The Ten Bells

[John Bennett]

Hi Jon, yes I think JBs correct.My first visit was Oct1988 and it was the Ten Bells by then. Staff were friendlier then, and cockney.

I have a newspaper clipping from 22 January 1988 announcing that the name will be changed back to the 'Ten Bells'. I expect it was changed not long after.

JB

[RivkahChaya]

Is it the same building, however renovated? Surely the chairs and stools would have been replaced since 1888, and so would the plumbing, if it existed at the time, and electricity would have been installed, probably some gas lines removed, stove pipes bricked up, but having the same address is a big deal.

The Stonewall Inn on Christopher St. in the Village doesn't exist anymore, but there's a bar that's in part of the downstairs space, and partly next door, which is called "The Stonewall." The owner is gay, and so are most of the employees, instead of the mafia, which owned it in 1969. My lesbian cousin's son's middle name is Christopher, which didn't go over too well with the Jewish family. The name is on his birth certificate, but they just used his first name at his bris and his bar mitzvah. I've been to The Stonewall. It's small, and pretty quiet for Manhattan.

Anyway, the site of the building is considered an historic site, and there's a plaque.

For Brits, who may not know, there was a riot at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 that sparked the current gay rights movement, which continues into the present. The homophobia of the police, and their ability to legally harass gay people was unbelievable in the 1960s. My parents were extreme liberals in the 1970s, with the position that they didn't care what people did, as long as they kept it to themselves.

My point is, just retaining the location is important. I don't believe in literal spirits, but I think the reason a lot of people do is that our brains conjure them up from knowledge about what happened where. That's why historical sites are such tourist attractions. Drinking in the same geographic spot MJK did is emotional, no matter how much the edifice has changed.

[Rob1n]

Yes, probably modernised, they did it again a year or two back and changed it - not for the better.

The bar staff now are a surly lot, not very friendly

[WARSPITE]

Hi John

Is that correct re: it was called the Jack the Ripper pub 1975-88 ?

I am positive it was called the Jack the Ripper pub when I went in the early 90`s. The bar was partitioned off, with the wall behind you with the victims board upon it, as you faced the bar.

I remember being disapointed that it wasn`t called the Ten Bells, as I wanted a photo of the Ten Bells sign.

Hi Jon, yes I think JBs correct.My first visit was Oct1988 and it was the Ten Bells by then. Staff were friendlier then, and cockney.

[John Bennett]

...looks like a young Martin Fido!

Either that or it's Colin Wilson in need of a haircut...

[Sam Flynn]

I can't ever remember a piano player...

...looks like a young Martin Fido!

[John Malcolm]

Hi John.
There was a piano by the door leading upstairs (to the basement also) for a while in the mid 90's, but I never saw anyone play it. I did get to have a drunken bash on it once though, accompanied by the two barmen.

[John Bennett]

Blast from the past

Here's a screenshot from the 1988 documentary 'Shadow of the Ripper', inside the 'Ten Bells'. Personally I can't ever remember a piano player, so its possibly a set up, but I do remember the original loos in the background and the little red sign at the top of the bar. It's the one that used to advertise the Ripper Tipple!

[SDC]

Cheers John. Crikey!! I`ve lost ten years somewhere.

That'll be too many evenings down the "Jack the Ripper"

[Jon Guy]

I'm 110% certain, Jon.

Cheers John. Crikey!! I`ve lost ten years somewhere.

[wisfisher]

I was first in the Ten Bells in Sept 1994.
It was again the Ten Bells at that time but still selling the JTR pub t-shirts.
The bartender was friendly but didn't know much of the history but he did say the name was changed back because of complaints about the name.
The next time I went it had changed to a "gentlemens" club with dancing ladies. But that's a different story for another time.

Tom

[John Bennett]

Hi John

Is that correct re: it was called the Jack the Ripper pub 1975-88 ?

I am positive it was called the Jack the Ripper pub when I went in the early 90`s. The bar was partitioned off, with the wall behind you with the victims board upon it, as you faced the bar.

I remember being disapointed that it wasn`t called the Ten Bells, as I wanted a photo of the Ten Bells sign.

I'm 110% certain, Jon. It was reopened as the 'JTR' on April 30th 1975 and renamed the 'Ten Bells' in the first half of 1988, certainly before the anniversary dates of the murders. The memorabilia remained for many years after. You're certainly right about the 'partitioned' bar area.

[Jon Guy]

Hi John

Is that correct re: it was called the Jack the Ripper pub 1975-88 ?

I am positive it was called the Jack the Ripper pub when I went in the early 90`s. The bar was partitioned off, with the wall behind you with the victims board upon it, as you faced the bar.

I remember being disapointed that it wasn`t called the Ten Bells, as I wanted a photo of the Ten Bells sign.

[John Bennett]

So if the ten bells is trying to move away from it's ripper past, does anyone know what's happened to the victims board they used to display ?

The victims board used to be on the outside of the pub when it was the 'Jack the Ripper' (1975-88) and I believe there were two originally. One facing Commercial Street and one facing Christchurch. The latter was removed at a later date.

The remaining sign was removed in 1988 and was placed on the wall inside, where it stayed for ages. Several years ago it was turned round so the names were facing the wall and about 2 years ago, the board disappeared altogether. Where it is now is anybody's guess, but I bet it's not in the pub - it was way too big to hike up the little stairs.

I would ask a member of staff where it went, but they are so aloof at times that I'd probably get no useful answer, even if they knew.

[smezenen]

My grandfather was an amature artist He often did drawings and paintings from memory. One day we where looking at a painting he did of the houses in the neighborhood where he lived for over 40 years. In the painting he had placed a few of the houses in the wrong order, meaning the house that should have been second from the corner was fourth and the fourth from the corner was second. Getting to the point here could it be that the artist that drew the sketch was drawing from memory and simply got it backwards.