Hastie’s Farm Interior

This photograph shared by Lon McIlwraith is the glorious Back Room of Hastie’s Farm, just off Victoria Street, before the 1975 fire,  taken from the end of the middle corridor.

As you can see, it was very rustic looking, as one would imagine from the Stonefield Farm building. Old miner’s oil lamps hang from the beam above the stage and dance floor. The walls are bare sandstone and have various pictures etc. The cylindrical lamp shades hanging in rows above the tables were actually empty commercial-sized soup tins!

The lower level had tables and chairs on three sides of the dance floor, with the stage just before the two steps to the upper level. The upper level was all tables and chairs.

The back wall had the opening to the back bar behind the piano (shuttered except for weekend evenings). To the right of the bar is the passageway to the Back Kitchen, with someone standing in the kitchen. The two doors to the right are the toilets. This room was usually packed full, five night a week.

I remember standing where this picture was taken, after the fire. Everything inside was destroyed or blackened in 1975. All that remained of the drum kit was the steel drum hoops and stands. The brass cymbals had melted and run down their stands like candle wax. The roof was gone. Everything had to be replaced out of Bob’s own pocket.

With sincere thanks to Lon for this information.

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