Pubs, and the demise of.

Hard to imagine now. A pint or two at lunchtime was quite normal. And Friday you might not make it back at all!

Vincenzo said:

Hard to imagine now. A pint or two at lunchtime was quite normal. And Friday you might not make it back at all!

it was almost encouraged really 

SheffieldRed said:

Saga Lout said:

BrentfordAddick said:

Exactly, covid has hurried things up rather than changed things. I'm 54. For the first part of my working life, a couple of pints at lunch was pretty much expected. If I did that now I'd expect to be sacked. I still like my local but it's never going to win any pub of the year awards and I'm still a few years from reaching the average age of the people in there. The food is ok because the guvnor lets us order takeaway pizzas and eat them in there. 

Well designed apartment buildings with some shop and leisure use on the ground floor is how whatever passes for a High Street will probably look. 

Those were the days! I think the country went to shit when everyone started going back to the office after lunch sober. Our great economy was built on people making decisions when slightly pissed.

Fully agree. Lunchtimes are for a pint of beer for the gentleman and a glass of wine or fruit based drink for the ladies.

Everyone knows the Englishman makes good decisions sober and great decisions after a few beers. For centuries Britain ruled the world, and did so whilst drinking.

Clearly you can’t just be drunk all day, nothing would get done. That’s why there are rules. 
1. No drinking before the sun reaches the yardarm, no idea what a yardarm is but 11am seems fair (airports being the exception to this  rule, where every Englishman knows its his duty to drink as early and as much as he can)
2. Publicans to accept teenage children at their word when they say they are 18. Thus ensuring when junior starts work, they are up to speed on the drinking front.

So next time a management consultant turns up from our colonial cousins in the US of A and demands you stop lunchtime drinking, remind them it’s Great Britain not average Britain not mediocre Britain. Get yourself a drink you deserve it.

that has brought a tear to my eye that has. RULE BRITANNIA! 

Oggy Red said:

Karim_myBagheri said:

SheffieldRed said:

Saga Lout said:

BrentfordAddick said:

Exactly, covid has hurried things up rather than changed things. I'm 54. For the first part of my working life, a couple of pints at lunch was pretty much expected. If I did that now I'd expect to be sacked. I still like my local but it's never going to win any pub of the year awards and I'm still a few years from reaching the average age of the people in there. The food is ok because the guvnor lets us order takeaway pizzas and eat them in there. 

Well designed apartment buildings with some shop and leisure use on the ground floor is how whatever passes for a High Street will probably look. 

Those were the days! I think the country went to shit when everyone started going back to the office after lunch sober. Our great economy was built on people making decisions when slightly pissed.

Fully agree. Lunchtimes are for a pint of beer for the gentleman and a glass of wine or fruit based drink for the ladies.

Everyone knows the Englishman makes good decisions sober and great decisions after a few beers. For centuries Britain ruled the world, and did so whilst drinking.

Clearly you can’t just be drunk all day, nothing would get done. That’s why there are rules. 
1. No drinking before the sun reaches the yardarm, no idea what a yardarm is but 11am seems fair (airports being the exception to this  rule, where every Englishman knows its his duty to drink as early and as much as he can)
2. Publicans to accept teenage children at their word when they say they are 18. Thus ensuring when junior starts work, they are up to speed on the drinking front.

So next time a management consultant turns up from our colonial cousins in the US of A and demands you stop lunchtime drinking, remind them it’s Great Britain not average Britain not mediocre Britain. Get yourself a drink you deserve it.

that has brought a tear to my eye that has. RULE BRITANNIA! 

The sun set on the Empire 100 years ago. Now they should be singing, "Rule Brexit Island!".


PS: Don't take me seriously, for gawd's sake.

yeah, but with a bit of luck on our side i reckon we could take it back.

I mean its as plausible as Charlton finishing in the top six. 

SomervilleAddick said:

You’ve just got to figure out where your Ballmer Peak is. Generally between 2-3 pints. 

I don't know what Ballmer Peak is but we generally found it a lot more difficult to go back to work after 3 pints.

2 Pints - a bit of a drag going back to work as you're just getting into it, but no real problem but you really had to think whether you wanted that 3rd pint because if you did, you'd probably have another 7 or 8 and end up in The Griffin.

Just to add to the demise of pubs I’ve reluctantly applied for change of use for mine from a pub to a domestic dwelling.
Ive had several buyers drop out as the banks won’t finance pubs , it’s been on the market a fair while & £205k off its original asking price & don’t really have any other options .
it’s such a shame after 15 years building it up & it’s been a pub for over 100 years but I don’t see a place in the market for pubs like mine post COVID & I can’t carry on dropping the price.

Karim_myBagheri said:

such a shame @Spitfire76

Where abouts is your pub? 
From memory it was in Berkshire but I might of got that completely wrong. 
Did it have alot of locals?

I’m in Buckingham , Its in a small holt with just a couple of farmhouses so no local drinkers I’m mostly food , they tend to come out in the car to eat then back to their local for a drink & walk home , I trade from around 8-10 local villages ,Buckingham town & Silverstone race track, there is also a national trust estate walkable which has always served us well but with the national trust opening there own tearoom & restaurant last year I lost all my coach parties & Silverstone circuit has increased its food offering so much over the years most trade is kept on the track.

