[Archived] Pubs

[MCMC1875]

Be sure to go to Anfield then! (Apr 12) - draw banker - COME ON YOU BLUES!

[mattjansen]

Be sure to go to Anfield then! (Apr 12) - draw banker - COME ON YOU BLUES!

Wish i could but the girl wont let me, goin for the Derby game instead. On a note about The station we witnessed two fights that night, one inside that my friend broke up but they went at it again in the street. Common thing??

[cletus]

Wish i could but the girl wont let me, goin for the Derby game instead. On a note about The station we witnessed two fights that night, one inside that my friend broke up but they went at it again in the street. Common thing??

I was in that night but left about 11pm to go to the fieldens up the road. The station seemed to be full of kids that night....many of whom had had too much to drink. I`m disappointed the landlord let it go on. He`s got a good pub & doesn`t need drunken teenagers spoiling his business.

(btw....went in the Station tonight to watch the Arsenal/Rovers match. Pub was full to the brim, no annoying teenagers & everything was cushdy....apart from the scoreline. The manager doesn`t need these kids in his pub!)

[mattjansen]

I was in that night but left about 11pm to go to the fieldens up the road. The station seemed to be full of kids that night....many of whom had had too much to drink. I`m disappointed the landlord let it go on. He`s got a good pub & doesn`t need drunken teenagers spoiling his business.

They actually let the people fighting in the streets back in, when we asked why they didnt really have an answer. It got quite disturbing as my friend sat closest to them and tried to calm them down about ten times, maybe im to old for this.

[philipl]

Article on pubs closing

Was looking for the Ewood Arms closing thread but it got closed down when the locals got a bit fractious and started a fight.

[Grabbi Graeme]

I see that the landlady from the Havelock has now taken over at the Ivy Hotel, rumour is that the Ivy is cheaper rent and takes more money that the Havelock.

I have also heard that The Aquaduct will close at the end of the footie season and be completely refurbished and will be a Fernhurst type pub.

[thenodrog]

I see that the landlady from the Havelock has now taken over at the Ivy Hotel, rumour is that the Ivy is cheaper rent and takes more money that the Havelock.

I have also heard that The Aquaduct will close at the end of the footie season and be completely refurbished and will be a Fernhurst type pub.

Loads of flats on the old Kwik Save site should help the Aqueduct.

[3rdpillar]

Loads of flats on the old Kwik Save site should help the Aqueduct.

Depended who takes the flats..There are what looked like nice flats near the Esso station at the top of Montague Street. BUT they have a large Drug User population.. Maybe they were bought then are let out to DSS types. In this case the Aquiduct wont benefit at all. Neither will the area.

[blue phil]

Was looking for the Ewood Arms closing thread but it got closed down when the locals got a bit fractious and started a fight.

What ? The thread or the pub?

[blue phil]

Depended who takes the flats..There are what looked like nice flats near the Esso station at the top of Montague Street. BUT they have a large Drug User population.. Maybe they were bought then are let out to DSS types. In this case the Aquiduct wont benefit at all. Neither will the area.

The Aqueduct will go the same way as the rest .........inevitable given the price of ale in pubs linked with the .....err.....non traditional type of persons moving in

Interesting move by the Tories today - promising to increase the tax on Alcopops and strong lagers and reduce it for weaker (normal strength) beers . I believe half of that .......

It makes one wonder why this present government which borders on the fascistic on certain health matters have never tried to do similar . Maybe Lord Sainsbury and their other paymasters might object .

A better move would be to destroy once and for all the link between breweries owning both the production of alcohol and the premises on which it is drunk . If that's not an anti competitive cartel then I don't know what is . Landlords should own their own premises and buy beers from whomsoever they choose .

[cletus]

Loads of flats on the old Kwik Save site should help the Aqueduct.

Not with the size of the mortgages they`ll have!

On a slight tangent, but still related to the pub thread.....the brewery at Samlesbury (makers of Stella & workplace of many Blackburnians) has announced 129 redundancies due to the decline in the beer markets.

