The Sunshine (New Inn)

1940's - Click photo to enlarge	Many thanks to Barry Clarke for sending us these images of the Sunshine, which used to stand in Humphrey Street. Barry's father Ernie Clarke was mine host there from January 1939 until he died in November 1960. Ernie is leaning out of the window on this photograph from the mid to late 1940's, and is also pictured later in this article. After Ernie's death, Barry's mother Maud continued to run the pub alone for two or three years before retiring herself. Yampy readers and older Sunshine regulars may be interested to know that she is still alive and will be 100 years old on the 4th February 2003. She retains her active mind and has many memories of the Sunshine.
1951 - Click photo to enlarge	In this 1951 photo, the pub has been renovated and there is a new front door, plus a light above it. Barry tells us that Arthur Abbiss is fourth from left with his pipe in mouth and Barry is the young lad with the white shirt on the right, with brother Ernie on his right. Here, Arthur Abbiss is blissfully unaware that more than a decade later he was to succeed the Clarkes as licencee. Barry knew everyone on the photo but cannot remember all of their names, and believes that many of them are now dead. Yampy is grateful to our friend Arthur Hale (not the coal merchant), who has helped with the identification. There's Jim Wright second from the left next to the dog, Tommy Andrews fifth from the left wearing a hat, Joe Bodenham (one of 3 brothers, another was named Jack) in the centre behind the two girls. Joe is also on the 1940's picture, extreme right. Jack Clarke (but not Barry's Uncle Jack!) is fifth from the right along the back row, behind the right shoulder of Ernie Clarke (jnr.). According to Barry's mother, the two girls in the photo were sisters who lived in North Street (their father, not on the photo, was Jim Westwood), and the boy's name was Christopher. The eighth man from the right along the back row is Joe Ford, brother-in-law to Arthur Abbiss (married the sister of Arthur's wife).
Inside the Sunshine, 1950's	Barry has also kindly sent us a photo of customers enjoying their beer in the traditional but cosy bar, some time in the 1950's after the pub was renovated. According to Barry, only Jack Brookes (second on the left) is still alive. At the time he lived in North Street Lower Gornal but apparently now lives in Upper Gornal. Pictured below, left is the landlord, one of at least three Ernie Clarkes who frequented the Sunshine (there is a second Ernie Clarke is the 1940's photo).
Ernie Clarke Snr. 1940's Click photo to enlarge	Thanks also to Gornal chap Mat Danks, Chief Reporter for the Dudley News for the following: My auld fella, Derek Danks, was one of the last people to run the New Inn in Humphrey Street which was better known as The Sunshine after the ale it used to brew in the old days apparently. He ran it from 1988 to 1991 (ish) and I know the pub had a long history which was clear in some of the cellar and decoration. The pub was knocked on the head by Banks's in about 1993 and demolished and is now a lovely row of houses. If you can identify anyone else on the photos - are you one of the kids? - or if you have any other comments please email us at admin@yampy.co.uk.