Massie Harper Licensee.

A Memory of Congleton.

In my early teens I spent the war years living in this hotel, when my grandfather was the licensee. I believe he held the licence from 1874 to 1943 - a time record I suspect but I cannot confirm this. He was well known in his time for being an alderman for, I gather, some 40 years. He died still Chairman of the Council's Finance Committee. But he was never mayor as he believed that a licensed victualler should not hold that office. In his time he'd been a successful jockey and 'gentleman rider' - in fact, riding was in his genes since his grandfather was Lester Piggott's great-great-grandfather. One of the hotel's days of fame in the Second World War was when Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands took the salute of the Dutch army (which was based around Congleton at that time) from the steps of the hotel.