Paul Heaton celebrates 60th birthday by putting money behind the bar at 60 pubs

What a legend

Paul Heaton
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 9th May 2022

Beautiful South and Housemartins legend Paul Heaton is celebrating his 60th birthday today (9th May) by putting money behind the bar at 60 pubs across the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland.

Announcing the highly generous pledge on Saturday, Paul Heaton wrote: “To celebrate my 60th birthday (on Monday 9th May) I’d originally intended to do another bicycle tour, visiting & performing at 60 pubs across the UK & Ireland.

“However, due to recording delays caused by the pandemic, I’ve had to shelve these plans for the time being. Instead, I’ve decided that the next best way to celebrate this coming of age is to handpick 60 pubs across the UK & Ireland and put a given amount of money behind the bar of each one.

“Then, both regulars and yourselves can enjoy a birthday drink on me (until the money runs out, or the bar runs dry!). The hope is to bring people together on the day, whilst recognising that many folk who bought my records or showed me support over the years, could do with a wee party, as we come out of Covid and hit potential financial struggles.”

On Sunday, Heaton published the full list of 60 pubs taking part, and he wrote: “Thanks to all the pubs and to everyone who visits them. It would be great to see photos of you all enjoying your free drinks and celebrations at each pub throughout the day!”

Check out the full list of participating pubs below. Legendary stuff!

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott perform two very special stadium shows in July 2022.

Joined by special guests The Proclaimers and The Lathums, the duo play a homecoming show for Jacqui at St Helen's Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday 22nd July, followed by a stop at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday 23rd.

Tickets are on sale from Absolute Radio Tickets now.

The 60 pubs celebrating Paul Heaton’s 60th birthday:

Robinsons Bar – Great Victoria St, Belfast

Eddie Murphys – Thomastown, Kilkenny

Peadar O’Donnells - Waterloo St, Derry

The Punters Rest - Tipperary

The Sky on the Ground – Whitewell, Wexford

Courtney’s Bar – Killarney, Co. Kerry

Keohoes – Dublin

Tig Coili – The Latin Quarter, Galway

Bonners Corner Bar – Ballybofey, Co. Donegal

The Old Toll Bar – Paisley Rd W, Glasgow

Nice n Sleazy – Sauchiehall St, Glasgow

The Sheep Heid Inn – The Causeway, Edinburgh

Kay’s Bar – Jamaica St, Edinburgh

Tanners Arms – Byker Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne

The Freetrade Inn – Lawrence Road, Newcastle upon Tyne

The Half Moon – Northgate, Darlington

The Black Bull – Main St, Darvel

The Sportsmans Inn – Heads Ln, Carlisle

The Original Oak – Headingley, Leeds

The Flying Horse – Packer St, Rochdale

Britons Protection – Bridgewater St, Manchester

Bowling Green – Chorlton-cum-Hardy

The Orion – Burton Road, Withington

The Railway Inn – Lapwing Ln, West Didsbury

Albert Wilsons – Wilmslow Rd, Withington

The Dog & Partridge – Manchester Rd, Warrington

Bird I’th Hand – Prescot Rd, St Helens

The Saddle Inn – Dale St, Liverpool

The Casa Bar – Hope St, Liverpool

The Globe – Cases St, Liverpool

The Coachmakers Arms – Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

The Bay Horse – Market Pl, Market Weighton

Lord Nelson – Arundel Street, Sheffield

Riverside Kelham – Mowbray St, Sheffield

The Morning Star – Greetwell Gate, Lincoln

Ye Olde Blue Bell – Market Place, Hull

The Whalebone – Wincolmlee, Hull

The Grafton – Grafton St, Hull

The White Horse – Hutton Cranswick

Hatfield Main Pit Club – Stainforth, Doncaster

The Old Horse – London Road, Leicester

The Black Horse – Aylestone, Leicester

The Bulls Head – Cambridge St, Saint Neots

Hardies – Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Golden Fleece Inn – Market Square, Porthmadog

