In days gone by when Queens were no longer considered an asset, or their husbands had fallen from grace, they had their head chopped off. The lucky ones didn't actually lose their head, but instead they were sent in to exile. Mind you, if you were going to be sent to Telford in Shropshire for the rest of your days (the most boring place on earth according to a recent survey) then beheading might have almost looked like an attractive option.In modern day Pub terms I guess that being closed down is the equivalent of losing your head. And so it is with this poor Queen. She, and 66 of her fellow local pubs close every week in the UK according to the papers. I found some stats showing that in 1980 there were 69,000 pubs. By 2009 this had dropped to 53,466. In the same time frame the percentage of independently owned (or "Free Houses") ie not owned by the breweries, dropped from 84% to 47% . So what do you think this is telling us??
12 comments:
many pubs are closing for one reason: they are simply not very good.....they fail the basic requirement of a pub's existence - to serve a decent, full pint of beer
In London, I have a hard time finding a decent pub. But when I travel up to Yorkshire area, I tend to find a great pub on every corner. It's brilliant!
Global recession perhaps?
people are now wedded to their home entertainment... TV, games, computers..
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Corporations buy up businesses forcing independent owners out.
Sad news.
A combination of breweries squeezing the margins out of independent owners, chains like Wetherspoons retailing at low prices, home entertainment and incredibly cheap booze in supermarkets/off licenses.
If anyone's looking for a good pub in London may I (highly) recommend the 'Princess Louise' on High Holborn, 2 minute walk from the station.
It has the oldest original Victorian furnishings in England (or London at least, I forget)inside and is a lovely little pub full of atmosphere. Also surprisingly cheap beer from Yorkshire!
Will make a note of the Princess Louise. There is a cheerful looking one opposite aldgate station to the left, the Bunch of Grapes I think it's called. A lot depends on the person running the pub.
Does that mean the Australians are no longer interested in English Beer? Maybe the English have learnt how to avoid Beer or else they don't serve Fish and Chips with a Pint like they used to?
, I tend to find a great pub on every corner. It's brilliant!
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Some pubs are closing because the product is too expensive and often crap. I mean beers passed off as 'continental' lagers but actually brewed in this country where we don't have the first idea about brewing decent pilsner. What we can do well, like no other country I have visited, is brew real beer, or real ale as it is known. You can still find pubs selling this produce packed to the rafters and at a decent price too. But they are disappearing too. Why?
Some pubs are closing because the product is too expensive and often crap. I mean beers passed off as 'continental' lagers but actually brewed in this country where we don't have the first idea about brewing decent pilsner. What we can do well, like no other country I have visited, is brew real beer, or real ale as it is known. You can still find pubs selling this produce packed to the rafters and at a decent price too. But they are disappearing too. Why?
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