The old Royal Inn is a beaut little pub hidden away down Station street in the busy heart of Waratah town. It's one of those pubs that is driven by a strong local client-el full of hard working, Beer drinking colorful characters. I was very proud to call this watering hole my very own 'LOCAL', during my years working at BHP. We would finish our shift on Fridays (early day Fridays) at one o'clock and me and the mob from work would hit the Royal for a round of shouts. There was me good mate Shagger, Mick the wog, Stan, Fletcher, Ronnie Bindig, Paula, and of cause the Legend drinker Nicko. Could this mob sink some grog I hear you ask? Well does Jack Newton swim in circles?. And of cause there was Jenny the barmaid mmmmm.We were a pretty organized mob every friday arvo we would drink and play pool in the back bar for most of the day. Till the friday night footy started on the big TV in the side bar, then after-match drinks in the front bar till we would finished around eleven o'clock at night. Just in time for yours truly to get some Chinese take-away from down the street. I lived one block from The Royal so it only took about two/three minutes to walk (more like stagger) home and fall into me bean bag and munch away at some Sweet n' sour chicken and fried rice (bloody scrutinise mate) life can be so hard!
The Royal had a pool table in the front bar that was used in the Wednesday night pool comp, and one in the small back bar that also was used as a restaurant. They also had a side bar that was quiet a good size, it had a big screen TV for sport (footy,horse racing and the dish licker's) and a old potbelly stove against the side wall. In winter on friday/Saturday nights the publican always put a large pot of water with small potatoes in it, and placed it on the old potbelly and when you felt like a small feed you just grabbed one out, pretty cool hay.
Acrossed the carpark was the Waratah TAB so during the days drinking you would shot over and place a bet and be back before it was your turn at the pool table.
It was also a get together
r place after a Saturday nights pub crawl, which always started at The Royal. Then moved down the road to the Townhall Hotel. The town hall was very well known for their saturday night striper's show...... say no more! After a quick wa
lk over the train bridge and up the street to the Mayfield Hotel, The Mayfield didn't have much going for it but it's not like you can walk past a Pub, hay. Then a short walk across Maitland road to the Stag N' hunter Hotel. The stag had everything from beaut barmaids, icy cold beer on tap, pub-tab, beaut barmaids, ripper counter lunches and of cause beaut barmaids. After that we could end up anywhere! Fairdinkum. Many a sunday mornin', 'hair-of-the-dogs' was spent sinking a few schooners to get over the night before. Early openers was the start of a quiet days drinking for some... not Nicko and Fletch who most of the time were still drinking from the night before, Fairdinkum I'm not joking these two fellas could drink anyone under a table.But as for the Pub it has some beaut memories that I will never forget and some Ive already forgotten. It has a real layed back atmosphere and the barmaids are very friendly, and will make anyone feel at home. So if your not driving then pop in and sink a coldie while you play a game of pool or just sit back and have a squizz at the footy on the telly. What ever you feel like this is a beaut workman's Pub and is worth having a beer at. Trust me.