Pub in Essex that displayed golly dolls closes after backlash and supplier boycott

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Barney Davis
Thu, 4 May 2023 at 6:18 am BST·2-min read
An Essex pub at the centre of a racism row over the displaying of golly dolls has closed.

Five Essex Police officers had seized the collection of dolls, which are based on 18th century minstrels and now regarded as racist caricatures, at the White Hart in Grays on April 4, as part of an investigation into an allegation of hate crime.

Heineken and Carlsberg had since told the pub to stop serving its lager, while maintenance company Innserve refused to continue working on site.

The pub had also been banned from being considered for any awards by the Campaign for Real Ales (Camra) and the group said it would not be included in its Good Beer Guide “while these discriminatory dolls continue to be on display”.

Landlady Benice Ryley and her husband Chris said this week she had decided, after 17 years running the pub, to retire to Turkey and shut the doors.

She said she was “angry and upset” and had been “crying all week” after having her windows smashed and “racist” scrawled on her walls following the controversy.

In an interview with Thurrock Nub News, Ms Ryley said: “I feel gutted, totally and utterly gutted, hurt and upset. I’ve had very, very much support from many people about the gollys and a few bits of hates that I don’t personally understand because it’s our part of life.

“Young people these days don’t understand from years ago where do the gollys originate from. It’s such a shame.

“It’s my collection. They are antiques some of them and I want them back. This is my life now that they have ruined. We have a stigma about our name now and our pub.”

She blamed someone on Reddit for “starting it all again”, adding: “I had them as children, my auntie bought me some. [Customers] have bought me the dolls and it started from there.”

The figures created by American-British cartoonist and author Florence Kate Upton began appearing in children’s books in the 19th century.

The physical dolls became popular in Britain in the 1970s but came to be considered a racist caricature of black people.

Admiral Taverns, the company which owns the pub building, said: “The licensees have made us aware of their decision to leave the pub.

“We will be looking to reopen the pub under the management of new licensees.”

No arrests have been made in connection to the alleged hate crime after the seizure of the dolls.

Essex Police are asking for anyone with information or footage to call 101.

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