This fine building, 48 Foregate Street, was originally known as The Bars Hotel & Restaurant. Its landlord in 1898 Ben Pearson, in 1902 Mrs Hannah Maria Pearson, in 1914 Mrs G C Berry, in 1942 E W Pritchard. When this closed in the early 1970s it became The Tavern in the Town with King's Nightclub above. Later, it was converted into Cinderella Rockafella's night club.

With its 'Monk's Retreat' and impressive facade- which could easily have been preserved- it was sadly demolished a few years ago to make way for a bland 'luxury' apartments development. This photograph was taken by the author just before it vanished.

Reader 'J D' wrote to tell us, "One of the pubs I can vaguely remember a few years ago was The Schooner Inn which was next door to Cinderella Rockerfella's. If I remember correctly it changed to The Sports Bar which was at its busiest on a Sunday night".

Reader Hoolite also recalled, "Oh, yes, I remember the Sports Bar alright. Lots of neon and chrome in the 'American' tradition, a couple of pool tables, long bar on the right hand side as you walked in. Guaranteed major ruckus on most nights, being positioned right next door to Cinders, which was the first club I ever went into being about 16- they weren't too choosy".

John Murray wrote to tell us, "The Monk’s Retreat was a small bar to the rear of the Bars Hotel which was popular with both Navy and merchant sailors. My Great Grandma Elizabeth “Bessie” Ratchford was barmaid there from about 1918 until her husband Tommy’s death in 1960.
Bessie Hughes was born in Connah’s Quay in 1887, she moved to Liverpool around 1903 and worked in several shops and bars (rumour has it she lied about her age to get bar work) and it was in one of those pubs that she met her future husband, apprentice bookbinder Tommy Ratchford. The family moved to Chester in 1910 and lived at 22 Pitt Street, they had 8 children between 1905 and 1923, my Grandma Alice, being the eldest. Their daughter Elizabeth, also known as Bessie, born in 1910 married well known Chester butcher, Reg Lloyd.
A regular visitor to The Bars and Monk’s Retreat was Lord Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, the owner of Cunard Line, who lived at Nunsmere Hall (now a hotel) near Delamere and a good friendship developed. Bessie’s son, James, born 1919 was fascinated with ships and got a job onboard Cunard’s ships sailing between Southampton and New York. He was a senior office on the Queen Elizabeth, which he showed me round in 1967 not long before her retirement from service. He then went on to work on the QE2 until his retirement in 1985. He died in 1991.
Bessie was described affectionately by many who knew her as a “larger than life character”. Some older Cestrian people still remember her well and speak of her. After Tommy’s death, she moved in with her daughter Bessie and Reg who lived on the corner of Hough Green and Cliveden Road until her death in 1966.
As a child, I remember visiting my Great Grandma, Elizabeth Ratchford (nee Hughes) while she was living with Great Uncle Reg (Lloyd) and Auntie Bessie (Elizabeth Ratchford) in their large house in Cliveden Road, Chester. Great Uncle Reg was a butcher in Chester with a market stall and a shop at 63 Bridge Street. He was a keen sportsman and in his time had been a boxer known as "The Butcher- Chester's White Hope" and he was groundsman at Boughton Hall Cricket Club. According to local history books, Reg was also a farmer at Brewer's Hall Farm in Curzon Park".