Pubs we've lost

[Deleted]

Maybe the revamped station will have a bar?

[porkystone]

Changing the tone of this thread to 'Pubs We've Gained' , spent some time last night @ 'The Cellars Alehouse' for the iMUSC bash. What a great venue that is for the committed mountaineer and real ale drinker. An absolute pleasure, even if porky was drinking something from the Tonbridge brewery.......

[Deleted]

Oct 28, 2017 5:32:42 GMT porkystone said:

Changing the tone of this thread to 'Pubs We've Gained' , spent some time last night @ 'The Cellars Alehouse' for the iMUSC bash. What a great venue that is for the committed mountaineer and real ale drinker. An absolute pleasure, even if porky was drinking something from the Tonbridge brewery.......

You have no idea how much that place pisses me off! I lived in the flats next to the old brewery for 17 years, but now I've moved and no longer really drink, they've opened a pub stacked full of real ales and with no ruddy TV or music, right bloody next door! Literally within crawling distance...

[porkystone]

Oct 30, 2017 15:45:25 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Oct 28, 2017 5:32:42 GMT porkystone said:

Changing the tone of this thread to 'Pubs We've Gained' , spent some time last night @ 'The Cellars Alehouse' for the iMUSC bash. What a great venue that is for the committed mountaineer and real ale drinker. An absolute pleasure, even if porky was drinking something from the Tonbridge brewery.......

You have no idea how much that place pisses me off! I lived in the flats next to the old brewery for 17 years, but now I've moved and no longer really drink, they've opened a pub stacked full of real ales and with no ruddy TV or music, right bloody next door! Literally within crawling distance...

It is crawling distance if you've got to get up the vertical flight of steps after sinking a few........ .

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2017 11:27:26 GMT porkystone said:

Oct 30, 2017 15:45:25 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

You have no idea how much that place pisses me off! I lived in the flats next to the old brewery for 17 years, but now I've moved and no longer really drink, they've opened a pub stacked full of real ales and with no ruddy TV or music, right bloody next door! Literally within crawling distance...

It is crawling distance if you've got to get up the vertical flight of steps after sinking a few........ .

We lived on the top floor of that first block of flats next door, and that's built on top of two levels of car park, so it would have been another FIVE flights of steps/stairs after that!

But, from experience, I've occasionally woken the next morning with no memory at all of getting up those stairs, so maybe beer gives you super powers where climbing is concerned?

[Deleted]

Oct 28, 2017 5:32:42 GMT porkystone said:

Changing the tone of this thread to 'Pubs We've Gained' , spent some time last night @ 'The Cellars Alehouse' for the iMUSC bash. What a great venue that is for the committed mountaineer and real ale drinker. An absolute pleasure, even if porky was drinking something from the Tonbridge brewery.......

And I suppose we really should include all those ruddy Wetherspoons that have popped up everywhere. But I often wonder if they are at least partly the cause of so many other pups going, rather than just an addition to the pub scene?

[porkystone]

Oct 31, 2017 13:36:56 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Oct 28, 2017 5:32:42 GMT porkystone said:

Changing the tone of this thread to 'Pubs We've Gained' , spent some time last night @ 'The Cellars Alehouse' for the iMUSC bash. What a great venue that is for the committed mountaineer and real ale drinker. An absolute pleasure, even if porky was drinking something from the Tonbridge brewery.......

And I suppose we really should include all those ruddy Wetherspoons that have popped up everywhere. But I often wonder if they are at least partly the cause of so many other pups going, rather than just an addition to the pub scene?

A few years ago, I reckon most 'CAMRA' people regarded Wetherspoon's as the great Satan, but now you can't knock them. Pubs close because they have nothing special to offer ( in terms of drink or food ) so it's market forces at work. If in 10 years time town centres are just 'Spoons or ersatz Spoons like The Brenchley is that too much of a problem ?

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2017 15:40:21 GMT porkystone said:

Oct 31, 2017 13:36:56 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

And I suppose we really should include all those ruddy Wetherspoons that have popped up everywhere. But I often wonder if they are at least partly the cause of so many other pups going, rather than just an addition to the pub scene?

A few years ago, I reckon most 'CAMRA' people regarded Wetherspoon's as the great Satan, but now you can't knock them. Pubs close because they have nothing special to offer ( in terms of drink or food ) so it's market forces at work. If in 10 years time town centres are just 'Spoons or ersatz Spoons like The Brenchley is that too much of a problem ?

