WHEELOCK Street is the centre of Middlewich and, as is usual in the main street of a town, has had its fair share of pubs.

There was the White Bear (which is currently still a popular pub in town), over the road was the Bulls Head and further up The Black Bear.

Another pub was the Red Cow from where comes an old Middlewich story.

It was in the Red Cow (not the White Bear) that the bear known as Bruin would be taken and would enjoy a drink standing at the bar with his owner.

But at the end of Wheelock Street was the Bullring. As in other towns the Bullring was the area where sports and games would take place including baiting Bulls with dogs, hence the name.

But on this day, October 11, in the early 1800s, other politically incorrect fun was to be had in the town, being the Festival of the Patron Saint.

There was much riotous conduct and drinking with sports such as bull, bear and badger baiting, cockfighting, donkey races and smoking and tea drinking matches - “A bull feight in one field and a Mon feight I’ th’ next.”

The parson would sometimes officiate as referee at these fun and games, and the favourite dish was Furmity, an ancient dish made primarily from boiled, cracked wheat.

A local poem of the time is:-

“Scarce any man ever went sober to bed,

‘Tis quite dreadful to think the lives they all led,

At that time in Cheshire no fun could compare

With the sport of all sports, namely, baiting the bear,”

The Alhambra seen in the modern photo was built originally as a cinema during the 1930s and was owned by Sandbach Cinemas Ltd. It had two shows nightly, and prices were 7d to 1s 5d.

A highly decorated front elevation in the rather loud style of cinemas was built over the period and it was, until January this year, a Chinese Restaurant.

n Paul Hurley is a local historian and has a Facebook group called Northwich & Mid Cheshire Through Time.