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View Full Version : What has the trade come to ?



Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 14:01
We were visiting some family in Slough yesterday,and wanting to get out of the house it was suggested the men go and have a drink so the girlies can have time to catch up,we visited one pub local to them all,it was a disaster £26:70 for a round of drinks,the fosters was as flat as a pancake,the landlord was swirling it round in the glass as he was pouring it,the toilets were disgusting and foul smelling of p*** fungai growing on windows like a typical public toilet in a shopping precent.
The pub had 2 people in there yet they still decided to have sky sports blaring out and on top of that the jukebox playing music so loud you could not hold a conversation,in the end i asked the landlord to turn the music off which he did.

This made me think why do people put up with this? one person told me that the music was so loud xmas eve it drove people away,and he also had the sky tv blaring away? is this aceptable in todays society,why would you bother going out to such an uncomfortable surroundings,would any of you really be bothered or have i missed something here? oh by the way xmas eve at 23:30 there was a total of 3 men including the landlord in that pub....maybe my disgust has been noted by the locals at last.

oldboots
02-01-2010, 15:17
The glib popular answer is a lot of people don't put up with it hence 50 pubs a week are closing. I'm suprised a pub with the level of service and the number of customers you describe is still open. Sounds like other people are voting with their feet, as you did, and the pub could be shut soon.

Delboy20
02-01-2010, 16:14
The glib popular answer is a lot of people don't put up with it hence 50 pubs a week are closing. I'm suprised a pub with the level of service and the number of customers you describe is still open. Sounds like other people are voting with their feet, as you did, and the pub could be shut soon.

Spot on. I am frequently amazed some of the pubs I visit on my travels are still open. I have been in some absolute dives over the years. On the other hand I have known many decent pubs close down.

The fact is if people stop going out and using them, pubs - both good and bad - will continue to disappear.

Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 18:23
The glib popular answer is a lot of people don't put up with it hence 50 pubs a week are closing. I'm suprised a pub with the level of service and the number of customers you describe is still open. Sounds like other people are voting with their feet, as you did, and the pub could be shut soon.

Oldboots i was totally shocked to think people would actually want to leave there house to visit such a place,it makes you wonder why.

RogerB
02-01-2010, 19:43
Some pubs thrive on loud music / TV's / karaoke etc. I was in a pub in Gateshead recently that in my world was truly appaling with all the things I hate about pubs (before you ask, I was looking for somewhere showing the footy and this was the only place around!). It was packed to the rafters with low life but the point is that it was packed! Clearly it works for them and it didn't bother the people inside who presumably come back for more of the same every weekend although it will never get my custom again. If a pub is empty then it is up to the management to sit down and ask him/herself why and do something about it. How many pubs have been lost purely because the management or owners clearly haven't got a clue how to run a pub or make efforts to satisfy thier potential customer base? I would wager that it is a number far higher than economic reasons. It's not rocket science - if something isn't working, do something to change it. What is there to lose? Unfortunately too many pubs seem to think they are only there for themselves.

Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 22:52
Roger very good comment,had a good laugh about the low life?

Farway
03-01-2010, 12:55
Agree there are some awful pubs around, and as they close they wail about cheap booze from supermarkets, tax etc, never look at themselves

Two local to me closed near end of 2008, both were taken over early 2009 and are now thriving, in one I asked landlady how things were going, her takings have increased 1000%, just by being friendly, and more importantly being open, previous one never seemed to be open when expected, plus of course keeping out undesirables & trouble

I think one publican poster on here [Eddie?] had right idea, after a bad review contacted poster, apologised and tried to make amends, what a change from either ignoring complaints or threaten legal action

nogoodboyo
03-01-2010, 13:43
As Oldboots said, it's all about voting with your feet. My local has been closed, and I've just found out it is to be demolished and the land used for a sewage control plant. There's a sort of poetic justice there I feel!

Tilly-Miss
03-01-2010, 16:22
Good comments farway.

Tilly-Miss
03-01-2010, 16:23
Like the way you are thinking.

Eddie86
03-01-2010, 18:10
Agree there are some awful pubs around, and as they close they wail about cheap booze from supermarkets, tax etc, never look at themselves

Two local to me closed near end of 2008, both were taken over early 2009 and are now thriving, in one I asked landlady how things were going, her takings have increased 1000%, just by being friendly, and more importantly being open, previous one never seemed to be open when expected, plus of course keeping out undesirables & trouble

I think one publican poster on here [Eddie?] had right idea, after a bad review contacted poster, apologised and tried to make amends, what a change from either ignoring complaints or threaten legal action


I still go over and have a look at my favourite review from over there - the guy going on about black sheep.

I believe in chatting to customers to find out what they want - after all its them who keep food on my table! And if there is something wrong with the pub I want to know about it PDQ so I can make amends.

What I've started doing is writing to pubs that I've found really bad - just telling them of my experience, not judgemental or telling them what should have happened. It's when the landlord sends a letter back saying 'your wrong' that I get angry!

For the record, I won't be around much these two weeks - we're shutting the pub for improvements and it's likely to be 18hr days minimum (as an example tonight after closing I'm with Dad taking apart the bar and bench seating and floor, which will go on to the early hours...)

Conrad
03-01-2010, 18:20
You'll be missed for the fortnight Ed, hope the work goes well, and I would love to see some before and after pictures.

arwkrite
03-01-2010, 21:31
tonight after closing I'm with Dad taking apart the bar and bench seating and floor, which will go on to the early hours...)
Eddie you should have arranged a Wales v England darts match on NYE. I reckon the customers would have taken the bar and fixtures apart at some stage of evening and saved you and your dad the trouble. Might have got some compensation payment as well to defray the cost of the refurb.:D

runningdog
03-01-2010, 23:04
!
I'm with Dad taking apart the bar and bench seating and floor, which will go on to the early hours...)

