The Halfway House, Heath End

The Halfway House (also known as The Blues Tavern) was located on the main road between Farnham and Aldershot at 64 Farnborough Road, Heath End.

In the ’80’s Colin “Hoppy” Hopkins and Edna were the tenant landlords, and the attached building on the right was an Elvis Presley memorabilia shop. In the early ’90s it became the Blues Tavern and was taken on by Tina Zedd and Peter “Zedd” Zmitrowicz.

Cryin’ Out Loud appeared at The Blues Tavern in ’94. A 13-year-old Ant Forbes, of Vex Red, played guitar at a jam night at the Blues Tavern with Denny Laine of Moody Blues and Wings on keyboards. Simon Davis’ Univarium played the venue on 2 February ’96; and John Otway appeared on 11 July and 19 December that year, while the Larry Miller Band played on New Years Eve ’96. That same year Matt Taylor also played the venue.

John Otway appeared again on 24 April ’97 and Simon Townshend performed there, after his stint as second guitarist with The Who for their Quadrophenia Tour, in August. As the bell tolled for the Blues Tavern, Mindwire and Chesney Hawkes were among artists that played at the Save The Blues Tavern Festival on 18 January ’98. But it didn’t work, and the tavern was sold in April 1998. Tina would go on to open The Blues Tavern II.

It was demolished in the late ’90s with Friars Court, 12 one bed flats, constructed on the site. At the time of closure, it was known as the Blues Tavern, but for most of its life it was The Halfway House.

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