The Queen's Hotel (The Queens)

"The Queen's" is a term that's been used for many years in Maltby to identify a particular area. The Queen's Hotel is of course, where the term originated but Queen's Corner, Queen's Crossroads or just Down the Queen's are all ways of describing the junction of Tickhill Road, High Street, Grange Lane and Muglet Lane

The QueensHotel as it is today is very different from what it was in years gone by.

Lengthy discussion  on whether there should be an apostrophe in the name or not has only succeeded in us presuming that the queen in the name was Queen Mary and that the apostrophe has been added and omitted over the years, so there is no hard and fast rule in using it.

Derek Drabble's parents Hubert and Dorothy (nee Woodhouse) held their wedding reception at The Queen's on 12th September 1924. 

The balcony which overlooked Muglet Lane at this time was reached via french doors from the ballroom and there was a marble staircase leading to the ballroom. Downstairs there was a neatly arranged dining room on the Tickhill Road side of the hotel.

The original building was opened in 1923 as one of a chain of high class hotels by John Smith's Brewery.

Mr Othan V Pike was the landlord from 1925 to 1947.

Mr Pike is 3rd from the left on the front row of this picture with his daughter Joan on his knee. Joan's

mother, Mrs Pike is sitting on the right of her husband. The little boy is Joan's older brother, Derek.

Joan,whose married name was Wilkinson, died recently aged 87 so the photo was taken about 86 years ago.

When Joan was only four years old her mother died suddenly with appendicitis after not reaching the hospital in time, transport  then being very different to what it is today. Joan had no memories of her mother but spoke with great affection of her dad. Mr Pike never got over his wife's death and battled with depression for the rest of his life, which ended sadly when he got up one morning, filled the bath with water,slid under and drowned himself.

Joan didn't go into the Queen's again until very recently when Wetherspoons took it over. 

For years after stories were told of his ghost haunting the Queen's and tales are still told of strange and unexplained happenings.

When the nightclub was opened in 2002 it was named"Mr Pike's"in his memory and the landlords at that time say that Joan was very pleased to have her father honoured in such a way.

Mr William Plaice head barman and great grandfather of Rachel Louise Connole sitting front right on the photo, with the pocket watch.

One of the maids on this picture is still living in Maltby, but yet to find out her name.