Hi Maurice. It did not seem to me from this distance to be the same pub, but it also seemed a bit odd that two of similar name would be so close together. Thank you for your message, sorting it out.

That bottomless well of knowledge, slowhands, has found for me that 'Merrick' is apparently 'George Merrick Phelps' born September Qr 1871 (see 'Phelps family' thread). This puts the date of the newspaper clipping at about 1953/4.