Disappointing pubs

[snorri]

The Baltic Fleet Pub in Liverpool, I really thought all pubs offering their standard of service had been wiped of the face of the earth years ago.

 

[Ian H]

In our small town we're down to six pubs now.
1) A converted farmhouse, is only for those in cardigans and bri-nylon trousers.
2) Is a bit weird and prone to fights.
3) Has live music of the 'tribute band who never quite made it' kind.
4) Is for older locals, is building a second skittle alley, and serves excellent home-cooked food, but not in the evenings.
5) Is associated with a local small brewery, serves excellent, well-priced beer, and the food is superb (kitchen open to view).
6) Is a Wetherspoon.

[edit] I forgot the Working Men's club and the Con Club.

 

[MarkF]

The Narrow Boat in Skipton isn't bad now they've refurbished the smelly toilets.

Prior to Ilkley I'd been to Skipton to, er, get started............The Devonshire Arms was like a working mens club...................in Grimethorpe............... circa 1977. The micro pub just before it was very friendly but like standing in a SAD light box, I enjoyed the Woolly Sheep pub a lot.

What is the new bar on the top left going up Main St, that looks like it's had a million quid spent on it?

 

[Brains]

Here is a review of our local, The Duchess, Greenwich

https://853london.com/2017/04/19/shut-down-the-greenwich-pub-being-run-by-its-regulars/

Shut down: The Greenwich pub being run by its regulars



An east Greenwich pub has had its licence [URL='http://committees.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=4419&EVT=101&DT=D']withdrawn by councillors after council officers found its management had left the premises to be run by its customers.

The Duchess on Woolwich Road – formerly the Ship & Billet and Frog & Radiator – has been closed since January after a series of violent incidents.

In September, most of the pub’s windows were smashed by a customer, and when council officers visited to investigate, they were told its designated supervisor had left and discovered the pub was apparently being run by a drunken customer. “It appeared almost that the locals were running the pub,” the officers said in a report.

The following month, they were told by the pub’s licence holder that he planned to close and redevelop the pub, but in January council offers found the pub still being run by customers and serving well after its 2am licence.

The report continues: “[Name redacted] claimed to be running the premises in the absence of her mother. Her speech was slurred and she smelt of drink. She beckoned the licensing officer behind the bar area where he came face to face with a large, shaven-headed male. Believing that he was in charge of the premises, he introduced himself as a licensing officer. His reply was: ‘Does that make you farking important?’


“Realising that he was a customer, the licensing officer changed his attitude. His response: ‘I couldn’t give two farks who you are!’ With that, he picked up a pint glass full of beer… and stormed off into the public area.

“The licensing officer returned to speak to [name redacted] who obviously had no knowledge of running licensed premises. She was unaware who the licence holders were as she had never met them. She had no idea what a Designated Premises Supervisor was, nor the opening and closing time of the premises. Asked when she planned to close for the evening, she replied: ‘When I feel like it!'”

The Duchess was one of the last of the old-style pubs along the main road through east Greenwich, after the demolition of the Victoria and the Old Friends, the conversion of the William IV and revamp of The Crown. It is unlikely to be missed – but will anyone take on the prominent corner site and try to revive the old pub?

There is much better news for Greenwich drinkers a little further down Woolwich Road – a micropub, the River Ale House, has been given both planning and licensing permission by Greenwich Council. It will replace the Under Cover Experience lingerie retailer.[/URL]

 

[Blue Hills]

Happily for beer drinkers the few surviving pubs are serving quite decent ale nowadays as long as you can find one where they are serving enough for the barrel to be no older than a couple of days, so that the beer is fresh and bright-tasting.

For food though the situation is dire, all pubs buy their food in microwave-ready portions from Brakes, 3663, Food Service and around here, Ribble Farm Foods. The kitchen technician just microwaves the portion, sticks it under the grill for a few minutes then drops it on a cold plate, where it sits for 10 minutes until one of the serving kids thinks to pick it up and bring it to your table. The sure giveaway is when the selection of vegetables comes in identical white china bowls and is usually undercooked.

thanks for that.
Kicks the spoons snobs into their place.
I have never had any illusions about spoons food but some clearly do about the stuff they eat.
There are of course some pubs which make their own food (I used to lead rides to one) but in a minority.
As is maybe well known I like spoons for their beer.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Tell you what pisses me off about pubs. The f..kwits who stand smoking in pub doors,when there's a smoking shelter provided usually at the back of the pub, They tend to gawp at you as you walk or cycle by. Get in that smoking shelter you idiots!

