Home > Essex > Saffron Walden > The Hoops The Hoops

Picture source: Darkstar

The Hoops was situated at 15 King Street. This pub is now in retail use.

In 1958/9 I was in the R.A.F. stationed at R.A.F. Debden, and used to frequent the Hoops when the Publicans were Sid and Silvia Flashman. When they got Busy I used to help out as a gesture by Collecting Glasses/Washing/Drying whilst occasionally helping pulling pints, on one occasion when pulling the pump handle there was a great resistance, mentioning it to Sid he urged me to pull harder which I did with a sudden whoosh a lump of Hops plopped into the glass. The atmosphere was always friendly whilst one night there was a spontaneous "Who could Drink a Pint the Fastest".. with a bit of overseas practice under my belt I won the Kitty. with An R.A.F. Mate of mine who was Married and living in an Air Force Civvy Rental in the High St, then challenged me to to beat the best time to drink his Glass Yard of Ale.. He trotted off returning with the Glass Yard which had a wide neck like a trumpet slendering down to a fair sized balloon on the bottom, obviously it was a Yard in length, a collection was made to pay to have the Yard Filled with Bitter...I never did find out the actual record time to beat but apparently I shaved it. Another occasion My supposed friend challenged me to drink a 'Boot of Ale' as he toddled off to fetch it, Silvia took me into the Kitchen where she got out a couple of slices of Bread liberally coating with Butter that looked half an inch thick telling me to line my stomach. The glass boot was made in Germany where my friend had served. It was reputed to hold 4 and a half Litres. There was a secret to drinking the Boot in so much as the Toe had to be pointing UP, if the toe was pointing down that would leave a large amount in the front of the boot area that would be difficult to balance to stop a sudden rush of Bitter that you had to keep up with or fail. Apparently the record with this boot was 19 minutes that I although tottering beat. Certainly the best Pub at the time in Walden.

Al Taylor (July 2026)

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Name	Dates	Comments
Sheila Chapman	1972	Met my hubby there in 1972 , still together 45 yrs