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Home >
Surrey >
Guildford > Horse & Groom
Horse & Groom
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Date of photo: 1974 |
Picture source: Hania Franek |
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The Horse & Groom was situated at 9 North
Street. This pub was damaged in the 1974 Guildford bombings. Subsequently
reopened, it closed again in the 1990s. It is now an empty shop. |
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From Wikipedia: |
In 1974, a number of pubs in Guildford town
centre were known to be "army pubs", frequented by military personnel
stationed in the area. These included the Horse & Groom on North Street, The
Seven Stars in Swan Lane, and the Three Pigeons on the High Street. The
Provisional IRA Army Council had authorised attacks in England at a meeting
in 1973, and army pubs were viewed as soft military targets.
The bomb in the Horse & Groom, thought to have been planted by a "courting
couple" who have never been identified, detonated at 8.30pm, killing a
civilian (Paul Craig), two members of the Scots Guards (William Forsyth and
John Hunter) and two members of the Women's Royal Army Corps (Privates Ann
Hamilton and Caroline Slater). The Seven Stars was evacuated after the first
blast, and a second bomb exploded at 9pm while the pub landlord and his wife
were searching the pub. The landlord sustained a fractured skull and his
wife a broken leg, and five members of staff and one customer who had just
stepped outside received less serious injuries.
These attacks were the first in a year-long campaign by an IRA active
service unit who became known as the Balcombe Street Gang – whom police
arrested in December 1975 after the Balcombe Street siege leading to their
trial and conviction for other murders and offences. A similar bomb to those
used in Guildford, with the addition of shrapnel, was thrown into the Kings
Arms pub in Woolwich on 7 November 1974. A soldier and a civilian died in
that explosion.
The Guildford bombings occurred only five days before the October 1974
United Kingdom general election. As all parties felt obliged to respond to
the events, they contributed to the speedy and unchallenged passing of the
Prevention of Terrorism Acts in November 1974. |
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Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here.
You can also make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page. |
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Other Photos |
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Picture source: Darkstar |
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