It's proved a good business model, and, yes, it's nice to find a comfortable pub that does a range of decent beers, but my lad worked at the Muggleton, and he said they were awful to work for and he would certainly never eat there! Personally, they are just too big for me, I like a cosy pub - also I just can't drink in a pub run by that absolute bellend Tim Martin.

But, more seriously, I think they've done to smaller pubs what supermarkets did to local shops - smaller pubs just can't compete on the range of beers, the food, and, most importantly, the prices. A Spoons opening up in a town probably doesn't affect the town-centre pubs too much, but for any smaller pubs away from the centre, that little bit of lost trade is probably the final straw.

[porkystone]

Oct 31, 2017 20:55:55 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Oct 31, 2017 15:40:21 GMT porkystone said:

It's proved a good business model, and, yes, it's nice to find a comfortable pub that does a range of decent beers, but my lad worked at the Muggleton, and he said they were awful to work for and he would certainly never eat there! Personally, they are just too big for me, I like a cosy pub - also I just can't drink in a pub run by that absolute bellend Tim Martin.

So interesting that you say this. I went in the Muggleton a week or so ago with a friend from London, who ordered a gammon thingy which came up severely undercooked. A lot of shouting over that and a replacement whisked up from the kitchen, but still didn't stop my mate getting a touch of ' Montezuma's revenge ' .......

[Deleted]

Nov 1, 2017 11:19:17 GMT porkystone said:

Oct 31, 2017 20:55:55 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

It's proved a good business model, and, yes, it's nice to find a comfortable pub that does a range of decent beers, but my lad worked at the Muggleton, and he said they were awful to work for and he would certainly never eat there! Personally, they are just too big for me, I like a cosy pub - also I just can't drink in a pub run by that absolute bellend Tim Martin.

So interesting that you say this. I went in the Muggleton a week or so ago with a friend from London, who ordered a gammon thingy which came up severely undercooked. A lot of shouting over that and a replacement whisked up from the kitchen, but still didn't stop my mate getting a touch of ' Montezuma's revenge ' .......

I've seen a few pub kitchens in my time (you would never have eaten a Pilot pizza if you'd seen behind the scenes!), so what my lad said didn't sound too unusual - it was the high turnover of staff that made the difference. No one stayed long enough to be trained properly, and no one cared because of how they were treated. The summer my lad worked there, the entire staff changed - in not much more than 2 months. And the manger was as pissed off as the rest of the staff.

[pedant]

Nov 1, 2017 14:35:30 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Nov 1, 2017 11:19:17 GMT porkystone said:

So interesting that you say this. I went in the Muggleton a week or so ago with a friend from London, who ordered a gammon thingy which came up severely undercooked. A lot of shouting over that and a replacement whisked up from the kitchen, but still didn't stop my mate getting a touch of ' Montezuma's revenge ' .......

I've seen a few pub kitchens in my time (you would never have eaten a Pilot pizza if you'd seen behind the scenes!), so what my lad said didn't sound too unusual - it was the high turnover of staff that made the difference. No one stayed long enough to be trained properly, and no one cared because of how they were treated. The summer my lad worked there, the entire staff changed - in not much more than 2 months. And the manger was as pissed off as the rest of the staff.

It was a few years back but I interviewed a young 'assistant manager' from Wetherspoons for the manager's job at our work's club.

We stressed the commitment that our job needed and he suggested it would end up being less hours and stress than where he currently was. And more money.

In the world where turnover is king Wetherspoons were selling beer cheaper than we could buy it for.

Whilst I occasionally indulge in their low prices its evident to me that they have had a not insignificant impact on the rate of pub closures.

As for the food you generally get what you expect for the price even if I do come away thinking it could have been cooked by a 12 year old with a microwave and a deep fat fryer.

[Deleted]

Nov 1, 2017 11:19:17 GMT porkystone said:

Oct 31, 2017 20:55:55 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

It's proved a good business model, and, yes, it's nice to find a comfortable pub that does a range of decent beers, but my lad worked at the Muggleton, and he said they were awful to work for and he would certainly never eat there! Personally, they are just too big for me, I like a cosy pub - also I just can't drink in a pub run by that absolute bellend Tim Martin.

So interesting that you say this. I went in the Muggleton a week or so ago with a friend from London, who ordered a gammon thingy which came up severely undercooked. A lot of shouting over that and a replacement whisked up from the kitchen, but still didn't stop my mate getting a touch of ' Montezuma's revenge ' .......

