Portsmouth Music Scene


The Portsmouth Music Scene

The Pondarosa - Boar's Head Boarhunt



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Tom and Betty Butler who ran The Ponderosa at Boarhunt,
and the original Boars Head that hung on the wall in the pub

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The Boars Head with the Pondarosa building at the side

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Apparently the building is now a hotel

all photographs above taken by Maurice Bowers

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An ariel shot of the Ponderosa and Pub as we knew it, and a recent shot showing the two bungalows that replaced it.
Ariel photos by kind permission of ariel photographer Chris Brunnen


Some of the gigis at the Boar's Head.

1958 May 2nd The Gordon Trevor Quintet and the Leopards Skiffle Group play at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.

1959 February 4th The Ken Bishop Quintet play at the Boars Head, Boarhunt every Wednesday.
1959 February 25th Ronnie Ross and the Ken Bishop Quintet play at the Boar's Head, Boarhunt.
1959 March 18th Bill Le Sage plays at the Boar's Head, Boarhunt with the Ken Bishop Quintet.
1959 June 21st The Ken Grinyer Sextet play every Sunday at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.

Some of the gigis at the Pondarosa

Boar's Head Gigs 1985 1986
Boar's Head Gigs 1987-1988
1988 October 1st Pondarosa North Boarhunt Hank Dalton Band
1989 October 14th Pondarosa North Boarhunt Hank Dalton Band
1989 Novemebr 4th Pondarosa North Boarhunt Cactus Jack
1989 December 2nd Pondarosa North Boarhunt Country Pride
1989 December 16th Pondarosa North Boarhunt Sandy Mac Band
1990 March 3rd Pondarosa North Boarhunt Kansas Kountry
1990 March 31st Pondarosa North Boarhunt Kelvin Henderson Band
1990 April 2nd Pondarosa North Boarhunt Hank Dalton Band
1990 June 2nd Pondarosa North Boarhunt Georgia
1990 June 16th Pondarosa North Boarhunt Indiana
1990 July 7th Pondarosa North Boarhunt Kansas Kountry
Boar's Head Gigs 1992
Boar's Head Gigs 1989 1991

1993 April 2nd The Bon Temps Playboys
1993 May 1st Bosco Band + Joli Blon
1993 June 11th Bluebird Cajun Band

1994 20th May, Fast Freddies Fingertips plus Los Himbes Ingles at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 25th May, Albert Lee and Hogans Heroes plus Big Jim Sullivan, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 11th June, Gutter Brothers (Reunion Tour), at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 8th July, Sporting Life Blues Band, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 9th July, Big Brother Soul plus Ricardos plus The Still Novak and Good Experience, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 15th July, Big Town Playboys plus Caravans, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 30th July, Vermonton Plage, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 24th August, Lonnie Mack plus Todd Sharpeville and Earl Green, Boars Head Boarhunt
1994 5th November 1994 Joe Louis Walker & the Boss Talkers plus The Producers, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 11th November, French Alligators, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 18th November, Ruthless Blues plus Reidar Larsen Band, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 2nd December, Luther Allison plus The Okey Dokey Stompers, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 9th December, Boat Band, Hampthire Cajun Club, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1994 16th December, Blues'n'Trouble plus The Hoax, Boarhunt Blues, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.

1995 6th January, The Surfing Brides, Boarhunt Blues, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1995 13th January, Hackney Ramblers, Hampshire Cajun Club Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 27th January, Tinsley Ellis Band plus The Hamsters, Boarhunt Blues, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1995 17th February, Big Town Playboys, Boarhunt Blues, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1995 10th March 1995 Bearcats Hampshire Cajun Club, Boarhunt Blues, at the Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1995 12th May, Cajunology, Hampshire Cajun Club, Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 2nd June, Greggi & his Crazy Gang plus The Ricardos, at the Ponderosa, Boar's Head Boarhunt.
1995 4th August, Big Man Clayton & 44s plus Rock Therapy, Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 1st September, Bobby Mack and Night Train plus The Motel Kings, Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 8th September, Zydecomotion, Hampshire Cajun Club Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 9th September, Tony D Band plus Wamma Jamma, Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 6th October, The Boat Band, Hampshire Cajun Club Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 10th November, T-Zee's Arcadians, Hampshire Cajun Club Boars Head Boarhunt
1995 8th December, Corridor 38, Hampshire Cajun Club Boars Head Boarhunt

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13th September 1985

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26th June 1987


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Tom and Betty with American country singer Faron Young.

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Tom and Betty Butler opened the Boar's Head pub in 1967 and then went on to open the Ponderosa in 1969.
The first band to play there were Cody Nash. Many well know British and American country and blues artistes were booked over the years.
Tom & Betty retired on 4th February 1989 and the Pondarosa finally closed 15th August 1996.


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