06/05/2025
Got a lovely messsage from the original owners! He was a Victorian soldier.
On the 8th of January, 1923, my late father was born in the rooms above a public house once situated at 274 Latimer Road. At the time, the establishment was known as The [Unknown] Volunteer—the first part of the name now lost to memory, though family recollection suggests it bore the image or association of a Victorian soldier, perhaps reflecting a military heritage common to many such establishments of the period.
The pub was, according to family history, owned by my grandmother’s foster father, a man by the surname of Wessell—though the precise spelling remains uncertain. It is said he ran the business with spirit, if not with strict accountancy. Generous with the "slate" system—allowing patrons to drink now and pay later—he ultimately found himself overwhelmed by the debts accrued. The financial burden led to his bankruptcy, bringing to an end his tenure behind the bar. It is unclear how long the family remained connected with the pub, or whether their involvement continued into the years of the Second World War.
What is certain is that, a century ago, my family stood behind the bar of that public house. It is a strange but powerful thought. My father, who passed away in March 2022 at the remarkable age of 99, often spoke of his beginnings there. I have long held the intention to one day visit the site—now a wine bar, as I understand—and raise a pint in his memory, to honour both his life and the generations that came before. That day will come.
To those who have preserved the spirit of the place, my thanks. Though time has changed its name and purpose, the echoes of history remain in its walls.
