Originally posted by cosmo
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The Golden Fleece was situated at 37-41 Commercial Road. This pub has now been demolished. During the sixties and very early seventies the Fleece was without doubt one of the toughest pubs in Portsmouth.
Run by two brothers, who were always prepared to leap over the Bar with Baseball bat in hand, to sort any trouble that arose. There was sawdust on the floor, often damp with rough scrumpy, bloodstains on the ceiling, the odd melamine topped table and short stools dotted around and which often got thrown around. The brass spitoons were a feature in front of the bar.
There was also a loud juke box and a painted steel pole supporting the ceiling in the main bar area. It was frequented by the famous 'Big Sylve', a lady of questionable character and tastes, she was as hard as nails, as the huge dried bloodstain on the ceiling proved, when she took on some characters that didn't know her reputation, she hit one of them with a bottle, which cut him severely, spurting the blood onto the ceiling.
Sylve loved Royal Navy Sailors and they loved her, She would often cadge pints of 'scrumps' off of foreign sailors and pass them down the bar to her RN mates.
Sailors could often be seen 'choking' as most were drinking scrumpy and would float something in it to recognise their pint, and on occasion after a good few, the object would be swallowed with their scrumpy and lodge in their throat. Some were taken to hospital, where they were well used to it.
Remember it well Here's my first sea job Eagle.
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