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Picture source: Jean-Bernard Nizan

The Roebuck Inn was situated at 100 Newbold Road. This pub is now in residential use.

My paternal great-grandfather, a Mr George Mee, owned and ran the pub from around 1900. He had two daughters, Violet [d.1919 from influenza] and Gladys Rose. The latter would marry Leonard Michael Cheney. Mr & Mrs Cheney had two sons, Adrian and Michael Alan, who was my father. Leonard served in the British Army in the Middle East with T.E. Lawrence. Both men liked motorcycles. Lawrence, who went on to die in Dorset in 1935 as a result of a motorcycle accident, gave Leonard a nickname of ‘Little Mick’ on account of his short stature. Leonard suffered a motorcycle accident in 1928 which left him blind in his left eye. At this point he was working, and as part of his role as a ticket-inspector with the Birmingham and Midland Red Motor Omnibus Company [Midland Red], he would take the outbound ‘bus from Leicester and stop at The Roebuck for a drink before taking the in-bound ‘bus back into Leicester, inspecting tickets on both journeys. He met Gladys Rose Mee and they began courting, eventually leading to marriage around 1929. At about this time Gladys’ father was found dead, drunk, in the pub. Leonard and Gladys would marry and move to Leicester taking Gladys’ mother with them. I am not sure who took over The Roebuck at this point.

Colin Cheney (October 2025)

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