ANOTHER LOCAL BOOZER LOOKS SET TO MEET THE BULLDOZERS AS PLANS TO DEMOLISH 'THE COCK' AND ERECT A 70 BED CARE HOME GO BEFORE COUNCIL PLANNERS THIS WEEK

A planning application to demolish The Cock Hotel & Public House on Walkden Road in Worsley to make way for a 70 bed care home - are to go before the Councils planning panel this week.

Alterations to existing access are proposed along with provisions for car parking spaces and associated landscaping of the area.

The hotel has had a rather odd history and somewhere within the car park lies the bones of Polly the 'Beer Swilling' Pig, who at the turn of the century was one of the most famous Porkers in the area and a notorious lover of the ale.

She is said to have had a total of 200 piglets over her 15 year life span and so loved was she by the former owners of the pub as well as the locals in the surrounding 'Hamlet' of Worsley, she was given her very own headstone and grave, pride of place within the grounds.

A inscription upon the stone read: "In memory of Polly, mother of 200 pigs - died December 23rd, 1904, aged 15 years."

During her relatively short but fruitful life, Polly was a local celebrity and so with it came all of the trappings, as a bit of a local visitor attraction those who came to see her would often (as was then tradition) *treat her to a jug of ale which she is said to have swilled down in one go.

There is no mention of a father to the piglets but back in those days without TV it was easy to get board, whomever it was he must have been a randy old swine.

The original hotel was named Meanleys and was itself demolished in the 1930s to be replaced by the much larger erection that stands before us now.

Reportedly the grave is still visited by locals to this day and fresh flowers have often been found adorning it.

It is unknown what will happen to the historic grave but it looks like its Bacon for the pub itself.

As for Polly it is unknown if she left a last Swill and Testament signed in oink.

It would be nice to think that somehow the story could live on and at least a little part of the both the hotel and it's strange history could be preserved.

To find out more about the planning application see here: http://publicaccess.salford.gov.uk/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=PT0ZKVNPH0900