So , a new football season almost upon us , fixture lists out . 

Do any not rights out there think of the pubs that were an integral part of Saturday football at Burnden park?

There are very few left at all , and the axe has already fallen around our "New" home 

Greenwood , Bonnie Lasses, Barnstormers unable to trade even with a football ground nearby.

Thinking about the Tanners , Cattle Market , Rose Hill Tavern, Farmers in Darcy Lever.Trotters on Manchester road.

And of course our dear King William IV , the Holy Grail of lunacy on big match days

Mad memories and even photos eagerly accepted

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

It's shit but so many pubs are thriving, especially the micro pub sector.

Pubs die and everyone gets sad but then you ask when was the last time you went in it was on Xmas day 4 years ago.

They need to get better. Watering holes are a thing of the past.

 

The micro pubs are basically single or occasionally double rooms you can't swing a cat in. I mean, I get it, but not exactly places you can hang off the bar and put the world to rights.

1 hour ago, DirtySanchez said:

Two pubs near me closed for refurbishment and spent probably a few hundred grand in the process

One is over priced, does food that is ok but nothing special 

The other churns out pints on sky match days, has pool tables and a poker night 

There's possibly a market for both 

There is, but if your primary offerings are Worthington, John Smith, Carling and Fosters then there's no chance. Get with the fucking times.

16 minutes ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Pub offering something different are thriving ( I refuse to use the term USP).

The micro that I frequent started before Covid. I used to call after work and there were some old blokes and me in at 4:00 

When they reopened they started doing bits of food. Now they have all sorts of stuff to tempt you. Live music, open mic nights the lot. But their hours don’t suit mine, but they are thriving.

it’s the rank and file ordinary pubs that are shutting because they are Tetleys, Boddies Smiths pubs. Nowt special.

Personally I do use pubs, most days I’m having a pint at 4;00 ish but you’re right about “regulars” who are every few year regulars.

Im 72 this year and it’s not going to be my problem for much longer but I do worry.

You can be specific. What's the micro you frequent?

only really shit pubs shut down, not good ones

look at horwich 

thriving 

if anything they need more

off the top of my head 

of all the ones that were there when I started going out in 93

three are no longer open, one is a restaurant, the other on prime land sold for shops 

everything else is open in one form or another 

there are now actually more than there was then

15 off top of my head

2 hours ago, jmjhb said:

You can be specific. What's the micro you frequent?

Sorry. Wasn’t being secretive and I’ve already mentioned it. Northern Monkey is where I go.

4 hours ago, Zico said:

only really shit pubs shut down, not good ones

look at horwich 

thriving 

if anything they need more

off the top of my head 

of all the ones that were there when I started going out in 93

three are no longer open, one is a restaurant, the other on prime land sold for shops 

everything else is open in one form or another 

there are now actually more than there was then

15 off top of my head

They have just done  

The CROWN up 

not been in but pictures ive seen looks nice 

The Red Lion 

over hulton has closed 

All Local's (old cunts) up in arms 

was a good pub back in day when we want in Bla Bla Bla 

Use Them or Lose Them 

was Amazing when Adam had it 

Now he has the

Hulton Arms  and its Booming 

Shame about the Little John.

had a couple of decent evenings in there.

Two pubs a day on average have closed this year.

All sorts of reasons behind it, but increasingly difficult trading conditions are pushing more and more over the edge.

I take Gonzo's point, but it is a doom spiral.

Prices rise, fewer can afford to go, and maybe get out of the habit, and bang

Continually reduces income in the face of higher costs, so prices rise.. 

7 hours ago, jmjhb said:

There is, but if your primary offerings are Worthington, John Smith, Carling and Fosters then there's no chance. Get with the fucking times.

The latter is exactly that type of pub

Independent have a huge challenge, even if they're in control of their premises and aren't renting or leasing. My local seafront pub / restaurant @gonzo knows it, The Venue, is, according to one of the co-owners I know, 'doing very well' in terms of punters through the doors but isnt making much money because of the cocktail of product / staff / utility costs that are crippling most of their ilk. 

Even the big chains are struggling with it, Tim Martin bemoaning a drop in turnover and has put his prices uo 3 times in a year, Stonegate, who own umpteen places on the Fylde, are millions in debt. 

It's a grim picture but, as has been said, if you can find the right premises and a niche you've a chance. Cleveleys has bucked the trend and seven new places opened since 2021, all ticking over nicely

 

Edited May 30May 30 by ianofcleveleys

17 hours ago, gonzo said:

It's shit but so many pubs are thriving, especially the micro pub sector.