They're not all bad. Mugs isn't great, Society Rooms OK, but the Old Opera House in Tunbridge Wells is very good and a fantastic building to boot. I've been in a few around the country, but apart from Mugs and the one on Margate seafront they've all been pretty decent.

[porkystone]

The Old Opera House is very good, as is The Peter Cushing @ Whitstable. Spoons are generally decent, sometimes the clientele can be a but dodgy & for lunch time drinking you have to dodge the prams......

[spurstone]

Oct 10, 2017 17:40:22 GMT daveu said:

Oct 10, 2017 15:43:36 GMT pedant said:

White Lion - Lower Stone Street, demolished and replaced by Miller House offices, now apartments

London Tavern - now MuMu pizza

Wig and Gown - outside County Hall, demolished and replaced by Invicta House offices

Bull - Gabriels Hill - now betting office

Papermaker's Arms, then Motley Hall - Loose Road, abandoned?

Blue Door - Sutton Road, care home?

Invicta house was originally Pendragon House and was owned by an insurance company before KCC bought it in the 90s and renamed it.

London tavern was also later the Badger and honeypot. Was good footie venue. Always used to watch England games in there including in particular I remember a certain world cup quarter final against the west Germans.

[spurstone]

Oct 7, 2017 20:51:47 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Walking back from the game today, and passing (at least) three ex-pubs, I thought it might be interesting (if depressing) to list all those that have disappeared.

I'll start with the few I know, and update this post as people add others. I fear the list is going to be a long one...

(Updated 10 Oct 2017)

The Fountain, corner of Tonbridge Road and Fountain Lane, Barming - now an Indian restaurant

The Admiral Gordon, corner of Tonbridge Road and Milton St - now a shop

Fant Arms, Upper Fant Road - converted to houses

Coopers Cask, corner of Lower Fant Road and Bower Lane - converted into houses

Anchor & Hope, Bower Lane, Fant - knocked down, replaced by houses

The Railway Hotel, next to West Station - knocked down, replaced by block of flats

The Railway Bell, Hart Street - knocked down

The Bull Hotel, Gabriels Hill - now a betting shop

Ship Inn, Gabriels Hill - became the Palace of Shame, then the Golden Boot

White Lion, Lower Stone St - knocked down, replaced with office block

The Brenchley Arms, Upper Stone Street - now a shop

Fortune of War, corner of Old Tovil St and Upper Stone St - turned into bedsits

The Eagle, corner of Loose Road and Old Tovil Road - knocked down

Papermakers Arms, Loose Road - closed

Kings Arms, junction of Loose Road and Old Loose Hill - turned into house

The Star, Linton Road, Loose - knocked down, replaced by houses

The Stones Inn, next to the old ground - knocked down

The Rose, Wheeler St - converted into flats

The Greyhound, corner of Wheeler St and Well Road - knocked down, replaced by flats

Royal George, corner of Well Road and Boxley Road - turned into flats/offices?

The Holly Bush, corner of Fisher St and Peel St - turned into houses

Fishers Arms, corner of Scott St and Perryfield St - turned into a house

The Ancient Druids, corner of Wheeler St and Brewer St - now an Indian restaurant

The Cricketers, corner of Mote Road and Kingsley Road - closed

Kingsley Arms, corner of Melville Road and Brunswick St - turned into flats

Rising Sun, Marsham St - turned into houses

Victoria Hotel, next to East station - being knocked down or converted into ME booking office?

The Wig and Gown, top of Week St, next to County Hall - knocked down, replaced with office block

London Tavern, Week St - now MuMu

Saxon Chief, Queens Road - knocked down, replaced with houses

The pub on the corner of Foley St and Allen St (no idea what it was called) - turned into houses

British Queen, Square Hill Road - knocked down, replaced with houses

Orchard/Orchard Spot, Spot Lane, Downswood - no longer a pub(?)

Old Plantation, Plantation Lane, Bearsted - closed(?)

Parkwood Tavern, Wallis Ave, Parkwood - knocked down, replaced with housing

The Blue Door, Corner of Sutton Road and Willington St, Parkwood - knocked down, replaced with care centre

All the (other) pubs in Shepway/Parkwood (apparently!)

The Little Gem, High St, Aylesford - closed, due to be turned into a house

Yorks - off Gabriels Hill (flats)

Battle of Britain - Kingswood (knocked down for houses)

George - bottom of Boxley road by prison (flats?)