Half Moon (Kinterbury Street)

On a site now located just off St Andrew’s Cross roundabout, curiously enough in the street now known as Kinterbury Street (which runs almost at right angles to the original) were formerly two beerhouses (No.s 4 & 5).

A short throroughfare – but not as short as its contemporary namesake – Kinterbury Street sported a number of pubs in the middle of the nineteenth century; the ancient Spread Eagle and the Old Golden Lion among them.

The street was also well-known for having the impressive, Victorian, Naval Bank constructed at the Whimple Street end and Stanley Gibbons’ first ever stamp shop at the other, Treville Street, end.

Interestingly enough, when young Stanley was just becoming interested in the fledgling hobby of philately his father was running a pharmacists’ shop in Kinterbury Street and John Gibbons was the licensee of the Old Golden Lion – meanwhile, at the Half Moon, Philip McGinnes was the landlord and licensee.