In Conversation with Norman Balon

[@jeremyhaines4481]

Brilliant and interesting I sometimes go in The Coach and Horses for a drink I met Norman Balon many years ago what a character and guy

[@neilmccormick2064]

Always popped in whenever I was in Soho.

[@LuisPBE]

Wonderful video i'm a huge Jeffrey Bernard fan, i visited the Coach 2 years ago and none of the staff had a clue who he was, his photos are all gone from the wall, Soho is long finished.

[@michaelcoward7698]

sad/hungover face emoji, can i have a pint or am i still barred at the moment???

[@paulphilipempey1]

Certainly an iconic bar. Go there at least once when I go to London.

[@revol148]

@paulphilipempey1 go there and pay £7 for a pint and pretend it's 1982?......I'll add it to the list of things to do when I'm next in London.

[@andrewwilson3327]

I think that place was like tales about a Great party. People that weren’t there just get bored after a while. It’s all long gone now. I have friends that are great to drink with but scratch beneath the surface and what you find isn’t very pleasant. I do enjoy the nostalgia though. Thanks for sharing.

[@Robhalifax]

I thought the same when seeing videos about the colony room. I thought these people are interesting but also insufferable when drunk.

[@revol148]

@andrewwilson3327 Can you elaborate about what you find when you scratch beneath the surface? Pub culture is dying on its feet for too many reasons to go into here and when I used to frequent pubs I always found the people who spent vast amounts of their time in them lived pretty tragic lives. Finally if you study the lives of "bon viveurs" (they are rarely referred to as alcoholics) : Jeffrey Bernard, Keith Floyd, Keith Moon, Peter Cook, Dylan Thomas, Oliver Reed, Richard Burton - few people who really knew them had much of a good word to say about them.

[@kevinwhelan9607]

Andrew? No more truer word was ever written. I loathed the way Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole would rehash seriously unfunny anecdotes on chat shows about the "craic" they had getting utterly shitfaced. As to the damage it did to their wives and especially their children, traumatized for life...not a word. I guess that would be a bit of a downer.

[@milobell5525]

Best barman i ever met worked in the 'Coach.' Charlie. Would love to know what happened to him...

[@derekedge6975]

Hi. I remember Charlie too Good friendly sort. No pretensions. Genuine chap. Like to know what happened to him also. Wish I could help.

[@revol148]

@@derekedge6975 most of the regulars there both in front and behind the bar were all dead by their early 60's due to lifestyle choices - including Balon and Bernard.

[@luddite561]

@@revol148 You are incorrect about Balon. he was still alive through Covid when he was well into his 90's. indeed he was in his 80's when he left the Coach and Horses in 2006. Seems that a lot of your comments on this page contain unsubstantated assertions rather than fact.

[@revol148]

@@luddite561 "a lot of my comments on this page contain unsubstantiated assertions rather than fact" - I've only posted two comments - one saying that alcoholics are never interesting - which is a fact and Balon's age which I got wrong !

[@keithsunderland8839]

I was in the Coaçh and Horses and I saw Norman playing Patience...so thats got some W Somerset Maugham thing??? Ex-BritEmpire...

[@123paul]

Looks like the place was full of crashing bores, including Norm himself.

[@mrconstable1908]

You are oblivious to the fact that your comment confirms that you have no knowledge whatsoever of this famous establishment, and that you are therefore a complete idiot.

[@neilmccormick2064]

@@mrconstable1908 Hear hear! The man's( 123 Paul)a fool ,obviously.

[@neilmccormick2064]

@@mrconstable1908 I used to go frequently in the 80s when Norman was still there. Had some fantastic craic at the Coach in those days.

[@mrconstable1908]

@@neilmccormick2064 My video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XGlmmId8aSmbM

[@amandamcallister1180]

Only a CRASHING Bore could be so ignorant of those times