A lost pub which once stood proudly in Liverpool became famous after appearing in a famous television show based in the city.
Originally airing on BBC2, Alan Bleasdale’s 1980s series Boys From The Blackstuff , which was a sequel to the play The Black Stuff, vividly captured the mood of the nation at the time, focusing on five unemployed tarmac workers struggling to find work. Proving popular, it struck such a chord that it was repeated on BBC1 just weeks later, going on to win a BAFTA award for best drama series of 1982.
The series was said to have reflected writer Alan’s own experiences of growing up in Liverpool and each episode focused on a different character and showed the struggles of unemployment, from the emotions experienced to the lack of social support, the ECHO previously reported.
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Despite being written before Margaret Thatcher came into power, many at the time felt the drama depicted what was to come. Boys From The Blackstuff starred Bernard Hill as Yosser Hughes, Julie Walters as Angie, Alan Igbon as Loggo Logmond, Michael Angelis as Chrissie Todd, Peter Kerrigan as George Malone and Gary Bleasdale as Kevin Dean.
Scenes were filmed across the city – and many will remember one of the locations being most memorable. Years ago, The Green Man on Vauxhall Road became an iconic place for many people who hadn’t even set foot in Liverpool thanks to the BBC drama.
The pub, remembered for its dark green exterior, became well known as being the place where the famous "shake hands" scene played out. The Green Man pub featured in a famous scene in the fifth and final episode of Boys from the Blackstuff, called George’s Last Ride, which aired on November 7, 1982..
In the scene filmed in the pub, many characters are reunited following the death of George. The manager of the pub is struggling to cope with the bustling atmosphere that’s getting more and more rowdy, resulting in him knocking back whiskey and drugs.
While he's drowning his sorrows, Yosser is approached by a character known as Shake Hands – thanks to his famous catchphrase – who Yosser ends up headbutting. After falling to the ground, Shake Hands demands another pint of bitter, clearly not too phased by Yosser’s headbutt.
As if this wasn’t enough drama at The Green Man for one night, a whistling “Ronny Renaldo” is thrown through one of the pub’s windows. Like Shake Hands, Ronny wasn’t particularly phased by his journey through the glass.
While lying on the pavement surrounded by shattered glass, he gave his best rendition of Singing The Blues. The final ever scene from the show plays – Chrissie, Loggo and Yosser walking through Liverpool's streets with demolition crews in the background.
Do you remember The Green Man pub? Let us know in the comments section below.
Back in 2017, the ECHO shared a last look at the pub made famous by Boys From The Blackstuff. Ahead of it being demolished and turned into flats, a collection of empty beer kegs could be seen sitting forlornly outside the pub, which sat between Green Street and Portland Street.
At the time, an ECHO reader suggested the flats should include a blue plaque with the words “Shake Hands was here, 1982” on it. For fans of Boys from the Black Stuff, it wasn’t only the sad demolition of another Liverpool pub, but the loss of an iconic piece of TV history.
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