To have been the proverbial fly on the wall in the Nook Hotel of old, would indeed have been an education on life. Tales of far flung and exotic lands, adventures on the high seas, and stories of local goings on, would, I am sure, have been exchanged in equal measure. Whether the discretion later reputably shown by famous landlady Eileen Jones would have always been the order of the day, or if ‘Chinese whispers’ then grew, we will never know. Undoubtedly the clientele was diverse, and undoubtedly many friendships would have started or been cemented in those smoky rooms.
I started this history hoping to find out about the origins of the building we now know as The Nook, the people who occupied it, and how it fits in with the history of Nelson Street, and more latterly, Chinatown. Gaps still remain, but I hope at the very least the following might help others who research the area, or just have an interest in the Nelson Street landmark today. Our building housed a pub from at least 1860, but can we learn any of its history prior to this, and what do we know of its time as The Nook?
Please click on LINK to view a first draft PDF of the history. I hope you find it interesting , and please do get in touch if you can add anything, or have a view on my interpretations. Please feel free to share, but can I ask you also share the source.
Liverpool1207 
Hi, Just read your post about the Nook pub. Found it very interesting – you filled in some gaps i didn’t know such as its use as dance school upstairs and also that it one housed the Masonic lodge. I had seen that photo of the Masonic Lodge but could not locate it. I have done my own research of Liverpool Chinatown over the last 10 years or so and post about Chinatown on the ‘Friends of Liverpool Chinatown Heritage’; also an admin there. If you type ‘The Nook’ in the search engine of the group, you will see some photos of/articles about the Nook I shared. The fb group was set up only last year by my friends the Sounagents – Moira Kenny and John Campbell – they tried to set up a Chinese Museum in the Nook, mentioned in your research. No.20 Nelson Street was also the Chinese Gospel Mission founded by Stephen Wong in the 1950s and visited by Gladys Aylward( of ‘Inn of The Sixth Happiness’ fame ) soon after it opene. That building is just as fascinating as The Nook. No.20 was also the Republican Progress Club which was formerly on Pitt St. Here are 2 videos which feature ‘The Nook’.: Eddie Braben on Liverpool (1979)
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| | | | Eddie Braben on Liverpool (1979)
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9 minutes 10 sec in.
Mersey Beat Back In The Day Liverpool 1960’S
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| | | | Mersey Beat Back In The Day Liverpool 1960’S
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24 minutes 26 sec in. I may share your post on the Friends of Liverpool Chinatown herige group if that’s ok with you. I found the 1906 drawing of the landryy very interesting – you don’t see many pics of Chnatown from the time. Also, interesting to read about Peterr Foo being landlord – he was one the children whose fathers were forcefully repatriated after WW2. Regards, Pak Mr.Pak H Chan
Many thanks for getting in touch Pak, greatly appreciate you taking the time. I will make a few additions to the history, and add the Friends of Chinatown link if that’s ok.
Cheers, Rex
HI Rex, just shared your blog on some Chinatown related fb groups – I’m sure people in Chinatown will be as fascinate by your blog as I was. Feel free to share a link to The Friends Of Liverpool Chinatown Heritage fb group. Regards,
Pak
Hi Rex, what made you think the Masonic Lodge photo is above the Nook ? Someone on fb says that there aren’t any fireplaces on the upper floor; someone else said the ceiling in the photo was too high.
Thanks,
Pak
Hi Pak, by no means conclusive, hence the ‘?’. It would be great to access the Nook to determine one way or the other. If you look at page 61 the cutting ref Harry Wing’s funeral in 1946, it was held in the ‘Chinese Masonic Hall, 7 Nelson Street’, which as you know is the Nook. The picture is 1943 (labelled ‘Masonic Lodge on Nelson St’), and as you quite rightly suggest, the question is if this is also the Nook building.
Thanks Rex, I read the bit about Harry Wing’s funeral after I posted my reply. It’s hard to locate the room in the photo as there doesn’t seem to be rooms with such a high ceiling on Nelson Street. The Chinese Freemasons is now by the Arch so it has moved around a bit.