Bruce Reynolds, an aspiring thief, began plotting what became the Great Train Robbery, the most talked-about British theft of the 20th century, at this pub with an associate known only as "Geordie". The original plan - later, of course, changed - was to rob the gold train which was loaded up with a ton of the metal from South Africa at Southampton. A few weeks later they drove to the line, near Weybridge, at 3am and waited for the train. They were soon joined by a number of cop cars, the police having coincidentally chosen the same spot to watch the safe progress of the train. The cops never noticed Reynolds's and Geordie's car.