[thenodrog]

A better move would be to destroy once and for all the link between breweries owning both the production of alcohol and the premises on which it is drunk . If that's not an anti competitive cartel then I don't know what is . Landlords should own their own premises and buy beers from whomsoever they choose .

On a slight tangent, but still related to the pub thread.....the brewery at Samlesbury (makers of Stella & workplace of many Blackburnians) has announced 129 redundancies due to the decline in the beer markets.

Not unlinked is it? The price of beer compared with alcohol sold in shops is ludicrous and is bringing about the decline in pubs, employment and damaging the social structure in this country. Who the hell enjoys drinking beer at home more than in a pub is beyond me (unless it's with a barbeque).

This subject cropped up last night. The Woodlands have recently spent a fortune on what must be the best smoking facility in the area, an ouside balcony protected from the elements with comfortable seating, I don't smoke but I even use it occasionally to escape the ridiculously high decibels of the acts that they put on (just as an aside can anyone enlighten me why why pubs employ conversation killing tactics at all.... but maybe thats worth a thread of it's own). Anyway despite the considerable cost I am told that the Brewery have increased the rent because of it!

[Redrose49er]

and will be a Fernhurst type pub.

Oh dear, another uber-bland place then!

[cletus]

On a slight tangent, but still related to the pub thread.....the brewery at Samlesbury (makers of Stella & workplace of many Blackburnians) has announced 129 redundancies due to the decline in the beer markets.

...Also the 'tradeteam' pub supply facility at Shadsworth closed this week (moved out of town) leaving yet more local people out of work. With Tradeteam, Inbev & Akzo Nobel laying people off now & in the near future, it may have an affect on future ST sales with people opting to hold on to their pennies in fear of stormy times ahead.

[3rdpillar]

My work is closely tied to pubs, hotels, licence trade etc. though I have no expertise in this area other than drinking.

The business I work for is reporting from all contadcts that pub turnover is down, as a result breweries are being very selective as to where they are spending. The cause muted abouts these parts is the SMOKING BAN.

It wasnt noticed in the summer, as its pleasent outside and a chance to "smirt".

Now its wet, cold and the novalty has worn off, people arent going to the pub ( as much )....

[thenodrog]

The thread about pubs closing in Blackburn has been closed but I'm sure we thought of more than 9 gone in Blackburn.

http://www.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.u...into_crisis.php

[JAL]

The thread about pubs closing in Blackburn has been closed but I'm sure we thought of more than 9 gone in Blackburn.

http://www.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.u...into_crisis.php

Have been told on good authority that the landlady Barbera and partner Franny are coming out of the Navigation Mill Hill after many many years sometime at the beginning of September.

Also the landlord of the Stakes Hall is bailing out soon.

The landlord of the Raglan is also coming out of the pub.

Tony Curry whose running the Hamilton is also having a hard time getting trade could be another to leave.

The Wellington is possibly about to lose their licensee.

All begs the question what has 'new labour' done for us.

[vintageadidas]

It is inevitable that pubs will close due to in my reconing around 70% (maybe more) of the town not able to drink, not wanting to drink or will not due to religious beliefs.

[Guest fernhurstblue]

The problem is that when a pub closes, it very rarely opens again as people either go elsewhere or drink at home. I've done accounts for various pubs over the years and the cost of rent (that the brewery charge) and sky tv is totally unsustainable, that coupled with the minimum wage that they should! pay staff along with the costs of water, gas, electric ..... oh and the beer they sell means that very few pubs make a big profit.

I've seen pubs that on a Monday to Wednesday don't even take £100 per day ..... how can any business survive on that sort of sales figures. Its okay people moaning abour pubs closing, but they are only closing cos people don't go in on a regular basis. The social habits of drinkers are changing and the pub industry has to re-adjust.

Supermarkets are also a major factor, but as with most things people want things on the cheap and only start to complain or take notice when it is to late.

The bottom line is that if more people went to the pub on a regular basis then pubs wouldnt need to close.

[thenodrog]

Supermarkets are also a major factor, but as with most things people want things on the cheap and only start to complain or take notice when it is to late.

