Seen the news?Pubs closing. It's all doom and gloom!

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Restaurants yes and more coffee houses and a lovely tap bar being a bolt on to an established brewery. The curious cow thought is new but there was a pub before. Harrogate will always do well though as there’s lots of money and properties still selling quickly.

Get your point though in general.

Do you really 'get it' You're still wrapped up in the minutiae of whether it was an old pub reopening or a new pub. It's not the point! The point is it's very easy to find news that is ALL doom and gloom and whether it's main stream media or SM ignore any good news. And we lap it up and repeat it on here, to our families and yes down the pub.

[TipperaryBaggie]

There is certainly no lack of new drinking establishments in my home town of Folkestone. The whole harbour area is going through a complete makeover and there are an enormous amount of eateries and places to drink popping up where once passengers used to board ferries bound for France. The whole area is vibrant during the Summer holidays and at weekends and is bringing visitors to the town from far afield. If anyone is in Kent at any time, I would recommend a visit to the Harbour Arm in Folkestone.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

My home town Harrogate is vibrant 923.

But you’re talking about one of the top 10 towns to live in in the U.K. and often voted the top place to live.

If you look at Stourbridge where I have lived most of my life I’m not saying you won’t hear of any new establishments opening but…….the pubs that were there all of my life and for 50 to 100 years have gone.

On just the Hagley Rd into Stourbridge we’ve lost,

The Prince Of Wales,

One I can’t remember the name of,

The Swan,

The Old Swan.

This is in a straight line of 1.5 miles.

Within another half mile we’ve lost The Labour In Vain and The Pedmore House which was a huge landmark.

A quarter of a mile in another direction we’ve lost The Star And Garter and the historic place I had my wedding reception, The Stewpony.

The odd new place pops up and then closes within 2 or 3 years.

What we are losing locally are major local pubs of great history and replacing them with occasional shops etc turned into wine bars that fail and go t I t s up.

The Harrogate reference was in direct response to al who started his reply with 'Lots of pubs closed around Harrogate' Feels like I had to drag out of him the comment 'Harrogate will always do well '

Agree the loss of these old pubs is a shame but it's not a recent phenomenon. Lots of examples just 1 close to your patch. As a kid in the 60's I remember us driving from West Brom to Kinver through Stourbridge and at the bottom of a hill there was a crossroads with a pub on each corner.

By the time I was driving in the 70's there was only 2 open

Probably by the 90's there were none. All had closed. Seem to remember one was an Indian restaurant.

So why now is it all over national and local news as bad news with no reporting of the positives. Where is the balance?

There's a classic situation in the nearest town to me. Right opposite the busy mainline station there's a traditional English pub been there for years. The decors grim, the menus stretches from scampi and chips to burger and chips, the bar staff disinterested, always looks quiet. I've never been in. Traditional opening times.

200 yards up the hill there's a bar probably 20 years old I regularly visit.Less than half the size of the pub. In the mornings they serve an excellent breakfast from full English to smashed avocado on toast. Plenty of commuters picking up their obligatory take away coffees before getting on the train .

Lunchtime there’s a menu to cater for the many office staff close by. Choices include a Falafel, sweet potato, guacamole, red pepper, and spinach wrap. You get the picture.

Early evening lots of commuters stop off for a quick one on the way home.

As they leave seating is changed more suited to a younger crowd.

Outside there is a terrace that can be either fully enclosed with heaters, totally open to the elements and all the configurations in between. Cost £30k.

At weekends they have live dj’s and stay open until 2am as do others close by.

And finally the looker that is the Lithuanian barmaid is worth the visit just to get served by her.

But as I’ve said to al the closing of pubs is very much secondary to the real point.

Why oh why do the media constantly feed us bad news and neglect the good news and why do we lap it up and regurgitate it as fact when there is often another side to the story?

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

There is certainly no lack of new drinking establishments in my home town of Folkestone. The whole harbour area is going through a complete makeover and there are an enormous amount of eateries and places to drink popping up where once passengers used to board ferries bound for France. The whole area is vibrant during the Summer holidays and at weekends and is bringing visitors to the town from far afield. If anyone is in Kent at any time, I would recommend a visit to the Harbour Arm in Folkestone.

Good mate of mine lives just outside of Weymouth. The harbour there has also undergone a complete makeover. Pavements widened road narrowed so pub and restaurant seating can spill out.

Along the seafront whole new line of cocktail bars and pubs either refurbed or new have opened up in the last few years. Very busy in the season but by no means dead in the winter. Great to see and another success story.

[mickd1961]

The Harrogate reference was in direct response to al who started his reply with 'Lots of pubs closed around Harrogate' Feels like I had to drag out of him the comment 'Harrogate will always do well '

Agree the loss of these old pubs is a shame but it's not a recent phenomenon. Lots of examples just 1 close to your patch. As a kid in the 60's I remember us driving from West Brom to Kinver through Stourbridge and at the bottom of a hill there was a crossroads with a pub on each corner.

By the time I was driving in the 70's there was only 2 open

Probably by the 90's there were none. All had closed. Seem to remember one was an Indian restaurant.

So why now is it all over national and local news as bad news with no reporting of the positives. Where is the balance?

