The Tally Ho


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The Tally Ho, situated on West End Road (A4180) just a stones throw from the Polish War Memorial Roundabout (A40).

In the 60's this was The Blue Circle, owned and run by the Jones brothers as more of a gentleman's club than a pub.

Then it become the Viking (where the old South Ruislip telephone code of 845 was VIK, short for Viking, so there must me some connection! (terrible pun for which I offer no apologies)). As the Viking it had, in the inner roof space, a mock-up of the side of a long boat, complete with oars. It rowed along quite well for many years, never very busy, but never one man and his dog.

Then came along a person with a vision. This pub, just 100 yards from the main road into London had potential. It was closed and gutted, a huge conservatory was built on the side and it became a restaurant with a pub attached (a little unfair but...) Also it was given a new name, the Tally Ho (why, why, why this name????) It was a remarkable success, busy day after day. But then the novelty wore off and as we all know, after day comes night.....

It seemed to drift along for a while, the numbers of cars in the car park reduced. Then you would drive past at times when it should be open and it was closed. Then, one night at about 11 pm there was a minor fire. How it started seems to be open to conjecture. It appears some "staff" were sleeping in a caravan behind the pub and they had something to do with it.

The pub closed down and was boarded up. Within days the travellers moved in to the car park, and in the car park of the Gaelic Football club opposite. The whole area was trashed. Then they were moved out and what looked like new age travellers moved in and covered all the fences (erected to keep the travellers out) with black plastic "bin liners". (It was rumoured to be somebody filming.) Then they moved out and the soil moved in, fly-tippers or done to keep the travellers, who seem to have no regard for fences, out? Your guess is as good as mine.

The fire was on 31st March 2001, the events above took place over the 4 months after that, so since around September 2001 it stood much as you see in the picture above, until demolished in June 2003.

So what is going to happen to it? Well there are those that think the fire was convenient. Whilst I would not for one minute suggest it was arson the damage to the building was not serious, serious enough to close it for a while perhaps, but when the pub is not doing well......

More interesting is the "Northolt Conspiracy Theory". This pub is next to Glebe Farm, which stands in ruins itself and sits right next to the Polish War Memorial and the whole plot backs straight in to RAF Northolt at a distance of 50 Yards off the A40, the main road in to London and with fast road links to Heathrow (!?). If this airport were to be developed then this would be the perfect way to access the whole site. Not a single house to knock down, excellent road access and two tube stations within 1 mile (Ruislip Gardens and Hillingdon). There was another conspiracy theory about Hillingdon Station being built in the style as it was so as to present a fine facade to the world.....There was even a rumour going around that Richard Branson had bought Glebe Farm but this was never confirmed. From time to time a "For Sale" board goes up at Glebe Farm, there was once one on the pub, both went some time ago.....Who has the money to buy such places and leave them as they are....? Latest thoughts are that the site is to become an old peoples home, and Glebe Farm an office complex....

100 yards north of the Polish War Memorial roundabout on the A40, follow signs for Ruislip, A4180. The car park is in use at present for soil storage, but the side road just after the pub, Glebe Avenue, is not normally busy.

Telephone Number - not listed, but it is known that the last number dialled out was 999, they might be able to do a 1471 for you.

Not good. You could get the E7 Ruislip Gardens and go to The Bell but that is really about it. If you walk the other way and try to cross the A40 to go to C & L Leisure or the Lime Trees Golf Club you will get run over and killed at the on-slip to the westbound carriageway which is frighteningly busy with very fast traffic coming from all angles, has no pedestrian control and leads to the foot/cycle path up to Hillingdon, which also changes sides on the A40 here, making all those cycling along the A40 obliged to cross at this point and risk life and limb. The person who thought up this gem of path could not understand why it would take him/her a long time to get served in the Tally Ho! All it needs is either a pedestrian crossing a few yards down the slip, or better still a pelican crossing - even a sign might help.....

Perhaps the quietest pub in Ruislip, though the real fire can be found occasionally roaring away, though externally it looks somewhat down to earth. Rumour has it the last landlord was fired, but is this just hearsay? The caravan club have been know to meet here. The curtains are substantial and seem to be drawn rather a lot. Perhaps there has been a death...?

This was once a very nice pub with a good atmosphere and efficient landlord (1983-4). It went down hill steadily.

However, as stated it is in a very prestigious position and "somebody" must take some responsibility for letting it get into its present state of a blot on the landscape, and derelict site

Yes, it is a unique site in Ruislip, for all the wrong reasons. Any visitors coming off the A40 to Ruislip first see Glebe Farm and then this and must think this is a very salubrious part of the world. In having to get to Northolt the Queen would be driven past it, so there is hope that it might get a coat of paint.