Tragedy of the lost boozers...

[rich p]

http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/index.html
I was street googling a pub which had been my local when I lived in Whitechapel in the mid 70s, only to find that it announced last orders in 1989. I have many happy memories of The Australian Arms...
24,000 pubs closed forever!
... http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/london/e1_stepney_australianarms.html

 

[Brandane]

Home when I was at the peak of my sociable years was Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute. It was traditional on 21st birthdays to do a pub crawl through the town, visiting every pub. There were 21 of them back in the late 70s/early 80s. All did a roaring trade during the summer.
Now there are about half that number, and most are struggling .

 

[Cycleops]

It's sad.....at that rate we'll be sitting at home with the curtains drawn drinking our home brew all alone

Not so sure about the homebrew but don't we do that already!?

 

[postman]

I was having this talk on tuesday evening with George the older gentleman,who i sit with twice a week.In our area the pubs i used have nearly all gone.Gone with them is the community spirit,gone are the darts and dom nights,the xmas parties for kids and pensioners,trips to the rugby cup final,the pub football teams.I was a football secretary for years.Here in Meanwood and Moortown Council football pitches have gone.It's a shame really.

 

[nickyboy]

The heyday of the pub was a time when living conditions were awful and the local boozer was a welcome escape to somewhere bright, warm and welcoming.

We are happy to drink at home now, feet up, watching TV...hence the demise of the local pub. Of course pricing, smoking bans, drink driving regs etc have had an effect, but it is the social influence of better living conditions that has driven this.

 

[swee'pea99]

I think that's true. Pubs always sprang up in response to a general lack of something - originally of clean drinking water. It was safer to go to the pub and drink weak 'small' beer than to risk the water supply.

Indeed - but I think nickboy's right in the broader sense that a fair few of the things whose demise we mourn were in truth largely reactions to shortcomings elsewhere that have been largely done away with. I'm right up there with people who get all 'yorkshireman' about the fun of our youth, playing in the streets and doing dangerous stuff till after dark, but it's easy to forget that one of the reasons we were out there was because there was in truth bugger all alternative. Three tv channels, nothing on any of them, and otherwise....? TBH, if I'd had a computer offering an endless stream of fun & enlightenment, I'm not sure I'd have been out 'making my own fun' either.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

It's sad.....at that rate we'll be sitting at home with the curtains drawn drinking our home brew all alone

you mean we aren't already

 

[rich p]

In truth, there were probably too many pubs to be sustainable but I do like proper old-style pubs and whatever the reasons I'm sorry to see them disappear.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Property prices have also meant that the chain companies make more money selling off their real estate than they can get screwing landlords into the ground.

 

[simon the viking]

I went in to one of my old haunts the other day hadn't been in for 10 years since we moved the other side of town, - a real spit and sawdust pub half a dozen real ales, some straight out the barrel. Doesn't do food, no juke box or fruit machines......just great beer and it was a Tuesday night about half eight and it was rammed.... every table taken....
A name check for it if you are ever in Burton on Trent....... The Coopers Tavern, Cross street.... Warning only enter if you drink real ale (non this lager business.... they probably have some somewhere but....)

But as O.P said I could name 2 dozen pubs in Burton that have shut since my teens

 

[GrumpyGregry]

In truth, there were probably too many pubs to be sustainable but I do like proper old-style pubs and whatever the reasons I'm sorry to see them disappear.

Yes. I detest the fact they let women in the main bars these days. If I want to listen to a woman going on and on and on I could stay at home.



is a translation from pitmatic of what what my late-grandfather and late-uncles used to say.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

http://theroyaloakrusper.webs.com/

always got at least one dark beer on tap and NEVER stocks lager. Unfortunately it is often full of beardie-weirdie sandle wearing local CAMRA types from whom my own membership of CAMRA is a strictly maintained secret and whom are really hostile to passing visitors.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've just found 24,000 lost boozers -
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/

Deptford High Street lists 12 lost pubs.

 

[MarkF]

Pubco's have a lot to answer for, poorly paid, stressed out about-to-go-bankrupt "partners", do not make for a convivial atmosphere. One of my 3 locals was long term very, very popular with a bonus paid manager, he was there 10 years. Since maybe 5 years ago, I've lost cound of the number of "partners" who have come, bright eyed, and left, penniless.

 

[Roadhump]

I find it quite sad how many pubs have fallen by the wayside in recent years. I was recently in Waterstones in Liverpool and there was a book entitled "Lost pubs of Liverpool" in the local interest section, many were good old traditional boozers; similar could probably be found in other towns and cities around the country.

Some pubs continue to thrive though; the local up the road has a reputation for first class food at very reasonable prices, has 3 permanent quality cask ales and a random guest ale at any one time, plus keg beers and lagers, as well as wines, spirits etc. and the licensee, whilst very accommodating and friendly, stands absolutely no nonsense, and since arriving 4 years ago has turned things round remarkably, from the verge of closure to now a thriving community focal point.

Pubs with a special feature such as some of those canal side pubs also seem to be able to buck the widespread trend of demise. There is nothing quite like a summer cycle ride punctuated by an hour or so with a sandwich and a couple of pints whilst admiring beautiful countryside views, as the Rosie & Jim brigade sail past on their narrow boats.