Best of luck, Eddie. My 'spiritual' local took itself to pieces a few months ago. When the landlord and a couple of customers tried to undo what they'd done they found everything fitted as it should, if they left the wiring out..........:drinkup:

Eddie86
04-01-2010, 03:09
Right then. Just got back, and here's a couple of pics for you. I only had my phone with me, so there not the greatest:

Before (the wall with the fireplace and mirror is the bit thats being knocked down, but notice the floor at the minute)

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/edkilverts/Fireplacebefore.jpg

And at 3am this morning it looked a bit like this:

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/edkilverts/SNC00120.jpg

That is genuine Edwardian floorboards, solid oak, that we're going to take up, clean, and put down again. For the area of the bar which will have this, about 20m2 I think, only 1 floorboard needs replacing, which we're over the moon about. The quality of the stuff is unbelievable. I'll take proper pictures tomorrow.

Night Night

arwkrite
04-01-2010, 08:18
Thank you for the pics Eddie. Lovely fireplace.So many of them were ripped out in the 50's and 60's in the name of modernisation.Places were built to higher standards and meant to last longer than the 20 year guarantee you get now.

Conrad
04-01-2010, 12:48
Hi Ed,

Nice to see a proper pub interior, none of these bright spotlights and bolted down plastic seats. Your neighbours must love you though knocking down walls and lifting carpet till 3 in the morning ;).

Just had a laugh at your tweets (http://twitter.com/Kilverts) as well - £2 pint, how could you do that without warning Hoppy? :)

Eddie86
04-01-2010, 17:52
No neighbours to speak of really - the next door neighbour is the other side of the kitchen, which is other side of lower bar.

I'm going to be taking pictures each day - I'm just taking 15mins before getting back to it, so I may start a new thread once I work out how to make the pictures smaller.

That fireplace is listed, and is now in the back room. As for £2 a pint, that cleared us out of scrumpy, Butty, Carling that evening. Still got Old Henry 'on' in the cellar, straight from the barrel :D

Tilly-Miss
04-01-2010, 19:14
Good luck with the revamp, i hope everything goes as smooth as the pint you pull.

Conrad
04-01-2010, 19:20
I'm going to be taking pictures each day - I'm just taking 15mins before getting back to it, so I may start a new thread once I work out how to make the pictures smaller.
Sounds good, I look forward to seeing them. If you are stuck on the images, I haven't used it for a while, but I seem to remember Picasa (http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=93773) was good for that sort of thing.

Eddie86
06-01-2010, 22:52
Well, after a bit of hassle from my old man and a couple of licensees, I've started a blog about it all. I'm not sure if I can get used to this blogging stuff - I'm of the opinion 'who cares what I think' but I'll see how it goes. Anyway, go to http://studentbrewer.blogspot.com/ for the blog. I've also done another before and after shot - before: http://twitpic.com/wyjt6 now: http://twitpic.com/wyk61

I must say, it's actually quite scary having a pub without a bar or cellar. Moving all the stuff out from behind the bar and taking it down was actually a bit emotional. But that's now been replaced with a sense of 'I'm going to be able to say I built, designed and organised this bar' as, in a scary display of trust, I'm been put in charge of organising the new bar. As in what goes where, etc etc. Doesn't sound a big deal, but in the middle of service 6 months down the line I don't want to think 'I should have put the glasswasher over there instead of here - that would make life a lot easier'

One way to find out :D

Conrad
07-01-2010, 00:20
I look forward to the after shots, the during does look a little scary.

I would have thought your blog could be quite interesting this year with the starting of the brewery. As I said over on Tilly-Miss's thread I am impressed with anyone who can keep bloging, so good luck with it.

Don't forget to add a link to the Kilvert's PG page, and I always think it is a good idea to chuck it into your signature (although maybe not so good if you never update the blog, must make myself a new signature).

Have you been snowed in?

Eddie86
07-01-2010, 08:23
I'm a country boy with a 4x4, so no :p

Around here nearly everyone has a 4x4, and the gritters do excellent work (IMO) because they are only allowed to do main roads - so getting to Hereford, Builth, Brecon, Abergavenny is pretty straight forward.

We choose a good two weeks to shut the pub though - I fancied a pint last night and 3 pubs were shut at 10pm!

oldboots
07-01-2010, 09:14
Well, after a bit of hassle from my old man and a couple of licensees, I've started a blog about it all. I'm not sure if I can get used to this blogging stuff -

Eddie, you seem to have picked up the "blogging malarky" pretty well, off to a good start I'd say, and I read a lot of the stuff. I would have said watch out Stonch but he's stopped now. Well done for having a go and making a good job of it, I've put yours on my RSS feeds :cheers:

Tilly-Miss
07-01-2010, 12:06
Eddie
Very good and interesting blog, i will enjoy following developments of work in progress, tried follow button,but i cannot remember my login details? silly me? good luck with your venture.

Conrad
29-01-2010, 16:13
Ed,

You have been quiet for a while, did you manage to get the pub fully open again, and how is it going?

Eddie86
29-01-2010, 22:35
Blog update coming soon - I've been busy in the kitchen. Our chef leaves tomorrow, to go back to Worcester where his better half and newborn await. A couple of interviews on Monday, but at the minute my time is extremely limited! Pub open, and just very, very quiet :'(

Conrad
30-01-2010, 16:28
Oh, yuck. Just the usual seasonal lull?

Hope the interviews go ok, I can imagine it is hard to know if you have got a good chef.