February 10th 2025.
The Fox in Hackney has quite a story to tell, if only its walls could talk. It's been linked to one of the biggest cash heists in British history, the infamous Security Express robbery in Shoreditch. Legend has it that the pub's back room was used by a ruthless gang to plan the heist, with some even saying that the pub's landlord at the time, former armed robber Clifford Saxe, was in on it. Saxe, however, took early retirement and fled to the Costa Del Sol, denying any involvement in the crime until his death in 2002.
The robbery, which took place in 1983, involved a staggering £6 million in untraceable bank notes and is said to have been planned in the back room of The Fox. Some of the money was even allegedly counted there after the raid. Author Sam Cullen, who has extensively researched the pub's murky history, claims that there may have even been a secret compartment within the pub's walls where the spoils were hidden. However, only £2 million of the stolen cash was ever recovered.
In the years that followed, The Fox changed hands and underwent various transformations, including a stint as a craft beer pub in 2012. But eventually, it was shut down and boarded up, with plans to renovate the building and turn it into flats. Today, the pub stands mothballed on Kingsland Road, a silent witness to its infamous past.
But The Fox is not the only pub with a storied history in London. Cullen's new book, London's Lost Pubs, delves into the rich and diverse backstories of over 200 other "lost pubs" in the city. These include The Thomas A Becket, where Muhammad Ali once visited, and The Camden Falcon, where Coldplay played one of their first gigs. Even outside of London, there are pubs with fascinating histories, such as The Crooked House in the Black Country, which has become embroiled in a controversial saga.
Sadly, pubs like The Fox are disappearing at an alarming rate, with over 1,000 closures reported by the Campaign for Real Ale last year. But Cullen believes that pubs now have a better chance of survival, with measures like listing the pub as a historic site or an asset of community value. He also highlights the success story of The Antwerp Arms in Tottenham, which was saved from closure by the community.
For Cullen, pubs are not just a place to socialize and have a drink, but a vital part of a community's history and identity. His book serves as a reminder of the places and people we have lost, and the importance of preserving the ones that remain. As he says, "We're fortunate in Britain to have so many good pubs. I just wanted to make sure they are kept in the memory and not forgotten."
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