Rummer Tavern – Duke St, Cardiff

Hare & Hounds – King’s Heath, Birmingham

Patrick Kavanagh – Trafalgar Road, Birmingham

The Red Hart – Bodham, Norfolk

The Eagle – Norfolk St, King’s Lynn

The Duke of York – Woodbridge Rd, Ipswich

The Stags Head – New Cavendish St, London

The Coffee House Pub – Beak St, London

The Glue Pot – Emlyn Square, Swindon

The Thunderbolt – Bath Rd, Bristol

The Cricketers Inn – South St, Dorking

Grasshopper on the Green – Westerham, Kent

Minerva Inn – Looe St, Plymouth

Duke of Wellington – Brighton Road, Shoreham-by-Sea

Polgooth Inn – St Austell, Cornwall

The real names of famous musicians:

Mark Berry (Bez)


John Martin Maher (Johnny Marr)


Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (Lana Del Rey)


William Bruce Rose (Axl Rose)


Gerard Crosbie (Gerry Cinnamon)


Edward Louis Severson III (Eddie Vedder)


Farrokh Bulsara (Freddie Mercury)


Michael Peter Balzary (Flea)


Perry Bernstein (Perry Farrell)


Robert Deal (Mick Mars)


Frank Ferrano (Nikki Sixx)


Frank Edwin Wright III (Tré Cool)


Courtney Michelle Harrison (Courtney Love)


Georg Albert Ruthenberg (Pat Smear)


Chaim Klein Witz (Gene Simmons)


James Newell Osterberg, JR. (Iggy Pop)


Vincent Damon Furnier (Alice Cooper)


Saul Hudson (Slash)


Michael Ryan Pritchard (Mike Dirnt)


Ronald James Padavona (Ronnie James Dio)


Bree Joanna Alice Robinson (Brody Dalle)


Chad Robert Turton (Chad Kroeger)


Deborah Anne Dyer (Skin)


Nicholas Jones (Nicky Wire)


Amy Lynn Hartzler (Amy Lee)


William Perks (Bill Wyman)


Jeffrey Isbell (Izzy Stradlin)


Stanley Eisen (Paul Stanley)


Henry Garfield (Henry Rollins)


Richard Harrison (Rick Parfitt)


Vincent Neil Wharton (Vince Neil)


Stevland Hardaway Morris (Stevie Wonder)


Michael McKagan (Duff McKagan)


Ian Kilmister (Lemmy)


John Baldwin (John Paul Jones)


Joan Larkin (Joan Jett)


Keith Palmer (Maxim Reality)


Eric Patrick Clapp (Eric Clapton)


Susan Janet Ballion (Siouxsie Sioux)


David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones (David Bowie)


Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard)


John Simon Ritchie (Sid Vicious)


Paul Daniel Frehley (Ace Frehley)


Louis Firbank (Lou Reed)


John Graham Mellor (Joe Strummer)


Mark Feld (Marc Bolan)


David Howell Evans (The Edge)


Marvin Lee Aday (Meatloaf)


Steven Victor Tallarico (Steven Tyler)


John Michael Osbourne (Ozzy Osbourne)


John Francis Bongiovi (Jon Bon Jovi)


John Anthony Gillis (Jack White)


Paul David Hewson (Bono)


Reginald Kenneth Dwight (Elton John)


Gordon Sumner (Sting)


Robert Allen Zimmerman (Bob Dylan)


Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (Lorde)


Gary Mounfield (Mani)


Alan John Wren (Reni)


Quentin Leo Cook (Fatboy Slim)


Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy (Jake Bugg)


Roger Keith Barrett (Syd Barrett)


George Ezra Barnett Smitherson (George Ezra)


William John Paul Gallagher (Liam Gallagher)


Rory Charles Graham (Rag'n'bone Man)


Stephanie Lynn Nicks (Stevie Nicks)


William Michael Albert Broad (Billy Idol)


Steven Patrick Morrissey (Morrissey)


Leslie Sebastian Charles (Billy Ocean)


Paul Arthurs (Bonehead)


Graham McPherson (Suggs)


Stuart Leslie Goddard (Adam Ant)


Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (Hozier)


Listen to Absolute Radio on DAB nationwide, on our free app, by hitting that play button on the bottom of your screen and via your smart speaker (“Play Absolute Radio”).