The venue closed its doors more than two weeks ago with customers saying their farewells to staff
Ye Cracke on Rice Street, Liverpool.(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool pub lovers have described one of the city’s most beloved venues as a “sad sight” as its famous beer garden is closed during a period of sunny weather. Customers called it the “end of an era” when Georgian Quarter pub Ye Cracke closed its doors more than two weeks ago.
The manager of the venue, which has stood on Rice Street since the 19th century, previously told the ECHO that it had been bought by new owners. She said that in the process, six staff members lost their jobs, with their last day being on Sunday, April 27.
It has yet to be confirmed who has bought the pub and what will come next for what is a Liverpool institution. The ECHO understands the pub will remain closed for an undefined period of time before it is reopened by the new team.
Speaking about the pub’s current state on Liverpool Pubs, a popular Facebook group, Geoff Stalford said it was a “sad sight” when he passed it over the weekend.
Ye Cracke Pub on Rice Street(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A host of other regulars chimed in, agreeing. Steve Marler added: “Indeed. Hope it continues as a great pub. Not only for its Beatles history, but just as a great local drinker.” Mark Regan wrote: “Bummer”, whereas Paul Balmforth said: “Sad state of affairs.” Steve Murphy called it a “sign of the times,” and Joanne Campbell labelled it a “tragedy.”
A pub has stood on its site on Rice Street for more than 150 years. Originally called The Ruthin Castle, Ye Cracke came to be in 1862, when the then landlord of the Ruthin Castle extended the premises by buying the cottage next door.
Ye Cracke pub, Rice Street. Liverpool, Merseyside. 21st April 1992.(Image: Mirrorpix)
Historian Ken Pye’s book ‘Liverpool Pubs’ reveals that the venue was only nicknamed ‘Ye Cracke’ at that time, perhaps because of the narrow entrance alongside it. The pub is perhaps most famous for being John Lennon’s favourite spot for a beer as an arts student.
The Beatles’ drink of choice was a black velvet, made from Guinness and sparkling wine. It’s also where he took his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, on their first date after meeting her at a college dance.
As well as Lennon, Ye Cracke can count another celebrity among its fans – Liverpool actor Jodie Comer. In an interview with British Vogue, Jodie lifted the lid on how she would spend 24 hours in Liverpool with her co-stars from one of her recent films, ‘The Bikeriders’, and Ye Cracke got a special mention.
Ye Cracke on Rice Street, Liverpool.(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The pub is one of the Georgian Quarter’s most popular. It is loved for its traditional bar areas and wood panelling. Its beer garden also has many fans and is a sun trap in the afternoons.
Among the pub’s side rooms is one called ‘The War Office’, furnished with red leatherette benches, and is the oldest part of the pub. The War Office is a tiny snug where regulars and soldiers returning from the Boer War could meet to discuss military exploits without bothering the rest of the customers.
When the ECHO visited the pub on its final day, our reporter spoke to some of its regulars, including John and his wife Dawn Cavanagh, 61. John told the ECHO: “I hope there is a silver lining because the staff deserve it, the pub deserves it.
He added: “We come because of the connection to John Lennon, you begin with that then you realise it has more to it. He was coming here for a reason and once you come you realise it’s a great place to be.
“I love the landlady, she will always come over and have a chat with you, she is old Liverpool, it’s a great safe place to be, you’re out of Wetherspoon and Concert Square and you’re in a proper pub. You go back in time, it just feels like a proper pub.
“There’s a lot of regulars who come in, we have been drinking here for 20 years. People come here because of the type it is.”
For one couple, Ye Cracke holds a special place in their hearts as it was where they met two years ago. Sam Holmes, 31, and Ally Kennedy, 29, spoke to the ECHO as they enjoyed their beers in the pub’s thriving beer garden. Sam said: “We come often, I used to work around the corner and it became our go to pub.
”It’s one of those pubs you can just come into, there’s no fuss. I met the Arctic Monkeys here once too, just having a little drink. It’s got a sense of community here without being forced, it’s not trying to sell you an idea of what it is, it just is what it is.”
Ally said: “The landlady is great, she’s fiery. I love the politics of the pub too, it’s got a history of being a left wing pub and as a woman I have always felt safe here too with the landlady because I know I could always go to her if I felt uncomfortable.”
But the pub isn’t only loved by its regulars, it attracts people from all over the world. Steve Longstaffe, 61, told the ECHO how Ye Cracke is the go-to place for him to bring his family.
He said: “My brother in law who lives in the Midlands wanted to come to Liverpool to visit and I said ‘I know the place for you to come’ and we came and he was absolutely made up. It’s a great pub, it has a really nice relaxed atmosphere, always somewhere to park yourself and such a range of people. It’s like the old days.”