Silver Lonnen, The Balloon Public House

Pub opened as The Balloon in 1954. It was originally to be the Fenham Hotel when Alexander Deuchar applied to close the Westmorland Hotel on Westmorland Road and open a new premises on Silver Lonnen in 1938. This was delayed by the outbreak of war and post-war restrictions. In 1952 an application for premises known as the Silver Lonnen were approved. The name The Balloon was used instead as the brewery acknowledged the names locals used to call the scheme - this was due to a barrage balloon hung in the sky above Silver Lonnen. The Balloon PH was built as a temporary breeze block structure and was replaced nine years later by a new version next door. The new Balloon had three public rooms included a bar and a buffet.