Organ Grinder, Arnold

Originally the Lord Nelson, this building has an impressive two-tone blue and white painted frontage with double-doors under a narrow Georgian-style portico. An ornate datestone escutcheon proclaims a build year of 1923. The former name "Lord Nelson" clearly visible. Possibly a faience exterior under the blue paint. Formerly an Home Ales pub and now a Blue Monkey house. In 1894, an earlier Lord Nelson (or is just the faience facade 1923?) was addressed as 127 Front Street and the publican was the licensed victualler Wm. Knight [Wright]. At that time there were a number of other nearby pubs on Front Street: Cross Keys (No. 32, John Cottam, Victualler); New Inn (No. 62, Francis Lloyd Patchitt, Beehouse keeper); Horse & Jockey (No. 83, Walter Perkins, Victualler); Butchers Arms (No. 105, Robert Brookes, Victualler) and the Plough & Harrow (No. 118, Anthony Samuel, Victualler)[Wright 1894]. The Blue Monkey Brewery is based in nearby Giltbrook and takes it name from a group of now demolished foundry furnaces near Ilkeston, which burned with a blue glow at night and were known locally as the Blue Monkeys. [Gedling Borough Council; Ernehale Ward / Nottinghamshire County Council; Arnold North Division / Gedling Parliamentary Constituency].