The Grade II-listed Prince Arthur pub on Rice Lane in Walton has survived Covid-19, the loss of its Everton matchday crowds and rising costs, thanks to its loyal customers who refuse to let it disappear, landlady Lindsay Nicholson has said.
For generations of Everton fans, a trip to Goodison Park began with a pint at The Prince Arthur. The pub would swell with hundreds of supporters on matchdays, with families returning year after year to meet in the same place before walking to the stadium. But when Everton's men's team left Goodison Park to move into their new Hill Dickinson home, The Prince Arthur lost a huge part of its regular custom.
Nicholson, 49, from Anfield, has been behind the bar for six years. She took over the lease on February 19, 2020, just before Covid. It was her first proper pub that she owned. She originally went to hairdressing college and worked in a pub called The Everton Park Social on Everton Road for pocket money until she turned 18 and got on the bar.
A pub steeped in history
The pub dates back to the 19th century, built around 1880, and retains a remarkable amount of its original character, including ornate tiling, stained glass and an Art Nouveau-style bar. Nicholson said: "We're a Grade-II listed building, and we're one of the oldest pubs... It's steeped in history."
She noted that grandads who drink there say their grandads used to drink there. There was a police station next door, also listed, where people were hanged, and in the pub's back yard, one can see the room with the cell bars where it happened. "Everything's changed around us except for this pub," she said. "It's a beautiful little pub."
Ghost, ashes and famous friends
One customer passed away, and his family scattered his ashes on the floor outside the pub because he loved it so much. Peter Deary, known as Digsy, sometimes performs there; he is friends with Noel Gallagher, and Oasis wrote "Digsy's Diner" on Definitely Maybe about him.
The pub has a ghost called Arthur, a tall, thin man with a big top hat, whom customers report seeing. Nicholson said: "There's a stained glass window, and every now and again, if you look at a certain point, you can see there's a figure walking backward and forwards." She added that they have had the lights off to check for shadows, but "there's definitely some presence."
Loyal customers and a golden rule
The best-selling drink is John Smith's, with many bitter drinkers, followed by Guinness, which Nicholson line-cleans herself to keep spotless. Regulars are "lovely" and "brilliant," helping each other and inviting the whole pub to Christmas parties. One golden rule is that everyone sits in the same place; if someone takes another's chair, "they will just sit and stare until they move."
The pub lost custom during Covid and lost some "little old gents," which was sad. Nicholson looks after remaining customers, feeding them if needed and arranging lifts home via a friend called Julie. She said: "It's a real caring little pub. If anything happens, the whole pub gets together."
On match days, the pub used to squeeze in at least 100 extra customers. Since Everton moved, it has been hard, but it is picking back up. Nicholson said: "They're just like a big family in there... They're all just so loyal."
To support local pubs, Nicholson advised: "Use it, or you're going to lose it." She said even a Diet Coke makes a difference, and pubs won't be there at Christmas unless people support them. She noted that many pubs on their road have gone under, and they think they are the only one left.
Since Covid, rising costs have changed drinking habits, with customers coming in later and drinking less. Day customers are mostly pensioners, and in winter the pub acts like a community centre with the heating on full. Nicholson keeps prices as low as possible, with no real profit margin.
