Mary Kathleen Taylor
24th December 1912 – 15th October 2006
Kath Taylor, landlady of the Horse and Jockey, Bentley, Nr. Atherstone, died peacefully on Sunday 15th October, aged 93.
Mary Kathleen Oxford was born at ‘the Jockey’ on Christmas Eve 1912, one of 4 children, and attended school at Bentley and then Baddesley Ensor.
Her parents had moved to The Horse and Jockey in 1893 as tenants of the Merevale Estate. As was common practice at the time they earned a living from mixed incomes; father was a coal merchant and did a little farming on the land adjacent to the pub, whilst mother brewed the beer and ran the pub.
After leaving school Kath went to work as a housekeeper to the Headmaster and his wife at Bentley School.
Kath helped to run the pub with her parents until her father’s death in 1932. Kath’s mother continued to hold the licence as a widow until her death in 1940.
Kath had been ‘walking out’ with Walter Taylor for some time, and in those days neither single women or unmarried couples could hold a publican’s licence, so on her father’s death Kath and Walter were married by special licence so that the pub could remain open and in the family’s hands. Marriage licence ink was hardly dry before they went to get their publican’s licence!
When Kath’s husband Wal died, in 1967, the property was still rented from the Merevale Estate, but by that time Bass Brewery were responsible for the pub tenancy. The brewery’s policy at that time was that any pub licence had to be held by a man or married couple – Kath however remained as licensee despite Bass/M&B’s attempts to unseat her! Kath’s tenancy with the Merevale Estate meant that she was protected, and able to stay there for as long as she wished.
Her secret ambition was to remain a tenant until 1993, in order to reach a century in her family’s stewardship, however on March 25th 1992 she retired in her 80th year, still a great achievement. She moved into a nearby Merevale Estate cottage, still in Bentley.
Fittingly she died peacefully at Bentley House Nursing Home.
Memories of Kath Taylor and The Horse and Jockey, Bentley
‘The Jockey’ was a mecca for aficionados of Real Ale – draught Bass beer traditionally conditioned and kept. This was down to Kath’s expertise and diligence in the process and customers came from far and wide, often in large numbers.
Kath’s character and personality was renowned as a no nonsense, plain speaking lady. She would not tolerate bad language and quickly nipped any disagreements or rowdy behaviour in the bud. Large, strong men would cross this slight lady at their peril!
Many will remember the tiny bar, with its worn, scrubbed pine tables and benches fixed to the wall, and the wry smile of David Wykes, back-up bar man, always there as her right hand man.
Who can forget the roaring fire in the grate in winter? Those who sat in the crowded bar will remember that frequent changes of place on the bench in front of the bar were necessary, to avoid being ‘roasted’ in the end seat! If you were standing in front of the fire much shuffling of position also had to take place!
The ‘Domino Table’ was sacred. You could only retain a seat there if you were playing; however no shouting, swearing or banging dominos down was allowed, or Kath would remind the players that “there were other customers in this pub”.
The ‘sing-a-longs’ were memorable on busy evenings, with local ‘stars’ leading and performing the singing to the delight of regulars and visitors alike. Although there was piano in the ‘best room’ next door, the best of these ‘sing-a-longs’ were always unaccompanied in the bar. Who can forget Barry Smallwood and Jim Beeston’s rendition on “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen”? To which Kath’s reaction was the same – no smile and a look of distain! Secretly she probably loved it and was quite amused.
At ‘The Jockey’ there was no piped music, bands or slot machines. No food, other than crisps and nuts – except for the roast beef batches on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, accompanied by Kath’s homemade yellow pickle and pickled shallots from her garden, all provided free of charge for her customers.
If you received the honour of being invited into her cosy living room at the back you would see sides of home cured bacon hanging on the wall. These were from the pigs she kept at the rear of the pub, along with chickens for supply of fresh eggs.
The garden at the back consisted of a small lawn with tables and benches for customers, on sunny days, and a good sized vegetable garden which was always very productive.
The most memorable thing outside however were the toilets. A walk up the garden path for ladies and gents alike, regardless of the season! The luxury of indoor toilets did not arrive until the mid 1980’s.
The Jockey was an unspoilt, old fashioned pub and Kath was an unspoilt, old fashioned lady who was well loved and will be sadly missed!
