The Black Lion

Eddie Saint Jean, a local resident, collected three interviews as part of the Story Collectors Project for Newham Heritage Month. The stories shared are from the 1960s up until present day and show the importance of the pub to the local community.

We were initially drawn to it because it was a beautiful building on the the outside. As a historic building it looked really cute.

From Ireland to Plaistow – over thirty years as a pub landlord

Tom Friel has been the landlord at The Black Lion Pub, Plaistow since 1986.  He has seen many significant changes over the decades, including West Ham Boxing Club moving on from their Black Lion base in 2009 after sixty years, and the new wave of customers after West Ham FC moved from the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park to the London Stadium, Stratford.

Art Student days

Charlotte Elliston shares memories of her art student days at the University of East London [1999-2002] and recollections of student gatherings at the nearby Black Lion pub. After the end-of-term exhibitions, the students would often hold celebratory parties in the Black Lion’s function rooms. She talks of how they were welcomed in no matter how they looked.

My partner, he always used to dress quite flamboyantly and wore  nail varnish and he did get quite harrassed in there once ..but the locals, that drank in there regularly, were like no we’re not having any of this and told the guy straight off …and shut it down straight away

From hero spotting to wedding celebrations

Terry Dorrington moved from Canning Town to Plaistow in June 1967, aged 15. He has fond memories of spotting his local football heroes as he passed the pub with his friends and younger brother. Later on when he was old enough, he visited the Black Lion pub,  and held his wedding stag night there in July 1972. Although there was no live entertainment, music was an important feature in the pub 

The thing I remember most about the Black Lion was the great atmosphere inside…the jukebox was well stocked, and the music was what we liked as teenagers…