Random news of the day

[Aqualung]

"2. The various activities mentioned by the nominee in the application are ancillary to the use of the premises as a public house. They do not therefore comply with the purposes set out in Section 88 (1) of the Localism Act 2011. With regard to Section 88 (2), the current use of the premises as a public house i.e. a place where alcohol is consumed and sold, does not itself further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community and therefore is not land of community value."
[my emphasis]

It's sad but not entirely surprising to see such an objection. We do after all live in an age of neo-prohibitionism, where various groups are only too happy to see the decline of the pub, and where alternative means of buying alcohol for home consumption are proliferating.

So who was it who objected to the attempt to preserve a fine old pub in its traditional use? Who believes so strongly that pubs do not further the social wellbeing or social interests of the community? Alcohol Concern? A local church group or nearby school? A big supermarket chain?

Nope.

These are the words of Punch Taverns, the owners of the Sir John Barleycorn. A company that owns over 4,300 pubs believes those pubs are not good for local communities.

http://petebrown.blogspot.co.uk/2013...ocial.html?m=1

This doesn't surprise me at all. Punch and Enterprise are to pubs what Railtrack were to railways before all the accidents led to their demise. Railtrack didn't care about running trains as Punch and Enterprise don't care about their pubs.

[hondo]

"diagnose atrophied livers rather than creating them"
http://www.manchesterconfidential.co...f-Pub-Closures

[oldboots]

Maybe some tips for southern reviewers stuck for a new angle?


http://www.newstatesman.com//lifesty...te-about-north

[hondo]

"offering traditional cask ales, craft beers and world lagers"
http://www.cameronsbrewery.com/new-pub-acquistions/

[gillhalfpint]

I remember when Cameron's brewery had hundreds of pubs around the North East when I used to exchange National Insurance cards for the employees 4 times a year.

[Wittenden]

I remember Cameron's did a low gravity light mild Malt Ale:I liked it, though few others did. Handy for the driver!

[hondo]

"the idea of erecting"
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/G...-for-customers

[Farway]

Portchester pub cleans up its act and is now welcoming visitors to its kitchen, ...Pictures shown as evidence in court of how bad the situation at The Cormorant, in Castle Street, Portchester had got showed grease congealed on its grill, blood in its fridge and salmon so far out of date it resembled bacon.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/bus...chen-1-5730012

The Cormorant

Shame it slipped, always seemed a nice pub in ideal location

[Mobyduck]

"the idea of erecting"
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/G...-for-customers

"We have had incidents where people walking home at night have fallen in to ditches and all sorts of horrible things".
I thought this was normal.

[hondo]

“One day I’d like to retire and run a pub.”
http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/l...y/6686.article