Uk 'is Losing 52 Pubs Each Week'

[Dukesy 0]

UK pubs closed at a rate of 52 per week in the first half of the year - a third more than the same period in 2008 - the British Beer & Pub Association said.

 

Local pubs were the most vulnerable as communities were hit by the fallout of the economic downturn, it added.

 

The research suggested businesses that provide food were far more resilient to the recession.

 

And branded pubs and cafe-style bars were opening at a rate of two a week, according to the report.

 

"Pubs are already diversifying, but unfortunately if you are a community pub, you can't transform yourself into a trendy town-centre bar," said an association spokesman.

 

"The biggest impact is the recession. There are fewer people out and fewer people spending money in pubs and bars, regardless of where they are," he said.

 

Job losses

 

The rate of closures was the fastest since the number of UK pubs began being tracked, in 1990.

 

The number of pubs has dropped by 2,377 in the past year, to a total of 53,466.

 

The association's chief executive, David Long, said that the economic pressures of the recession had been added to by the smoking ban, tax rises on alcohol and "regulatory burdens".

 

Pub closures had cost 24,000 jobs, he added.

 

"Government should look at valuing and rewarding pubs as community assets," Mr Long said.

 

"Not only would this have social policy benefits, by supporting a hub of community cohesion, but financial policy benefits in terms of tax revenues, particularly at a time when the public purse is stretched."

 

A number of pub firms have said that they have been offering financial support for tenants, in an effort to enable them to stay open.

 

Last month, pub and brewing company Marston's said it wanted to raise £176m in a rights issue. Most of the funds would be earmarked for buying land and developing pubs in densely populated areas, with a focus on food.

[D.X 0]

Business rates for some pubs are totally unrealistic. What the government don't realise is that by pubs shutting they're putting people out of work and losing tax on their income and more people are buying alcohol from supermarkets at a quarter of the price losing even more tax and VAT.

[dj.silver 0]

Business rates for some pubs are totally unrealistic. What the government don't realise is that by pubs shutting they're putting people out of work and losing tax on their income and more people are buying alcohol from supermarkets at a quarter of the price losing even more tax and VAT.

 

Add to that the cost of Sky Sports, my local in Wimborne which could if 'rammed to the rafters' may hold 200 were paying £1100 a month http://planetsmilies.net/shocked-smiley-9457.gif

[disco4hire 1]

Add to that the cost of Sky Sports, my local in Wimborne which could if 'rammed to the rafters' may hold 200 were paying £1100 a month http://planetsmilies.net/shocked-smiley-9457.gif

 

Same with my local, the landlord told sky to shove it, and had it took out. It cost him a bit of mid week trade, but not a £1000s worth.

[Dukesy 0]

Interesting!

 

[D.X 0]

Add to that the cost of Sky Sports, my local in Wimborne which could if 'rammed to the rafters' may hold 200 were paying £1100 a month http://planetsmilies.net/shocked-smiley-9457.gif

 

My local has just had Sky removed. It's a very small pub which only holds around 40-50 people spread over 2 rooms. Sky wanted £300 per month. He paid it for a while but decided it wasn't worth it and I don't blame him.

 

How are Sky going to make that back. No one is going to purchase Sky at home just because their local gets rid of it. Those who want it will already have it and those that don't won't. Another case of greed winning over sense.

 

[Dukesy 0]

Well, Sky and other organisations who introduce and set tariffs have a mandate to raise revenue, some operate 'by whatever means necessary', to cover year-on-year company expansion, administration costs, etc.

 

Obviously, as the impact on the related sectors continues from pubs and clubs closing, naturally, the DJ sector will be affected and most definitely targeted further because there is no unity - cohesion is definitely not wanted in our sector.

 

Who can doubt that the EU will ever be truly thanked for introducing their smoking directive? Perhaps Britain should have adopted the Greek stance and told the EU-directive-penis-wavers where to shove it, but sadly, that might have upset some £5,000,000 paid MEP in the Jolly Boys GB Club. Our Government is truly frightened that Brits might possibly band together, and possibly adopt a French style response of "Vas te faire encule!", hence the continued quest to control and dictate 'us peasants'! LOL!

