Short, Harold – Harold was recruited to run iconic pub

Harold Short (1930-2005)

HAROLD Short was born at Great Ponton on November 5^th and died on his birthday some 75 years later. His wife Betty died four weeks later.

On moving to Grantham they lived in Witham Terrace, at the bottom of East Street.

While working as a barman in the Recruiting Sargent, Great Gonerby  he was offered the pub and became landlord in the 1960s for five years.

A host of celebrities visited the pub, being then on the A1 before the Grantham bypass was built.

Among them were wrestlers Billy Two Rivers and Mick McManus.

From there Harold and his family moved to Bitchfield and he worked for Sloans selling goods and collecting money on the weekly tick.

He then moved to Walton Gardens where Harold and Betty settled.

Harold worked as gateman at Coles Cranes, then a similar role at Steelweld before becoming one of the first security men at the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre when they opened.

He became known for clipping kids round the ear for being rowdy .

He was also well known in all the local pubs playing darts, cribbage and dominoes. He was a regular at the Huntingtower Arms.

There he used to compere the charity harvest festival auction every year.

Harold’s last local was the Railway Club where he had his own chair near the door.

He was a familiar sight on his trusty moped for years until someone stole it from outside the Huntingtower Arms.