Pubs die and everyone gets sad but then you ask when was the last time you went in it was on Xmas day 4 years ago.

They need to get better. Watering holes are a thing of the past.

 

Your Micro pubs ( Two livingrooms Big)

Some are only breaking even 

B33R i rave about  i know the owners ....Few on here go in 

Rent/beer/ele /Buissness Rates/Ect Ect 

so you Massive Big Pubs Old Buildings 

Fuck Knows There Overheads 

 

My sister runs a pub, big old one in centre of Little Lever, 

No idea how it does but it's always busy.

They've just hade a huge refurbishment. 

Keep thinking of trying other pubs in Manchester then end up in The Salisbury again.

At least a selection of my friend group are in there every week.

Did a pub crawl the other week. Most of the pubs only had us in and the majority of the pints were overpriced and minging

As someone who works away at least half a week now. There is a clear difference between towns and cities. City centre pubs are thriving all day and every day. Town centres are just a thing of the past now and unlikely to be salvaged.
 

Macro trends see people are going out less but when they do want to go out, they are happy to spend more and would rather go somewhere than just local. 
 

Eating is probably the last chance saloon to drag people back into town centres. That said I am with @FrancisFogarty on mourning the traditional pub but I’m fully aware I am part of the problem as when I’m home I can’t commit the time. When away it’s the opposite. Great pass time.

Missus is away so I’m doing my bit for the local this weekend 😉

It was embarrassing last night, loads of reds bouncing around as if they’d won the champions league

4 hours ago, tomski said:

As someone who works away at least half a week now. There is a clear difference between towns and cities. City centre pubs are thriving all day and every day. Town centres are just a thing of the past now and unlikely to be salvaged.
 

Macro trends see people are going out less but when they do want to go out, they are happy to spend more and would rather go somewhere than just local. 
 

Eating is probably the last chance saloon to drag people back into town centres. That said I am with @FrancisFogarty on mourning the traditional pub but I’m fully aware I am part of the problem as when I’m home I can’t commit the time. When away it’s the opposite. Great pass time.

My mourning of the tradition pub is selfish though. Nothing I liked better than getting in the LJ and having the vault to myself. I’d even get the telly switched off, after all wasn’t that the reason I’d gone out? To get away from the incessant quizzes and cookery programmes. Or the feel good singing and dancing and talent shows. So how can I say it’s a bad do that people are not going to the pub, then complain when there are people doing just that.

Soul searching over. I’m now off to the Kings Head on Deane.

 

3 hours ago, FrancisFogarty said:

My mourning of the tradition pub is selfish though. Nothing I liked better than getting in the LJ and having the vault to myself. I’d even get the telly switched off, after all wasn’t that the reason I’d gone out? To get away from the incessant quizzes and cookery programmes. Or the feel good singing and dancing and talent shows. So how can I say it’s a bad do that people are not going to the pub, then complain when there are people doing just that.

Soul searching over. I’m now off to the Kings Head on Deane.

 

Good pub

7 hours ago, FrancisFogarty said:

My mourning of the tradition pub is selfish though. Nothing I liked better than getting in the LJ and having the vault to myself. I’d even get the telly switched off, after all wasn’t that the reason I’d gone out? To get away from the incessant quizzes and cookery programmes. Or the feel good singing and dancing and talent shows. So how can I say it’s a bad do that people are not going to the pub, then complain when there are people doing just that.

Soul searching over. I’m now off to the Kings Head on Deane.

 

First thing i do when i walk in my local is find the TV control and switch the fucking thing off

8 hours ago, crawshawbooth said:

First thing i do when i walk in my local is find the TV control and switch the fucking thing off

Do the same thing in our village club, unless it's sport, then I'm happy enough to leave it on. 

10 hours ago, Sweep said:

Do the same thing in our village club, unless it's sport, then I'm happy enough to leave it on. 

Yeah, you love that Six Nations & F1 shite

17 minutes ago, Traf said:

Yeah, you love that Six Nations & F1 shite

To be honest, I'm happy enough for it to be on in the background, I draw the line at cricket though. 

49 minutes ago, Traf said:

Yeah, you love that Six Nations & F1 shite

All motor racing is shite since the 90s era touring cars.

18 minutes ago, frank_spencer said:

All motor racing is shite since the 90s era touring cars.

Love F1 but 90s touring cars racing was the best motor racing and was the pinnacle for me. Went all over the UK watching it