THE NEW CONTINENTAL    #

South Meadow Lane

*

formerly referred to as "The Old Continental"

The building on the left looks like a boathouse. The first licensee, Sam Thompson, a member

of the famous "Old Invincible" Preston North End football team. He married the daughter

of builder Thomas Croft, and it is his company who are believed to have built the premises

for him. Sam Thompson is known to have hired boats out for use on the river, in just the

same way as they did at the Pleasure Boat Inn in the 19th century.

This photograph shows the only part of the original building, when the rest

of the property was rebuilt in the early 1950's, due to subsidence.

*

MINE HOSTS:

1911 - 23             Sam Thomson

1924 - 27             William Bee

   The separate cafe business -1920's   Robert William Worden  -  see photograph, below.

1931 - 32             John W. Ingham 

1936 - 48             Robert Harold Wallbank

1965 - 69             Walter Scott

2011 - 16             Jeremy Rowlands 

*

Preston Herald   6th June 1914

*

Preston Herald   7th July 1917

*

This photograph has been taken from "Loud and Proud: Preston North End"

by Ian Rigby and Mike Payne. 2005.

*

Samuel Thomson's grave in Preston Cemetery.

Behind Samuel Thomson's grave is the large memorial

to his father-in-law, Thomas Croft, founder of Croft's builders.

*

I'm sure that there must be plenty of people who know a lot about "The Continental".

*

Who's going to be the first to contact me?

ALL STORIES WILL BE CREDITED

with the contributor's name

(Unless, of course, you don't want to be credited

- just let me know).

*

This photograph was taken on the roof of the Continental and shows my grandparents along with my Mum and her two sisters. Grandad was Robert William Worden and lived at what was always called the Cafe Continental in our family. He did catering and sold his own ice-cream from kiosks on Avenham park. This was a separate business to the licensed side, operated by Sam Thomson and William Bee in succession. However, the youngest child on the photo is my Aunt and was born 1923 so, assuming she would be about 7 years old, puts the date of the photo at around 1930. The chimney stack and bridge behind leave no doubt that it’s the Continental. 

Update: my grandmother’s marriage certificate dated  21-4-1915 shows her as a barmaid at the Hotel Continental, which is when Sam Thompson was the landlord.

Contributor:  Jim Whittle

*

Jim Whittle's Mum and her father, R W Worden, selling ice-cream from a stall outside the Continental. Around 1920/21 as she was born in 1916 and looks to be 4 or 5 on the photo. Sam Thomson would be the licensee at the time.

What a wonderful, nostalgic, photograph.

Thanks again to Jim Whittle.

*

CENSUS RETURN

Samuel Thomson hadn't moved in to the Continental until after the Census of 1911.

In fact he was next door at the "Bowling Green Inn" which closed down after

the Continental Hotel opened.

*