Ye Cracke holds a special place in many of its customers hearts
Ye Cracke holds a special place in many of its customers hearts
“I hope it’s not the end of an era,” says John Cavanagh as he sips his pint in one of the city’s “greatest pubs”. The 56-year-old from Liverpool is one of Ye Cracke’s many regulars.
Earlier this month, the ECHO reported the historic pub has been sold. The manager of the venue, which has stood on Rice Street in the Georgian Quarter since the 19th century, told the ECHO that it has been bought by new owners. She said that six staff would be out of work in the process, with their last day expected to be April 27.
It has not been confirmed who has bought the pub and what the future holds for the Liverpool institution. But the ECHO understands the pub will close for an as yet undefined period of time before it is reopened by new owners.
The ECHO visited the pub yesterday afternoon to speak to some of its punters, including John and his wife Dawn Cavanagh, 61. John told the ECHO: “I hope there is a silver lining because the staff deserve it, the pub deserves it.
He added: “We come because of the connection to John Lennon, you begin with that then you realise it has more to it. He was coming here for a reason and once you come you realise it’s a great place to be.
“I love the landlady, she will always come over and have a chat with you, she is old Liverpool, it’s a great safe place to be, you’re out of Wetherspoon and Concert Square and you’re in a proper pub. You go back in time, it just feels like a proper pub.
“There’s a lot of regulars who come in, we have been drinking here for 20 years. People come here because of the type it is.”
For one couple, Ye Cracke holds a special place in their hearts as it was where they met two years ago. Sam Holmes, 31, and Ally Kennedy, 29, spoke to the ECHO as they enjoyed their beers in the pub’s thriving beer garden. Sam said: “We come often, I used to work around the corner and it became our go to pub.
“It’s one of those pubs you can just come into, there’s no fuss. I met the Arctic Monkeys here once too, just having a little drink. It’s got a sense of community here without being forced, it’s not trying to sell you an idea of what it is, it just is what it is.”
Ally said: “The landlady is great, she’s fiery. I love the politics of the pub too, it’s got a history of being a left wing pub and as a woman I have always felt safe here too with the landlady because I know I could always go to her if I felt uncomfortable.”
But the pub isn’t only loved by its regulars, it attracts people from all over the world. Steve Longstaffe, 61, told the ECHO how Ye Cracke is the go-to place for him to bring his family.
He said: “My brother in law who lives in the Midlands wanted to come to Liverpool to visit and I said ‘I know the place for you to come’ and we came and he was absolutely made up. It’s a great pub, it has a really nice relaxed atmosphere, always somewhere to park yourself and such a range of people. It’s like the old days.”
In fact, Brian Kimcade had flown over 3,000 miles from New York and was now propped up at the bar, pint in hand, off the back of a friend’s recommendation.
The 51-year-old, who is a life-long Liverpool FC fan, is visiting Liverpool for the club’s game against Tottenham and asked a friend for a recommendation. No surprise, he was told to head straight to Ye Cracke.
Brian said: “A friend of mine whose British American father grew up in Liverpool, he is a life long Liverpool fan and so is she and she inspired my passion for Liverpool over the years and she said I have to come to this pub.
“I was in London for work but I planned my work around the match tomorrow so I have come for that. I’ve been a Liverpool fan since I was a little boy.
“Her father used to come here and her brother suggested it. I messaged her and asked where I should go and she told me to come here and it’s fantastic. I just got my first pint and people are already talking to me.”
The pub is perhaps most famous for being John Lennon’s favourite spot for a beer when he was an arts student. The Beatle’s drink of choice was a black velvet – made from Guinness and sparkling wine. It’s also where he took his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, on their first date after meeting her at a college dance.
And that fact alone is why thousands of people have been attracted to the venue over the past decades, including Myrie, 56, and Mike, 59 Mengel, from Wales.
The couple, who are also here for the game, told the ECHO they drove to the city with one pub in mind.
Myrie said: “We read about it and a couple of other pubs nearby and we’ve come to see it. We’d read about it because of the history with John Lennon.
“We’re big Liverpool football fans as well so we have tickets for Sunday and we’ve had a list of pubs we want to visit, this was one of them, Peter Kavanagh’s was another and the Pilgrim. So we came here.
“It’s amazing, we’re really, really impressed with it and the area. It’s a great city. It has a great atmosphere, it’s a traditional pub it would be a shame if it goes when it changes. Great pub.”
