal Green Road (top photo)
  1. The Jolly Butchers, 157 Brick Lane, E1. Now Closed
The Star of Bethnal Green, previously called The White Hart
The Star of Bethnal Green, previously called The White Hart
  1. The White Hart, 359 Bethnal Green Road. Now The Star of Bethnal Green.
  2. The Royal. Now called the Royal Inn on the Park, Lauriston Road, E9
City Pride Pub, Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, taken in 2008. About to be replaced by a 63 storey tower - hotel and apartments.
City Pride Pub, Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, taken in 2008. About to be replaced by a 63 storey tower – hotel and apartments.
Site of The City Pride taken in 2010
Site of The City Pride taken in 2010
  1. The City Arms, Westferry Road, E14. Was renamed the City Pride. Demolished.
  2. Robert Burns, 248-250 Westferry Road, London E14. Now a Mosque.
  3. The Morgan Arms, junction Morgan Street and Coborn Road, E3.
  4. The Black Swan, which was near the Blue Bridge, Manchester Road, E14
  5. The Ship and Blue Ball, 13 Boundary Street, Shoreditch. Also now closed.
Part of a letter from New Scotland Yard authorising John to be a multiple licence holder of pubs
Part of a letter from New Scotland Yard authorising John to be a multiple licence holder of pubs.

Listen to John Forster explaining how he came to manage all these pubs. (1 1/2 mins)

Alan Tucker

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