Beer

[Stuka]

Great news!

If they address the dire match day music selection then we're all set

[Green]

Also a sign at how mainstream real ale has now become.

Hats off to the tireless efforts of CAMRA.

[Stuka]

Also a sign at how mainstream real ale has now become.

Hats off to the tireless efforts of CAMRA.

We can't get complacent though Green. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels.

[Green]

Also a sign at how mainstream real ale has now become.

Hats off to the tireless efforts of CAMRA.

We can't get complacent though Green. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels.

Indeed Stuka, indeed.

Pub closures are arguably a bigger threat now - but our friends in St Albans are on the case.

[Ian Royal]

To be fair, as far as I can tell most of the pubs that close are shit ones no one goes to, so I'm not sure that's a major issue.

Alcohol duty on booze in pubs that have some degree of responsibility in selling it is the biggest problem I can think of.

[Will95]

To be fair the only good pub in Tadley is the only one that's been threatened by closure in recent years, although everyone seems to go there now.

[North Somerset Royal]

Turned up earlyish for a beer before the game.
Not till next week.
Popped inside the hotel instead.

Yeah me too! At least I got my 50 p off voucher for next week.

[Green]

To be fair, as far as I can tell most of the pubs that close are shit ones no one goes to, so I'm not sure that's a major issue.

This is a bit of a myth, I suspected perpetuated by people who don't visit pubs all that often.

As a starter for 10, The Catford Bridge Tavern (South East London CAMRA pub of the year) closed its doors for good in November.

[Ian Royal]

To be fair, as far as I can tell most of the pubs that close are shit ones no one goes to, so I'm not sure that's a major issue.

This is a bit of a myth, I suspected perpetuated by people who don't visit pubs all that often.

As a starter for 10, The Catford Bridge Tavern (South East London CAMRA pub of the year) closed its doors for good in November.

Just my experience here. All the pubs that struggle / close are ropey and / or have no customers because of their location. If they were popular they wouldn't need to close surely. Barring Breweries deciding they can make more money by flogging the land to developers of course.

[BenReadingFC]

The Jazz club was selling it in bottles, Is that new?

[Green]

To be fair, as far as I can tell most of the pubs that close are shit ones no one goes to, so I'm not sure that's a major issue.

This is a bit of a myth, I suspected perpetuated by people who don't visit pubs all that often.

As a starter for 10, The Catford Bridge Tavern (South East London CAMRA pub of the year) closed its doors for good in November.

Just my experience here. All the pubs that struggle / close are ropey and / or have no customers because of their location. If they were popular they wouldn't need to close surely. Barring Breweries deciding they can make more money by flogging the land to developers of course.

Change of use is a big issue as you rightly point out, it's not just property developers but pubs are often converted into retail or indeed other leisure premises. I'm sure you realise this but it's not just breweries who own the freeholds to pubs of course.

Also Ian, it's true in some cases that the pub that closes isn't making a ton of money, but it can be turned round as was the case with the Nag's Head. Once it's converted into flats or a Tesco Express it's gone for good. Closure should be a last and final resort only when other options (including change of ownership) have been exhausted.

[Green]

WRT your personal experience, can you really hand on heart tell me none of these are a loss
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/cambridgesh ... ridge.html

I mourn every pub closure. Well, there might be one or two exceptions but near enough.

[Stuka]

Every pub that closes, whether well run or not, is a nail in the coffin of British culture, and everything I hold dear.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Did a few days in Derby last week.

"alledgedly" 25 Microbreweries within a square mile, Derby pubs are very much alive and well

Well done RFC...I would quite happily pay for a decent pint twice over....as opposed to paying the once for the generic diluted marmite water

[Platypuss]

Did a few days in Derby last week.

"alledgedly" 25 Microbreweries within a square mile, Derby pubs are very much alive and well

Was in Derby over the weekend as it happens - Friday afternoon for winter ale festival, Friday evening and Saturday for an attempt to sample the best of what Derby has to offer. We didn't even get close.

Highlights:
New Zealand Arms
Exeter Arms
Five Lamps
Furnace

Honourable mentions:
The Tap
Greyhound
Mr Grundy's
Little Chester Ale house
Golden Eagle
Alexandra
Crompton
Smithfield

Didn't even manage to get to the Brunswick or Flowerpot.

It really is the best City for ale in the country.

[Green]

What's the worst I wonder?

St Davids or Londonderry I reckon.

[Platypuss]

Anywhere in Scotland that isn't Edinburgh. Aberdeen?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Well Indeedy PP!

Happened to fall lucky whilst visiting an ex army colleague...

Exeter Arms....Dancing Duck Amberillo..ok
The Tap....various DBC samplers...ok
(you missed out on the) The Dolphin.... a decent few pints of Timmy Taylor and a very old bar
The Silk Mill...Cannot remember what....but it went down ok
Various others, obviously

Wasn't intentionally on a CAMRA crusade...but ended up shadowing some of the "beardies".....just what is in their rucksacks?

Great mention for my fav .............the Little Chester Ale House......just brilliant!....loved the "Justice for Gingers"

[Green]

Anywhere in Scotland that isn't Edinburgh. Aberdeen?

Nah Aberdeen is decent enough (for North of the border)

[Ian Royal]

WRT your personal experience, can you really hand on heart tell me none of these are a loss
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/cambridgesh ... ridge.html

I mourn every pub closure. Well, there might be one or two exceptions but near enough.

Ok, well looking at the ones that have a closure date since I moved to Cambridge:
Blackamoors Hotel - never saw it, but if there's little hope for the Carpenters Arms opposite, it had no chance.
Bun Shop 2 - now a brewery pub
Burleigh arms - a bit shit
Carlton Arms - reopened
Carpenters Arms - reopened (never liked the look of the place)
Fleur De Lys - allegedly a lesbian bar, tucked away where no one could find it.
Greyhound - total dive, poorly located and way too big to be sustainable
Grove - not a nice part of Cambridge, bit big and a bit run down.
Haymakers - reopened and much nicer now
Jubilee - good pub a couple of hundred yards round the corner another two excellent ones 10 minutes away.
Pike & Eel - total dive and way to big for it's location.
Queen Edith - run down, too big for its location - nice landlord and nice dogs, but completely unfeasible as a going concern. When it finally went it came to light the landlord hadn't paid his rent for about 6 months. Proposal to replace it with flats and a local brewery pub.
Rose & Crown - main road, no parking - surprised no one's done something with it though as lots of student accomodation right next to it.
Royal Standard - no idea
Seven Stars - main road, no parking, bit of a dive.
Unicorn - no idea
Zebra - dive

I can't say there's a single one that I know anything about on that list that was busy, or a great loss.

For the record, my favourites are:
Cambridge Blue
Kingston Arms
Devonshire Arms
Maypole
Empress
Emperor
Eagle
Green Dragon

Honourable mentions to:
Boathouse
Tivoli
Pickerell Inn
Portland Arms
Brewery Tap
St Radegund
Tram Depot
Cricketers
Elm Tree
Free Press
Golden Hind