There's a classic situation in the nearest town to me. Right opposite the busy mainline station there's a traditional English pub been there for years. The decors grim, the menus stretches from scampi and chips to burger and chips, the bar staff disinterested, always looks quiet. I've never been in. Traditional opening times.

200 yards up the hill there's a bar probably 20 years old I regularly visit.Less than half the size of the pub. In the mornings they serve an excellent breakfast from full English to smashed avocado on toast. Plenty of commuters picking up their obligatory take away coffees before getting on the train .

Lunchtime there’s a menu to cater for the many office staff close by. Choices include a Falafel, sweet potato, guacamole, red pepper, and spinach wrap. You get the picture.

Early evening lots of commuters stop off for a quick one on the way home.

As they leave seating is changed more suited to a younger crowd.

Outside there is a terrace that can be either fully enclosed with heaters, totally open to the elements and all the configurations in between. Cost £30k.

At weekends they have live dj’s and stay open until 2am as do others close by.

And finally the looker that is the Lithuanian barmaid is worth the visit just to get served by her.

But as I’ve said to al the closing of pubs is very much secondary to the real point.

Why oh why do the media constantly feed us bad news and neglect the good news and why do we lap it up and regurgitate it as fact when there is often another side to the story?

I can’t disagree with your premise 923, your are correct on your side of the argument about the “bad news” vibe I guess, I just presume that when “pub closures” are in the news it’s that they’re commenting on the nett number of losses overall?

There will always have been pub closures, as hamlets became villages that became joined up into towns and social mobility increased then yes, naturally some will have closed.

My point was more based on the loss of what had been major and historic landmarks over my lifetime that have disappeared in a short space of time.

[baggieal]

Do you really 'get it' You're still wrapped up in the minutiae of whether it was an old pub reopening or a new pub. It's not the point! The point is it's very easy to find news that is ALL doom and gloom and whether it's main stream media or SM ignore any good news. And we lap it up and repeat it on here, to our families and yes down the pub.

Working in a charity shop in my own free time and delivering to food banks - I get it!!! Perhaps if I stayed in my nice property and leafy area and watched the news - I might be like you and wonder what’s all this doom and gloom! I see daily many who can’t afford to eat or turn on their energy as well as some NHS girls coming to the food bank.

Even Harrogate is littered with empty shops through small businesses going bust! The cost of living crisis is real but mainly to those who are struggling.

Even holiday companies are cutting back on capacity as was in the business 30 years and still have friends within!

So I get it!!! Do you?

[baggieal]

Many independent pubs are struggling like hell. One near us where they have advertised to sub let the lease because it’s dead. They had to lock into a 5 year lease which includes the house above the pub and the business all circa around 120K a year before one customer enters. So unless they go bankrupt they can’t walk away which is the same with many!! They are stuck!!

Loads of restaurants have closed because many are choosing not to spend their cash as freely as they did before! The only real boom is coffee shops due to the increasing tourist trade partly at the expense of going overseas.

So certainly not good out there!

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Working in a charity shop in my own free time and delivering to food banks - I get it!!! Perhaps if I stayed in my nice property and leafy area and watched the news - I might be like you and wonder what’s all this doom and gloom! I see daily many who can’t afford to eat or turn on their energy as well as some NHS girls coming to the food bank.

Even Harrogate is littered with empty shops through small businesses going bust! The cost of living crisis is real but mainly to those who are struggling.

Even holiday companies are cutting back on capacity as was in the business 30 years and still have friends within!

So I get it!!! Do you?

You're response clearly shows you absolutely don't get it. It only makes sense if I am trying to persuade everyone there is NO doom and gloom which is just plain silly as there is obviously plenty about. I'll try again.

If you listen to the news then there is only gloom. I've seen 'record number of pubs close' as a headline on the news but never 'record pubs open' yet both are true.

Empty shops has far more to do with our shopping habits than the cost of living although it doesn't help

As for the leafy areas comment I can assure Folkestone and Weymouth with very positive comments on here are both deprived areas.

A bit of balance is all I'm asking

[Albionic68]

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...nited-kingdom/

[baggieal]

You're response clearly shows you absolutely don't get it. It only makes sense if I am trying to persuade everyone there is NO doom and gloom which is just plain silly as there is obviously plenty about. I'll try again.

If you listen to the news then there is only gloom. I've seen 'record number of pubs close' as a headline on the news but never 'record pubs open' yet both are true.

Empty shops has far more to do with our shopping habits than the cost of living although it doesn't help

As for the leafy areas comment I can assure Folkestone and Weymouth with very positive comments on here are both deprived areas.

A bit of balance is all I'm asking

Don’t compare Harrogate to your own area. If you googled your health it could say you are dying when you have a chest infection!

It’s not shopping habits have changed - lots of shops are boarded up as small businesses can’t afford the rates and leases. There is no option but to shut up shop!

I don’t watch the news as too depressing but it does reflect the cost of living crisis. If you are ok - then you don’t see it!

PS - don’t believe everything on Google as more pubs closed/closing in this area including restaurants. The Curios Cow which you googled was an existing pub - rebranded and then rebranded again shortly after due to poor footfall. I would bet it won’t last much longer before it closes for good!

There were three clubs in the town but all closed now and that’s not drinking habits 😭