Viva Lewes issue #113 February 2016

Photo bny Alex Leith
my lewes: Dick Grindon, Landlord, Tally Ho
Are you local? No. I’m Irish, from Wexford. But
I’ve been living in Lewes for 35 years and more
now, so I guess I can call it home.
What brought you from Ireland? I was a professional
singer, with my wife, Louise, doing country
and MOR music. One of the band members suddenly
died on his 50th birthday, and I couldn’t go
on with it any more. So I went into the pub trade.
I managed more places in London than you could
shake a stick at, then got the offer of a job in Lewes,
as the club steward of the Police HQ Social.
I guess there wasn’t much trouble in that
bar… It was a lovely job! I left it when the Tally
Ho became available, 25 years ago now. I’ve been
here ever since.
Has it changed much over the years? Oh yes.
There used to be two bars and we knocked them
into one, and there was an off licence at the back
which we converted into a dedicated darts area.
But it’s always been a local, for Landport people.
We don’t get much passing trade here.
So darts is important to the Tally Ho. Darts is
important to Lewes. It’s a community thing. And
we raise a lot for charity – our chosen ones are St
Peter and St James Hospice and the British Heart
Foundation. There are 13 teams in the Lewes
league, and there are matches every week. It gets
people out and about: you meet a lot of folk. At
the Tally Ho we have darts nights from Tuesday
to Friday, including the Superleague, which is too
good a standard for me! In fact I’m playing a lot
less than I used to… age is catching up, and my
arms aren’t what they were.
Darts is one of the few sports that you can
have a drink and play… There are some teetotal
players, but they’re few and far between! Most
players will have a couple of drinks to steady the
hand. Not too many, mind… you can’t play well
when you’re pissed.
The Tally Ho has two teams… Yes, the Tally Ho
A, and the Tally Ho B. I’d like to mention the captain
of the A team, Sam Small. He’s over 80, and
he’s still playing. He’s been playing darts in Lewes
all his life – a lot of the pubs he’s played in don’t
exist any more.
Are there any other games or sports played
here? There’s a crib team. Oh, and a Sunday
League football team. They have their sandwiches
here, and their post-match rehydration, which
usually consists of a few pints of San Miguel.
And you show the football… My idea of a perfect
Sunday afternoon is putting my feet up and
watching the football. Especially if Spurs are playing.
We’ve got four screens here, the biggest being
a 63-incher.
Recommend us a good place to eat out. You
can’t beat the Panda Garden. Failing that Shanaz,
or the Pailin. Interview by Alex Leith
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