 

I don't think we're broken Britain, more of 'Medieval Britain', slipping further backwards towards an age where the 'rich' and upper crust had clear roads and paths to traverse, where the poor were taxed for the privilege of breathing!

 

Some might say that bulk purchases of low cost alcohol for consuming indoors is a great thing, compared to the cost of the odd pint away from the 'mundane' four walls of home.

 

Some might say that the experience of having a quiet pint in a pub is non-existent, what with establishments introducing family orientated 'grub' bars, attended by 2' tall screaming, whinging nappy filling ankle biters running amok like some scene from the appropriately titled film "Gremlins"!

 

I do feel sometimes that 'us peasants' are not wanted in pubs and clubs. Other areas can be tapped to raise revenue, bars and clubs can shut for all they care, except for the one in Westminster. We should all be off the streets, holed up indoors by 7pm and lights out by 10pm!

 

And that last statement may well indeed come true if the Government don't get off their backsides and start investing in sorting the national power grid out before 2012! Mind you, the only thing lit in London by then will be the Olympic torch, and Lord Mandelson's pump action peasant colon-interrogator.

 

[Raymilkybarkid 0]

Well, Sky and other organisations who introduce and set tariffs have a mandate to raise revenue, some operate 'by whatever means necessary', to cover year-on-year company expansion, administration costs, etc.

 

Obviously, as the impact on the related sectors continues from pubs and clubs closing, naturally, the DJ sector will be affected and most definitely targeted further because there is no unity - cohesion is definitely not wanted in our sector.

 

Who can doubt that the EU will ever be truly thanked for introducing their smoking directive? Perhaps Britain should have adopted the Greek stance and told the EU-directive-penis-wavers where to shove it, but sadly, that might have upset some £5,000,000 paid MEP in the Jolly Boys GB Club. Our Government is truly frightened that Brits might possibly band together, and possibly adopt a French style response of "Vas te faire encule!", hence the continued quest to control and dictate 'us peasants'! LOL!

 

I don't think we're broken Britain, more of 'Medieval Britain', slipping further backwards towards an age where the 'rich' and upper crust had clear roads and paths to traverse, where the poor were taxed for the privilege of breathing!

 

Some might say that bulk purchases of low cost alcohol for consuming indoors is a great thing, compared to the cost of the odd pint away from the 'mundane' four walls of home.

 

Some might say that the experience of having a quiet pint in a pub is non-existent, what with establishments introducing family orientated 'grub' bars, attended by 2' tall screaming, whinging nappy filling ankle biters running amok like some scene from the appropriately titled film "Gremlins"!

 

I do feel sometimes that 'us peasants' are not wanted in pubs and clubs. Other areas can be tapped to raise revenue, bars and clubs can shut for all they care, except for the one in Westminster. We should all be off the streets, holed up indoors by 7pm and lights out by 10pm!

 

And that last statement may well indeed come true if the Government don't get off their backsides and start investing in sorting the national power grid out before 2012! Mind you, the only thing lit in London by then will be the Olympic torch, and Lord Mandelson's pump action peasant colon-interrogator.

 

 

Well said Dan

[gadget 0]

Interesting!

 

I'll have to see if I can seek out that pub in Harrogate, as over the next few weeks I'll be there most Thursdays....

[Robster 0]

my local town has all its pubs open but a neighbouring town has many that are shut or closing , this area has seen a big change over the years as it used to be a factory workers area and many of the workers lived in that area and obviously went for a drink too.

 

most of the factory's have shut and the area has become a large Asian community with a new mosque being constructed and many Asian specialist shops ..it seems to me that the local population ie the customers that used to frequent those pubs are no longer there...money is still being spent but in different ways on different things and because of the changing nature of the population in that area this has meant many pubs have closed . the mix of cultures and the diversity of Britain's population is in my opinion another small contributing factor why pubs are closing ...lots of little reasons why pubs are closing.

Note this is an observation not a criticism .