Dunno why but I find something sad and possibly furtive about people drinking cheap supermarket booze at home. I think it's drinking simply for the alcohol rather than for the conviviality and company. Unfortunately for todays society breweries and successive governments have outpriced the market. Small wonder that alcohol related illnesses are on the increase amongst the more susceptable members of the public.

[blue phil]

Supermarkets are also a major factor, but as with most things people want things on the cheap and only start to complain or take notice when it is to late.

Why does everyone refer to the price supermarkets charge as being "cheap" ? It's about the same as it is in most comparative countries - ie , the market price . It's not cheap - it's simply a fair price .

Where we all have a problem is the discrepancy between the prices of drink on the open market (the shops) and in the pubs - where the tied landlord is at the mercy of breweries whose attitudes and greed are feudal (and I use the word "feudal" after much thought !) , and the imbecilic taxation policies of government .

A far sighted government would break the ties between ownership of premises by breweries (on anti competition grounds) ; lower taxation for drinks in pubs for traditional and lower strength beers (on grounds of enticing the young into keeping off the alco pops and high strength lager ) ; and getting rid of the endless rules and regulations regarding in-pub entertainment . Sky TV should be allowed to charge a rate for its services that is fair and in proportion to that charged its other customers in the home . Soft drinks should be charged at a "reasonable" rate - ie , somewhere below the profit line of 1000's % that is currently the fashion !!

All of the above would make for a radical improvement of the invaluable role pubs play in binding communities together - as they have for centuries in Britain . It would also introduce real private enterprise into the whole shambolic system .

We should be under no illusions ; communities are being decimated by the slow death of the pubs . It's not just in places like Blackburn where all aspects of our culture and traditions are being slowly destroyed - it's creeping everywhere .

In this nation we have seen the undermining of the church and now it's the turn of the pubs to die . Communities are filled with people who don't know each other and who never meet socially . What chance is there of youngsters ever having anything in common with their elders if they never meet socially ? I'd suggest that a bunch of yobs are less likely to beat up a pensioner if they know him from the pub .....or if they know that everyone on the manor knows both them and the pensioner .

In recent years the pub goer has been treated along the same lines as the motorist - a lower form of being acting in a rather disgusting manner , fit only to be used as a means of taxation . It's another example of politicians simply having no idea of the terrible consequences of their actions . They encourage what Theno calls "furtive" drinking and in so doing create nothing but divisions in society .

[cletus]

The manager of the Malt in town apparently did a runner after last bank holiday weekend. Another pub empty in town.

I actually went into town last Friday night to visit a family member (i wasn`t drinking) & was amazed to see how deserted the centre* (is that right jim?) was. It was about 9.30pm & there wasn`t a soul to be seen the entire length of Northgate.

[thenodrog]

O'Neills is absolutely dead on a Friday just like the rest of Blackburn town centre since the licensing laws were changed. For a good night take the train to Clitheroe** where there are lots of busy bars and take the last one back to Blackburn getting off at Wilpshire and drinking in the Bulls Head until 1.00am (Last orderrs 12 I think).

** if you are not arriving until 9ish then get an 8 seater taxi to take you as time will be at a premium. Still take the train back though as suggested. Be warned Friday in Blackburn is not good.

I actually went into town last Friday night to visit a family member (i wasn`t drinking) & was amazed to see how deserted the centre* (is that right jim?) was. It was about 9.30pm & there wasn`t a soul to be seen the entire length of Northgate.

Don't say you wern't warned Cletus. The town of my youth when weekend started Thurs and finished Sunday night is done for.

A combination of factors as has been previously discussed on here (and vehemently denied by many) is of course to blame.

Still 'the only constant in life is change' as they say.

[MCMC1875]

Not enough cash around

[blue phil]

The town of my youth when weekend started Thurs and finished Sunday night is done for.

You're right , Theno . Thursdays used to be a good night - and Sundays my favourite of all .

Ten years time will see an environment that Cromwell would have been proud of - no pubs and a dour medieval religious fundamentalism dominating the town .

Not the kind he'd have hoped for , of course ............