A 1954 newspaper cutting, from Keith Hobbs of Ontario.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hobbs, 57, Mansfield Road, Bedminster, will receive many congratulations on their diamond wedding anniversary tomorrow. During the time he was licensee at the Beer Cask, Pennywell Road, Mr. Hobbs trained in his own gymnasium nearly all the leading Bristol boxers of the time, including Bert Kirby, flyweight champion of England in 1930.
He took over at the East Street Tavern about 1900* and after six years there, moved to the Beer Cask where he was licensee for 36 years before his retirement.
During those years in addition to Bert Kirby, boxers who trained at his gymnasium included George Rose, Albert Jennings, Jack Dale and Harry Mansfield. “Things have changed since the old days” he said. “Then £10 was a big purse for a boy to get in a fight.” Boxing is not Mr. Hobbs’s only sport. He helped to train several Bristol Rugby Club players. He saw the world single sculls rowing championship on the Thames in 1889. Five times out of seven, his quoits team won the Bristol and District Table Quoits championship. He has seen 22 Grand Nationals, including one run in a snowstorm in 1901.
He remembers the floods of 1889 when he rowed a boat along Broadmead. He remembers seeing his brother off as apprentice in a windjammer. This brother is now living at Birkenhead and holds awards for bravery presented to him after he and another man had rowed 60 people to safety from a wreck on the French coast.
Mr. Hobbs started work at the age of 10 apprenticed at 2s, 6d, a week to a shoemaker. He later worked for Derham Brothers, whose Union Street premises he saw destroyed by a serious fire in 1906 when one fireman was killed.
Mr Hobbs Is 82 today--and there will be a party to celebrate the double event at the Hobbs’s home on Saturday, Not all the family of two daughters, two sons, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren will be there, but those living in Bristol and some friends will attend. Among them will be Mr. Hobbs’s son Mr. Reginald Hobbs, who himself trained at the Beer Cask, fought in the ring and managed Bristol Boxers. He was the first man to beat George Rose, who won the West of England welterweight championship in 1932 at the Colston Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs were married at St.Matthias church, Broadweir.