Golden Ball (Cherry Garden Street)

The Golden Ball stood on the corner of Cherry Garden Street and St Aubyn Street on a site currently behind the dockyard wall, just to the south, and west, of the mini roundabout by the old Forum Cinema (now bingo hall) at the western end of Fore Street.

Cherry Garden Street ran parallel to Fore Street and St Aubyn Street ran at right angles to it and parallel to Chapel Street. Although this area was badly hit during the war, the Golden Ball had already closed before hostilities commenced, indeed it appears to have been compulsorily purchased, and time called, in January 1938.

Time was when the Golden Ball was a popular symbol amongst tradesmen, despite the fact that appears to have no heraldic or religious significance. However long before David Beckham’s glory days the golden orb came to be associated with Constantine the Great who adopted it and later added a cross after his conversion to Christianity.

Licensees

1873 - Henry Boyling
1880 - A Phillips
1882 - Henry Holman
1888 - Mrs M Westacott
1890 - Thomas Handcock
1893 - Mrs Lusting
1896 - Mrs Cobb
1906 - L Couch
1911 - William Bancroft
1927 - Mrs Catherine Bancroft
1929 - Michael Lynott