![John Forster](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/John-Forster-Portait-800x1000.jpg)
John Forster was born in 1941. In 1973 he started working as a pub manager for Trumans. Then he created a company called Town and Country Relief Service which put temporary managers into the following East London pubs between 1978 – 1988
- The Derby Arms, Warspite Road, SE18. Now Closed
- The Old George, 379 Bethnal Green Road (top photo)
- The Jolly Butchers, 157 Brick Lane, E1. Now Closed
![The Star of Bethnal Green, previously called The White Hart](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Star-of-Bethnal-Green-1000x1000.jpg)
![](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Jolly-Butchers-Brick-Lane-1000x563.jpg)
- The White Hart, 359 Bethnal Green Road. Now The Star of Bethnal Green.
- The Royal. Now called the Royal Inn on the Park, Lauriston Road, E9
![City Pride Pub, Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, taken in 2008. About to be replaced by a 63 storey tower - hotel and apartments.](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-City-Pride-taken-in-2008-1000x685.jpg)
![Site of The City Pride taken in 2010](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Site-of-The-City-Pride-taken-in-2010-1000x672.jpg)
- The City Arms, Westferry Road, E14. Was renamed the City Pride. Demolished.
- Robert Burns, 248-250 Westferry Road, London E14. Now a Mosque.
- The Morgan Arms, junction Morgan Street and Coborn Road, E3.
- The Black Swan, which was near the Blue Bridge, Manchester Road, E14
- The Ship and Blue Ball, 13 Boundary Street, Shoreditch. Also now closed.
![Part of a letter from New Scotland Yard authorising John to be a multiple licence holder of pubs](https://www.ourbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Letter-from-New-Scotland-Yard-1000x279.jpg)
Listen to John Forster explaining how he came to manage all these pubs. (1 1/2 mins)
Alan Tucker