Threatened pub

If you really care, all of you in the village, get together and buy the thing. That is exactly what the people did in Cookham Dean.

Andy

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 20:31:39 +0000, Andy Champ wrote (in message ):

I can't help thinking that if councils turn down change of use applications on the grounds that these pubs provide some sort of local amenity then the council should buy and run them. They could put council tax up fund it with the promise that future profits would be used to subsidise future council tax. I'm sure you'd soon find out how bothered the community was.

No one has suggested such a thing!

"Nigel" wrote

Again not true, more down to the cost of housing in this country. You cant just shut down a pub and live in it. You need a Change of Use for the former licensed areas.

As pointed out in previous post this would not be so bad if it was easy for someone else to just set up another pub. It appears the individuals who purchase want it all ways. Not to be threatened by competition but just be allowed to give in when it suits them for their benefit only.

As far as I am concerned when you buy a pub then you accept the responsibility for its role within the community and only in the most extreme circumstances should that responsibility be allowed to be lifted.

And that means actually proving your argument to the rest of society with more than a dismissive one sided comment......

Rob

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:10:02 +0000, Steven Pampling wrote (in message ):

Eh?

I think the same problem applies to pubs, post offices local shops etc. It's all very well to insist that the business owner keeps it open because they have responsibities to the community etc etc, but, (very big but). If it isn't making enough money to pay the bills it will close, that's an indisputable fact, whether the owner has the foresight to sell while they still have some equity left, or bury their heads in the sand and leave it to the receivers to sift through the remains, it will still be just as shut. That isn't to say that some folk might see a failing pub as a cheap housing (likely as not to have been brought from the receiver) . The reason it became a failed business was because it didn't make enough money. The reason it didn't make enough money was because not enough customers made use of it's services. There are many reasons why it might have failed to attract sufficient customers, including, poor management. A busy pub would generate sufficient cash to buy the owners any sort of house they fancied. Whilst there maybe, must be I guess, cases where someone brought a business with the sole intention of closing it, either the business was very poor, or they are very short sited.

Actually, the majority of pubs that close with the owner intending to carry through a change of use for the premises or land close because the owner has decided they can make *more money with less effort* by selling in a different category. Usually the owner is indifferent to the community at best, normal reports are that the owner "doesn't give a toss"

In what I consider equivalent terms I set up a web cam facing east from my house and charge for access to the web cam.

1. I'm not sure it would be legal.
2. It would definitely be immoral.
3. I could definitely make a lot of money.

Pertinent info: I live next door to a school.

I'd say just about all pubs fail because people don't go there anymore and the major reason for that is the landlord.

(sighted)

Maybe, maybe not. A pub in Coventry City centre was saved/preserved because the frontage was "of architectural note" in a 1950's style. Personal opinion - it was a tatty lump of concrete. However the beer was decent (at the time)

If it is indeed a tip as you say then it will fail. It's one of those things, what I consider awful is often lauded by others and vice-versa.

I was thrown out of a pub in Basingstoke for answering the landlords question about what I thought of the pub. Telling him that it was probably really nice before some idiot ripped out the inner walls and alcoves to turn it into a "barn" probably wasn't the best idea since it was his idea. We left him reading the paper in his big empty modern interior pub.

Steven Pampling writes

Funny you should come to the Ng with the above tale.

A long time ago i along with a group of my friends were drinking at our watering hole. The pub had been taken on by new landlord and he had papered the walls of the snug- the publican asked us our opinion of the new decor. One of our group who sadly is no longer living answered back "Well it looks like a Bangladeshi knocking shop" or words to that effect.

It wasn't long after that that we collectively sought another haunt. And the publican moved on to wreck yet another pub.

And the tone of your response was condescending and patronising...don't take everything so personally!!!

My opinion may very well be worthless, as may be yours, but is an opinion all the same.

The younger generation from villages, not just this one, prefer to travel to town to the kind of bars that at least we can both agree on, are best avoided. The middle age group, as a sweeping generalisation, don't go out (read spend much money) that often...pressure of work, young families etc. The older members of the community prefer a little bit of class and good service, something that many pubs just don't offer.

Businesses have to change to meet the new markets. Those that don't will collapse. If a pub closes, but the building remains stucturally intact, then all that is lost is a failing bussiness. An example of pubs that failed and yet where then renovated in a sympathetic style would be the prancing horse in Thatcham and the red lion in Lambourn. Both awfull pubs in quite attractive buildings. (Village architecture is actually one of my interests, another subject where everyone has an opinion!)

Pub culture has taken a massive shift in the past decade or two and for better or worse pubs have had to change with it. I'm not just talking about town pubs, many country pubs are now like olde worlde theme bars with the horse brasses, ox shafts and copper pots. I find these mock pubs every bit as soulless as sports bars. The (tries to remembere the name...) Fox? at Hermitage is like this. Nice building, reasonable beer and with all the charm of a b&q warehouse.

Now agree to disagree, don't assume that everyone should think the same as you... the world would be a boring place if everyone agreed with everything. I will not take this personally and will continue to partake of your excellent brews. Keep up the good work.

Years ago,villages were inhabited by farm labourers and suchlike. Nowadays it's largely retired people or those with well paid jobs in neighbouring towns and cities.The pubs have had to change because so has the clientele.

Exactly what I'm trying to say... although sometimes clarity is not one of my strong points!