No beer here

[happy daze john in oz]

Saw what I thought was a rather disturbing article on the net today, concerns the local pubs.

The article went onto say it is now getting too expensive for some pubs to open, power costs of up to 1,000BGP per month, high tax on beer and cost of TV at about $680 a month.

Many pubs it claims have cut out the TV, put locks on thermostats to prevent customers from increasing the heat.
According to the article some 3,000 pubs have closed leaving about 45,200 left across the nation.

So the question, is this true or just the media at it again.
Is your local still open?

[Johnny Kieran]

Our pubs have been closing down for years, probably due to being able to buy beer for £1 a pint in a supermarket instead of £6 in a pub. Then the home entertainment is also to blame. The last reason, is culture changes in certain areas. Some cultures don't allow drinking alcohol, and if an area is predominantly of such, then the pubs become obsolete. Many of our pubs are now religious centres, after being taken over by such cultural people.
We must embrace new cultures.

[Michael Black]

We had 3 pubs and 2 social clubs in our area, 1pub is now a mini supermarket 1 is closed and up for sale, and has been for a year. The other pub is only open part time. The 2 clubs are open as usual now but don't seem to have as many members.
It seems to be a combination of high prices, high energy bills, staff wages and not much spare cash in some peoples pockets.
Regards Michael

[j.sabourn]

#3 when back in Whitley Bay a few years ago now the Residents club in Hillheads was now a mosque. Federation beers were the suppliers of the Ale. What happened ? JS.

[j.sabourn]

Personally I think being brought up with various councils who were members of the community and had an interest in the welfare of the parishioners and were unpaid to boot , and took it as an honour to be elected as a councillor , the rank and file were much better off. When laws were changed by the professional politicians and councillors became the servants of such money consuming entities things went backwards. County borders and other rules were changed to suit their own well being. I read an article and if true or not sounds about par for the course of these self seeking monstrosities , that if the UK had remained in the E.U. It was on the Agenda that county borders would cease to exist and the country would be divided up into zone identified by letters only , according to their use as to exports and imports etc. anyone which was most of our pollie parrots who agreed to this should never been allowed inside a British Parliament again. They should have been named and shamed , and even today should still carry that stigma. When the parliament in Brussels and uk was a member, then the British one should have closed its doors to any British parliamentarian attending the other one. And if was still in the EU should have closed its doors permanently. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Last year in north London, an area we knew so well there has been a vast change.
There were six big pubs, all gone.
But two new Mosques may have something to do with that.

[Michael Black]

#4 John, don't know about the Hillheads club but the federation brewery has long gone. Clubs were quite a thing, you had to be a member of a club and have an affiliation card to get in or get someone to sign you in. You had to sign your wife in as women weren't allowed to be members, the choice of draft beers were a pint of ordinary or a pint of special. L.C.L. for the ladies, there was a retired member acting as doorman to make sure you were affiliated, All changed now, women allowed in the bar can be members , still play bingo most nights I believe.
I was a member of both my local clubs but just seemed to drift out the routine of going and haven't been in them for years now, just have a couple of cans at the weekend now, suppose you could say I am part of the demise of my local pub but I am stuck in my old routine now ��
Regards Michael

[j.sabourn]

My old man used to sign me and my mother in , or get someone else to do it. He used to spend a lot of time on the pokeys and my mother liked to dance , he always managed to shuffle around for the last waltz with her though and they were both in their eighties. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#6 you could always try one of the mosques John and ask for a non alcoholic beer . JS

[John Gill]

We had 3 pubs and 2 social clubs in our area, 1pub is now a mini supermarket 1 is closed and up for sale, and has been for a year. The other pub is only open part time. The 2 clubs are open as usual now but don't seem to have as many members.
It seems to be a combination of high prices, high energy bills, staff wages and not much spare cash in some peoples pockets.
Regards Michael

My local seems to have bucked the trend in that it is thriving whereas others in the area have closed. Various reasons I think. It doesn’t serve food, no music except for Saturday night,(when us oldies are tucked up in bed) and a strict age limit rule, no under 25’s, so no dodging single parent mothers with prams blocking the bar. Bar staff,(mostly female) are excellent seeming to know everyone and what they’re supping. It is a large pub with a nice beer garden. I live in a small town midway between Liverpool and Manchester and given the sporting rivalry between certain clubs, it’s quite a lively atmosphere when the pub screens certain games but no punches thrown(except sometimes on the field of play). Off now for my Good Friday pint. Cheers.🙂🍺