Keith Leadbetter AKA Leggy

I was an electrician. An apprentice electrician. I drank in the Tavern 1984, 1985. Always on a Saturday lunchtime. Afternoons, before going to the Springhill or wherever on the evening.

We all had motorbikes. I had a Honda 250G5, then I had a GS550 Suzuki, which I’ve still got an exact copy of now, which I still ride round on. We used to tour everywhere on our motorbikes, about 10-15 of us. Springhill, every night of the week. Tavern, Saturday lunchtime. Cock at Bilston. Occasionally, the Giffard. I can’t remember how we used to spend so much time in the pub and be on the bikes… We don’t really talk about that!

The Tavern was the natural place to go to on a Saturday when we weren’t going to the Springhill. A place where bikers hung out. We’d sit in the same place every week – we didn’t necessarily know the other groups in there, but I could probably tell you what motorbike they had! The atmosphere was really good, and there was never really any trouble in there, because if it happened it was all over very fast, and controlled. The music was great. Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Steppenwolf. Led Zeppelin. It was just great music from the era I lived and was brought up in.

There was a corner where the Angels sat. Never had any problems there. I just remember it being dark. That’s the same feeling I get when I go to the Giffard. It feels the same as the Tavern used to do in some ways. And sounds the same. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe in, what your caste or creed is, everybody just gets on and enjoys the music and the atmosphere. And that’s what used to happen in the Tavern. That’s why there wasn’t too much trouble. In my view.

I had two stag nights. One was my brothers and my workmates, and one was my friends, because I needed to keep the two groups separate. My friends worked in foundries so they made a cast-iron ball and chain for me. it was a bit of a laugh. We toured the town and ended up in the Tavern. I can remember having a pint of every shot behind the bar. I had a strippergram in there as well, which was highly risky at the time. But it was a very good night and we survived it fine and went on to my other stag night then, the following week. Which I don’t remember, because I didn’t handle that quite so well.

We’re all still together. All my friends, the ones who’ve made it. When I got married there was a period – about thirty-seven years – where I didn’t see them. But I always felt that if I needed them, they would come. And equally, they could call me and I’d turn up. About three years ago, one of my friends from that group asked for a favour, and we all turned up. Now, we meet every Wednesday and go out on the bikes, and go camping again on the bikes. It’s just like the old days, like we’d never not hung round together.