The Poste House on Cumberland Street in Liverpool has been serving customers since 1820. Known affectionately as The Postie, it offers a unique experience: order a £5 double spirit, receive a sharp remark from staff, and sit alongside a drag queen at a wake while debating whether Jack the Ripper ever visited.
Two Floors, Two Worlds
The pub is set over two floors. The ground floor is the quintessential old-man pub with wood-panelled interiors, dark flooring, and music from decades gone by. The clientele averages around 50. Upstairs is a very different crowd: Liverpool's LGBT community, with Britney Spears, strobe lights, and loud music, especially at weekends.
Despite being opposites, the two halves coexist in harmony. At busy times, people from different worlds share tables because there's no other choice. Staff member Yasmin Spartiatis, 25, who has worked there since she was 18, says: "I walked in and literally said to the old manager 'Hi, my name is Yasmin, I've never had a job before, do you want to hire me?' He told me no. Then he called three days later after sacking someone and offered me the job."
Cheap Drinks and Banter
Yasmin's first impression of the pub was simply: "Cheap, cheap, cheap." It's hard to find another venue serving double spirits for around £5. During her seven-year tenure, she has seen four managers come and go. She recalls the pub's greatness when she first started: "We've got old regulars now but we had young regulars who were here consistently. We had people waiting outside the door at 11am."
The staff balance friendly service with sharp humour and confrontational banter, but only with customers who can take it. Yasmin says: "It's nice to come into work and it's all people you know. I know how I can act. I know I can be a little bit off because it's a little bit of banter."
Notable Visitors and Nickname
The Poste House has welcomed Bob Dylan, Debbie Harry, Noel Gallagher, Prince Philip, Jack the Ripper suspect James Maybrick, and allegedly a young Adolf Hitler. It has also been known as The Muck Midden, though explanations vary. In May 2000, landlady Brenda Lancaster said: "I've heard conflicting stories - some of them aren't suitable to print - but one theory is that the pub got that name because it was once used by the binmen's bosses."
Saved from Demolition
In 2001, developers wanted to turn Cumberland Street into flats, threatening the pub. Mike Carr, press officer for the Merseyside branch of CAMRA, alongside regulars, fought to keep it open. A petition with over 700 signatures and 50 letters of objection were presented to the council. Mike even "threatened to chain himself to the fixtures and fittings should the go-ahead be given to the controversial plans." Councillors disregarded their officers' advice and threw out the demolition plans.
Little Has Changed
Aside from a fresh lick of paint and a few spruce ups, very little has changed. Yasmin says: "That's why people come here." However, new toilets and a refreshed outdoor area are expected by the end of the summer. She adds: "We've had a few bits here and there but we'll always look and feel like an old man's pub."
