Pubs closing NOW- in our time.

Steve Jones · Post by **Steve Jones** » Mon 26 Jan, 2009 1:31 pm

Yes, I was in Whitelocks on Friday. 6 ales on but most bog standard ones.At least they still have real ale though.The Palace certainly has a lot going for it and of course it attracts the custom of discerning members of Secret Leeds<LOL>!

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 7:54 pm

Misc wrote: The Old Royal Oak and the Duck and Drake were both shut on Tuesday when I attempted to drink in them - please tell me they haven't closed down... ok..." they haven't closed down"how's that?

biggee99 · Post by **biggee99** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 9:57 pm

They will be no where to go soon they will be all shut, get brain washed in front of the TV looking at others doing things.Tell me why cant they be a smoke room with an extractor fan, tap room. no they all stand in the door and none smokers get a good dose of smoke when entering then feel intimidated when entering at all the people at the door. I don't smoke it dose not bother me.When you do a good weeks work and want to go to the pub for a few and a smoke and relax you can'tThey is one pub you can smoke in and that's next to the houses of parliament rest my case

Lilysmum · Post by **Lilysmum** » Thu 26 Feb, 2009 5:21 pm

BLAKEY wrote: The Summercross, Pool Road Otley closed for the second time recently and is boarded up. Also in Otley The Red Lion and either the Woolpack OR the Ring o' Bells (not sure which of the two) are closing soon. Despite a long battle by objectors plans have now been passed to turn the Summercross into a 46 bed care home.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 26 Feb, 2009 9:37 pm

Lilysmum wrote: BLAKEY wrote: The Summercross, Pool Road Otley closed for the second time recently and is boarded up. Also in Otley The Red Lion and either the Woolpack OR the Ring o' Bells (not sure which of the two) are closing soon. Despite a long battle by objectors plans have now been passed to turn the Summercross into a 46 bed care home. Oh dear Lilysmum, that is bad news indeed. I have fond memories of the Summercross from my younger days - being on the quiet edge of the town it was always pleasant and troublefree. It is also a handsome building and stands nicely at an angle overlooking the little park.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Wed 04 Mar, 2009 8:50 pm

The real reason pubs are closing, perhaps?http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... 3913.eceIn addition to the story above, I also read of one of the Pub Co's charging it's tied in leaseholders almsot double the open market price for a keg of what is reported to be the top selling lager. I can't find the article online, so I won't name the company, but a keg from the brewers on the open market costs £63, but the Pub Co were charging their leaseholders £111 for the same beer. The leaseholders are of course legally bound to purchase their beer from the Pub Co as a condition of their lease.And people wonder why pubs are closing?

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 04 Mar, 2009 9:26 pm

There's a massive amount of this going on. Many rents are set on the potential income a pub could make, if custom goes up, not what it actually is. This way the tenant is encouraged to improve the pub. If they succeed the rent goes up again. If they fail, it closes, someone else comes in and tries.....This has happened at the Cardi. The last time the pub was really popular Bobby had his lease renewed which meant he'd have to lose a memebr of staff and cover himself. He packed it in. The current couple are trying their best, but...

ads · Post by **ads** » Thu 05 Mar, 2009 11:27 am

If the local authorities didn't allow whole scale development on the sites of the former pubs (and a huge profit for the site owners), it would perhaps encourage the pub chains to make a real go of the business. As it stands now, they can't lose either way. Of course this won't happen as the local authorities are too busy grabbing the planning application fees. Greed begats greed.Whilst the problem isn't of the Councils making, they are the only people with the power to stop the pub chains from their closure and redevelopment regimes. Pubs should have been bought as pubs, not with one eye on the redevelopment potential.Real pressure needs to be put on the council to stop current practices of the pub chains by the local people. When a pub is gone, its gone and lost to the community for ever. I don't see too many new pubs being built to fufil local needs! People then have to travel further afield to get to a pub, which often means driving, encouraging people to drink drive - of course thats another revenue stream when they quite rightly get caught and get a huge fine along with their ban.When people start putting local needs first instead of getting themseleves plastered over the local press for the latest piece of the 'bigger picture' then we may start getting out of the s*** we're currently in.Rant over, feel lot's better now!!!

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Thu 05 Mar, 2009 9:26 pm

I don't make many comments here on SL, but read the comments of others every day, but I feel the need to empty my spleen finally on this subject. When I was a lad, in the 60s, a night out was a few pints of Tets/JS/BYB/Hemmingways/Sams/TT /Websters etc (didn't have a pint of Theakstons until the 70s) then to either the Capitol Ballroom or either the old or new Mecca or Majestic to pull. I remember the Hofbrau house opening and trying the 'German' beer and thinking it would never take over from proper drink. I never thought Euro P@ss would take over from a proper mans' drink as it has done in the UK. Having worked extensively in across Europe I find it amusing that the Bavarians regard Leurvenbrau and Hofbrau as a biers brewed for tourists and export. ie they don't like it. Their excellent biers eg Schneider Weiss etc they keep to themselves. Is it a sign of consumerism fads and marketing exploitation that the UK younger generations over the last 20/30 years have gone for this, in my opinion, inferior export from other countries. I still believe there is nothing to beat a really good pint of bitter. Unfortunately, over the last 20/30 years the opportunities for the younger generation to be weened and sample good ale has been dissipated under the barrage of marketing for Euro P@ss (and alco pops, but that is another vent) . Incidently, most Bavarians still drink Bavarian bier, the only exception being Guiness which I can understand. Here in Cyprus the same scenario is being enacted. The traditional taverna of only 5 to 10 years ago serving Keo beer, local wine and sivania, is being replaced, enveloped and devoured by marketing by Bistros selling [edited for content] Euro P@ss from 'Germania' etc, over inflated French and third world wines and Macdonalds. Is the demise of the 'traditional' English bitter in a 'traditional' smokey English pub, that doesn't sell food or have a pool table, the paradigm that the Cypriat Taverna, German bier haus, french Bistro will all succumb to?? I'm pleased I lived in the era I did.

ads · Post by **ads** » Tue 24 Mar, 2009 6:00 pm

According to the Evening Post, The Middleton Arms has got a stay of execution for at least 12 months. The supermarket chain allegedly interested in the site have pulled out!!