The Pink and Lily
From Lacey Green History
click Public Houses for other pubs
Research by Joan West, Miles Marshall, Charles Ede (click 1908 Charles Ede) and Doug Tilbury
Research by Joan West
In 1823 The Pink and Lily did not exist. The land on which it was later built was part of the vast Common of Princes Risborough which covered much of Lacey Green and some land on the hilltop of Loosley Row. There were however four tiny cottages facing onto Lily Bottom Lane near the site, which were built on the Common. Click Princes Risborough Common to see two maps.
The first map shows the full area of Princes Risborough Common.
The map below that shows the changes made in 1823 when the Enclosures of Princes Risborough took place.
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THE PINK AND LILY PUBLIC HOUSE was built at Scrubwood, better known as Parslows Hillock.
1841 census. Richard Lilley 48, gardener and his wife, nee Sophia Pink, 38 (The pub became known as the 'Pink and Lily' and the road 'Pink Road')
1851 census, Richard Lilley, 58, gardener and Sophia, 48
1861 census Sophia Lilley, Widow, 58
1871 census Sophia Lilley, 69, Licensed Victualler.
1881 census Mr and Mrs Rutland, sold Wellers’ Beers. Left 1899. Mr Rutland worked at Gomme’s Forge. Click Harry Rutland & Leanda Edmunds for details of their nine children of which Albert James is listed under Families with Fallen WW1.
From 1899 the Pink and Lily was kept by Tom and Kate Wheatley.
Research by Miles Marshall
THE WHEATLEYS AT THE PINK & LILY. Tom Wheatley and his wife, assisted by his brother Jim, kept the Pink and Lily from 1899. The water was from the roof in an underground tank, lighting by oil lamps, no plumbing and there had always been a real side of bacon from a home-killed pig, on the rack in the taproom.
RUPERT BROOKE, POET. It must have been in their time, just before the 1st World War, that “The Pink” was patronised by the famous young poet Rupert Brooke whose photograph, and spontaneous doggerel verse about the pub, still hangs in the taproom over the mantle-shelf.
MRS.WHEATLEY’S ‘HELP YOURSELF SYSTEM’. After the brothers died, Mrs. Wheatley used to preside over the pub from a large Windsor chair in front of her kitchen range. It seems she was a very large lady, who could then no longer get up and down the steps to the cellar, so a helpful local would fetch a supply of beer in a large enamel jug which he left on the flags in the passage. Customers would help themselves to the beer and pay Mrs. Wheatley where she sat. She gave up the Pink in 1938.
REPORT BY Charles Ede. from his Autobiography
THE WHEATLEYS AT THE PINK & LILY Click 1908 Charles Ede taken from his autobiography.
The Ede family moved to Lacey Green when the father of Charles took a position as chauffeur for a Mr Anderson of Parslows Hillock. As the cottage was not ready they were put up at the Pink and Lily pub, for about ten days, then moved to a cottage a little way down the road.
LANDLORDS. “The landlady appeared the boss. She was fat and happy and had previously been a cook in some posh place. It seemed to please my mother, as she was likewise. The landlord was a retired butler from the same house. He appeared very obedient.”
SPITTOONS. “When the tap room was cleaned up ready for business the tables were scrubbed very clean, sawdust on the floor, not forgetting the spittoons on the floor. These were cleaned with grate polish. It seemed to me most men in the country smoked clay pipes and spitting was part of the act. An expert could shoot across the room and get a ‘bullseye’; but beer being better than it is today caused plenty of misses, so it was the landlords’ job to clean them up.”
REPORT by Doug Tilbury
CAPTAIN FAIRBROTHER. In 1938 Captain Fairbrother became the landlord of the Pink and Lily with his wife. During WW2 he was also OC for the Home Guard They retired in 1955.
1955 to 1981. Landlords Ken and Ciss Fletcher. For more click Ken & Ciss Fletcher
It was during this time that the owning Brewery hung a new pub sign. It was of the back view of a seated female 'in the pink', beside a stem of a lily flower. It was tastefully done and many thought it 'refreshing'. However, the 'anti's were more vocal and the sign had to go.
The following appeared in Hallmark
Local Girl wins Public House Sign competition
Mrs Diane Paul, a local resident living only a few yards from the 'Pink and Lily' public house, has jointly won the competition for designing a new sign with a Mr Froud of Naphill. In fact Ind Coope, the Company concerned, will shortly be replacing the controversial nude lady sign with a double-sided sign, more in keeping with the origin of Mr Pink and Mrs Lily.