 

wow its hard to put the point across with out sounding racist..which i am not ..its just simple fact .. if your local target audience doesnt drink you are going to find it hard running a local small pub.

 

obviously the other factors mentioned have a bigger significance in pub closures

 

I have also seen a trend of groups of lads and girls getting drunk at home then going straight to the club late on rather than drinking in the pub then going to the clubs in an effort to save money.

[exbutlinred82 0]

Has anyone ever on here ever had a booking from a Wetherspoons??

 

Do they have a total no music policy??

 

Their rise may be part of our downfall.How many of us receive follow on bookings from our local wet pub.

"Its mi Missuses 50th Guv...."

 

 

If I wanted to throw a party in Wetherspoons what would they say??Yep.....BUT NO DJ.

[deejaymitch 0]

I have had a booking from Wetherspoons during a period where they decided to allow entertainent for a while. At the same time another DJ on here built up 2 popular residencies in a different Wetherspoons bar, then they decide to go back to no music and cancelled his 2 successful nights.

[D.X 0]

my local in Wimborne

 

 

When I was an engineer I used to work in Wimborne at a place called Cobham Flight Refuelling. Stayed in a B&B on the main road. Really nice place. What's the disco scene like down there ?

[McCardle 1]

If I wanted to throw a party in Wetherspoons what would they say??Yep.....BUT NO DJ

 

Why not try it and let us know?

 

I reckon that if the first attempt resulted in a refusal, then a second / third attempt, each time upping the ante in relation to waving £500 or £750 in their face would result in getting what you want.

 

Policies always tend to fly out of the window where money is concerned. Ask any politician or minister of religion :ads:

 

 

[dj.silver 0]

When I was an engineer I used to work in Wimborne at a place called Cobham Flight Refuelling. Stayed in a B&B on the main road. Really nice place. What's the disco scene like down there ?

 

I'm busy!

 

There's a disco in the Rising Sun, Cricketers and the Pudding and Pye (ME!) every Friday, so quite good. Plus then I do the Green Man once a month, gigs at the football club and the rugby club, so yeah can't complain thanks.

 

I live on Hardy Crescent, right next to Flights and a very good friend of ours, carol Angel is a fairly high up PA there.

[Raymilkybarkid 0]

Only problem with the spoons pubs is do they have a PRS licence and are they licensed by the council for entertainment?

 

I worked at a pub in Large Seafront Pub in Great Yarmouth back in the 80's they had a Licence for music but there could be no dancing as they didn't have a licence.

They had employed door staff to stop people from dancing.

[gadget 0]

Only problem with the spoons pubs is do they have a PRS licence and are they licensed by the council for entertainment?

 

I worked at a pub in Large Seafront Pub in Great Yarmouth back in the 80's they had a Licence for music but there could be no dancing as they didn't have a licence.

They had employed door staff to stop people from dancing.

 

 

There are qutie a few 'spoons which don't play any music at all - to keep their costs down afaik..

[Dukesy 0]

Only problem with the spoons pubs is do they have a PRS licence and are they licensed by the council for entertainment?

 

I worked at a pub in Large Seafront Pub in Great Yarmouth back in the 80's they had a Licence for music but there could be no dancing as they didn't have a licence.

They had employed door staff to stop people from dancing.

Yes, experienced this example in Colchester only a few years ago. The Police used to stand opposite the pub too!

Why the pub wanted a disco for the amount of grief it caused was beyond me!

 

 

[D.X 0]

I'm busy!

 

There's a disco in the Rising Sun, Cricketers and the Pudding and Pye (ME!) every Friday, so quite good. Plus then I do the Green Man once a month, gigs at the football club and the rugby club, so yeah can't complain thanks.

 

I live on Hardy Crescent, right next to Flights and a very good friend of ours, carol Angel is a fairly high up PA there.

 

Jeez, that is right next door. You must have a wonderful view out your bedroom

 

Coincidentally, I did some work last year for a company where I live near Wolverhampton collecting waste batteries and ended up collecting from the recycling place down Brook Road. Found it strange ending up down there again considering I live 180 mile away.