The Commodore was a public house in Timberlog Lane in
the Barstable area of Basildon. It first opened in 1962 as a Free House and became part of the
Mann, Crossman & Paulin brewery chain. It featured an air conditioned restaurant and live
entertainment in the form of Saturday dinner dances. For many years large Manns letters adorned
the public bar's upper outer wooden facia cladding which was later replaced with a large circular
Watney Combe Reid sign. In the late 1980s Stacey's Snooker Club was established in a private
room. The club was open from 11:am to midnight and boasted 9 Riley de-luxe tables. Membership
was £5. The Commodore closed its doors around December 1999 or early 2000 and following
demolition during 2000 was replaced in 2001 with a residential development of 24 flats named Commodore House,
after the former public house. A former publican from the 1970s was Andre Spiteri. | 
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