Ken Fletcher, the licensee, tells us that big celebrations are planned for the taking down of the nude lady and the erection of the new sign.
For the newspaper cuttings we have received on this subject of the nude sign, from many parts of England and one from Sydney, Australia, we say thank your for your trouble - its nice to know 'Hallmark' has such a wide readership.
1981 Ken & Cis leave the Pink And Lily
REPORT by Miles Marshall
PINK & LILY FUTURE IN THE BALANCE
As will be widely known, Ken and Cis Fletcher, the genial and popular hosts of “The Pink and Lily” for nearly 26 years, retired in mid-July and have moved to a bungalow in the village. The future of the old pub however was very much in the balance for some time, until a change in the brewers’ area management brought its reprieve – to the delight of many locals who have long harboured a warm regard for the house which, remarkably, has remained virtually unaltered since it was built as an inn.
THIS IS THE PINK & LILY
The house is substantially built and although its 18 inch thick walls have been painted and the north east end has been stuccoed, at least since the beginning of this century, as can be seen from an old photograph in the taproom, they appear to be of local brick; traditional Chiltern flint panels clearly visible in the walls of its barrel-roofed cellar, which is reached down a flight of twelve hard, but well worn, boulder-stone steps. There were originally four bedrooms, though one is now a bathroom, and one or two rooms have been let to guests from time to time, depending on the size of the reigning landlord’s family. No one knows when it was built.
A REPLACED FIREBACK. In 1955 Ken had to have a new fireback cast for the taproom grate. The old one had been cast by a former landlord Mr Rutland. He had himself worked as a foundry man for Gommes of Loosley Row, while his wife did most of the work running the inn. Fortunately Fred Baker at the Foundry, was able to find the original pattern to make the replacement.
JOHN & MARGARET BRADBURY
Hallmark. by the Editor. I popped into ‘The Pink and Lily' for a pint’ and to meet the new Landlord, John Bradbury and his wife Margaret. It is good news indeed that they and the Brewers want to preserve our pub just as it is except for some much needed improvements in the very restricted facilities for food preparation, which hampered the Fletchers for years, so that they will be able to offer us a wider selection of ‘pub food’.
John Bradbury was at pains to explain to me that whilst still belonging to the Allied Breweries Group and under the Ind Cooper flag, the house comes under the area management of Benskins of. Watford and whilst the beer is now brewed at Burton-on-Trent the brewers are aiming to reproduce the character and flavour of the original Benskins' bitter.
The beer is no longer carried up those stone steps in pint mugs or even the old enamel jug, but it is still conditioned in that deep cool cellar, at the brewery, Although it is now pushed gently up a pipe to the bar by controlled CO 2 gas pressure on the surface of the beer in the barrel, it is traditional bitter beer. Even if it may not seen to some of us to measure up to Captain Fairbrother's - it's a good drop of beer. Though this is their first pub, John and Margaret are not strangers to the licenced trade. So here's a warm welcome to them both and may their keen efforts to please us be well rewarded.
Hallmark August 1986. Early in July the tastefully renovated Pink and Lily re-opened it’s doors after being closed for nearly a year and becoming dreadfully neglected. The new landlords are Clive and Marion Mason.
The sign, probably the most talked about pub sign in England over the years has changed yet again, this time with Rupert Brooke's portrait surrounded with the lilies and pinks, this is a deliberate attempt to keep alive the poet's association with the pub before the First World War.
Hallmark May 1998 New Landlords
I cannot believe where the past hectic 3 months have gone, but I must say that they have been very enjoyable, and after spending 17 years in our previous pub this move has given Pauline and me a much needed change of scene. I firmly believe you can stay in the same pub far too long and become stale. But of course customers are always worried when a very popular couple such as Clive and Marion leave and I must say it is a testament to their popularity that they are a hard act to follow. I like to think, however, that perhaps customers in our last business said the same thing about us, but that is all in the past and life goes on.
Pauline and I would like to thank the customers who have made us so welcome in our short time here. Our main objective in our first year is to stamp our own identity on the pub whilst retaining that homely and friendly atmosphere that is so evident. We have changed the menu to include dishes that have been successful for us in the past, but still retain the home cooked specials that have been so popular in the Pink and Lily for years. The pub is now open for food and drink every day including Sunday evenings, and we look forward to welcoming all customers old and new.
Of course the main purpose of a pub is to offer liquid refreshment as well as food, and we are keen to preserve that free and easy atmosphere that is so special at the Pink (well perhaps not free). The locals in the Brooke bar are trying to improve my dominoes for the new season, but I have to say that cribbage is still a mystery to me.
Cheers for now, Richard and Pauline