Shotley Gate, Bristol Arms c.1955

Photo ref: S581005

I was born in Malta in 1957 and we came back and my Dad was at Shotley until 1962, when he came out of the Navy. I can remember going ten pin bowling with him, and he said it was on the Naval base. He has memories of the place and what went on. We lived at 25 Great Harlings from 1958/59 to 1962. I managed to go there the other day and took a picture of our house, only to find when my Dad saw it that it was not the ...see more

I remember Shotley Gate 1954/55. I wish I could erase it from my memory. 12 months of sheer Hell at the infamous Ganges. I enjoyed my Naval Service and I did well, but Ganges almost defeated me. I danced a jig when they demolished the place! JW

My ancestors owned this public house in the late 18th century. Prior to this they were tenants of the Duke of Bristol and the head of the household was the ferryman. He was mentioned in a letter to the Duke from a disgruntled customer claimed that his attitude was unbecoming! We have visited the area many times during my search for my ancestors.

Until the mid '70s Shotley Gate was the home of HMS Ganges, a Royal Navy training establishment. As 15 year old boys under training in 1964 we were allowed to visit the Post Office (see photograph in this collection) to draw money out of our Post Office savings books - usually to buy food of some sort as Ganges food was so bad!! The Bristol Arms was out of bounds to us boys but I did finally get a drink there about 30 years later.