In Buckingham we have seen the arrival of the chains over the last 18 months & we’ve gone from being 100% independent businesses to now having a subway ,costa x 2 , beefeater/premier inn , dominoes , prezzo , McDonald’s in March & that’s before Silverstone open their 2 new hotels.

With the expected downturn in business over the next 12-24 months & the losses of the last 10 months I just can’t compete for a place in the market without significant investment & I just don’t have the energy or motivation to do it after this past year, I was hoping it would stay a pub but the only interested parties would have converted it to an Indian anyway , still time though & it might be saved , I’m willing to work with people that want to keep it as a pub & would lease it out but it wouldn’t be fair on potential tenants as I know they would struggle to pay the rent I’d need.

Spitfire76 said:

Karim_myBagheri said:

such a shame @Spitfire76

Where abouts is your pub? 
From memory it was in Berkshire but I might of got that completely wrong. 
Did it have alot of locals?

I’m in Buckingham , Its in a small holt with just a couple of farmhouses so no local drinkers I’m mostly food , they tend to come out in the car to eat then back to their local for a drink & walk home , I trade from around 8-10 local villages ,Buckingham town & Silverstone race track, there is also a national trust estate walkable which has always served us well but with the national trust opening there own tearoom & restaurant last year I lost all my coach parties & Silverstone circuit has increased its food offering so much over the years most trade is kept on the track.

In Buckingham we have seen the arrival of the chains over the last 18 months & we’ve gone from being 100% independent businesses to now having a subway ,costa x 2 , beefeater/premier inn , dominoes , prezzo , McDonald’s in March & that’s before Silverstone open their 2 new hotels.

With the expected downturn in business over the next 12-24 months & the losses of the last 10 months I just can’t compete for a place in the market without significant investment & I just don’t have the energy or motivation to do it after this past year, I was hoping it would stay a pub but the only interested parties would have converted it to an Indian anyway , still time though & it might be saved , I’m willing to work with people that want to keep it as a pub & would lease it out but it wouldn’t be fair on potential tenants as I know they would struggle to pay the rent I’d need.

personally, when it comes to you selling it sounds like its the right call to make.  

Yeah, you would like it to continue as a pub but if that means losing out on a fair chunk of money (don't know what your money situation is like but even so) i cant see how that is doable. 

its a lose to the area but what can you do. 

will you stay in the area yourself? and in the publican trade? 

Good luck to you @Spitfire76 i hope everything works out for you

SomervilleAddick said:

Boom said:

SomervilleAddick said:

You’ve just got to figure out where your Ballmer Peak is. Generally between 2-3 pints. 

I don't know what Ballmer Peak is but we generally found it a lot more difficult to go back to work after 3 pints.

2 Pints - a bit of a drag going back to work as you're just getting into it, but no real problem but you really had to think whether you wanted that 3rd pint because if you did, you'd probably have another 7 or 8 and end up in The Griffin.

Now that’s a spooky reference. The Griffin on Leonard St, just of Great Eastern St? Because I’ve had manga Friday afternoon lock-in there when pubs used to close at 3pm. 

Or is this just a generic thing with pubs called the Griffin?

I'm sure this refers to the Griffin which provided (ahem) "entertainment".

I worked at NatWest in the city - they had a staff wine bar and a staff pub, so could hardly have a go at you if you had a drink at lunchtime !!

SomervilleAddick said:

Bromley Graham said:

Like Browns,forget its old name when a pub, opposite the big church in Shorditch used in the tv series Rev. You could even park outside, quick pint, 50p in the jug, and back to work after the double act which finished the lunchtime tutorial

It was Browns in 1980, If it had another name it was a long time ago. There were loads of similar establishments in the area. I’ve forgotten almost all of their names,

think Browns used to be a pub called the beehive - I grew up just off Hackney Road and Beehive rings a bell 

Saga Lout said:

SomervilleAddick said:

Boom said:

SomervilleAddick said:

You’ve just got to figure out where your Ballmer Peak is. Generally between 2-3 pints. 

I don't know what Ballmer Peak is but we generally found it a lot more difficult to go back to work after 3 pints.

2 Pints - a bit of a drag going back to work as you're just getting into it, but no real problem but you really had to think whether you wanted that 3rd pint because if you did, you'd probably have another 7 or 8 and end up in The Griffin.

Now that’s a spooky reference. The Griffin on Leonard St, just of Great Eastern St? Because I’ve had manga Friday afternoon lock-in there when pubs used to close at 3pm. 

Or is this just a generic thing with pubs called the Griffin?

I'm sure this refers to the Griffin which provided (ahem) "entertainment".

It does indeed!

Have worked around motor vehicles all my life. So the chances of having a mid-day or late night pint in a good pub have been very few and very far between. My wife who worked in insurance in the square mile would tell stories of lunch time sessions that made my hair curl. 
Then the yanks turned up and it stopped overnight in her insurance company. Happy to say she is now retired ,but still enjoys the occasional glass to lift her sprits!