 

[Globalti]

That's why they are standing in the doorway; it's THEIR territory and you are the weird alien cycling past looking as if you actually take exercise and don't drink yourself into a stupor every evening. That makes you a stranger and automatically suspect of something or other.

 

[Accy cyclist]

That's why they are standing in the doorway; it's THEIR territory and you are the weird alien cycling past looking as if you actually take exercise and don't drink yourself into a stupor every evening. That makes you a stranger and automatically suspect of something or other.

Some of them do act a bit guilty when i ride past. They tend to put their cigarette behind their back and look down at the floor,as if they've been caught doing something naughty.

 

[Globalti]

Pubs are deeply significant territory for drinking males; when I started drinking in Newcastle in the 70s there was always a prickly, heavy-drinking atmosphere and you had to follow the etiquette carefully or you were likely to get your head bashed in. At about that time a pal of ours was drinking in a pub in Belfast and he began to realise that the lounge and the saloon were the territories of two competing loyalist groups so you had to be careful which way you turned on entering the front door. Our local used to have a group of loud, boorish alpha male after-work drinkers who would crowd around the bar preventing outsiders from getting served; when you walked in they would all stop talking and turn round to stare at you like cowboys in a western. There are even guides to pub etiquette for visitors to the UK because pub culture is something we all understand but visitors dont: http://www.sirc.org/publik/pub.html

 

[smutchin]

The Baltic Fleet Pub in Liverpool, I really thought all pubs offering their standard of service had been wiped of the face of the earth years ago.

I whiled away a pleasant afternoon in there with my son just before last Christmas (we were staying at the Premier Inn on the docks and had a few hours to kill before a family social event in the evening). It does have a strangely unwelcoming atmosphere but both the splendid company and the superb beer made up for it.

 

[swee'pea99]

As for disappointments, places that have five or six handpumps, with everything other than Doombar (or other serviceable, but unexciting brown beer) "off" on the day you walk in would be up there pretty high for me.

My local has five taps, generally with a pretty good selection of guest ales on four - Greene King 'IPA' being the one permanent (yes, the inverted commas are there for a reason). One day this summer, only one of the non-GK taps was on - a porter. Next day, the same - and again the next. I was seriously considering changing pubs when I walked in the fourth evening to find they'd brought one of the other taps into service. About time, thinks I, and walk up to find they've added - a brown ale. What publican looks at a range consisting of eurobeer and porter, in the middle of the summer, and thinks: you know, what this pub needs is a nice brown ale.

 

[Dave7]

Within walking distance is an old pub called the Plough.
It WAS a nice, old style pub with a 'country' type feel.
For years....when I worked from home...me and Mrs Dave would finish early on Friday and go over for a couple of drinks. Good atmosphere and a regular crowd.
Then..........about 8/10 ?? years ago....
The Spirit Group took it over.....gutted it and it lost all atmosphere. Regulars stopped going....we stopped going.
I emailed the group and am still waiting for a reply.
Sad really.

 

[perplexed]

Did it have a flat roof?

And double points for having an Alsatian chained up there...

 

[MontyVeda]

The first sign of a disappointing pub is bouncers on the door. Such establishments are best avoided.
The second sign of a disappointing pub is when one of the bouncers says "Sorry mate, you're too casual"

 

[Tim Hall]

The first sign of a disappointing pub is bouncers on the door. Such establishments are best avoided.
The second sign of a disappointing pub is when one of the bouncers says "Sorry mate, you're too casual"

A couple of Christmases ago there was a boxing day evening, IYSWIM, excursion to the local Weatherspoons. One of our party was wearing a bobble hat. The bouncer requested that he take it off before entry was permitted. The hat wearer complied, because he's nice like that. After all, he is my Dad, and was 87 at the time.