Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I like old-fashioned boozers as much as anyone and spent most of of my formative years in them but this harking to a bygone era is pointless, as well is some cases - eg




completely, utterly wrong to the point of barminess


Old fashoned boozers are closing because they don't make money and don't have enough customers - if everyone who says they were much better actually went regularly enough then they would still be in business


Modern pubs, for all of their faults (as well as pluses) tend to make money. Because people in there spend money


There are what I would consider 2 proper old -school boozers left in SE22, and I like them both. But I rarely see many people in either of them. Which is doubly-odd considering how many proper-boozers have gone, you would think the they would benefit. But I suspect a lot of the old patrons actually (whisper it) quite like the newer pubs as well


Not everyone, chocoholic no, but there is no great mystery

If you go into the Herne Tavern the tap water plus glasses are on the bar waiting for you to help yourself.Why bring your wallet or pause out.


I've never noticed that. All this time I've been wasting my money on beer when I could have drunk tap water for nothing.

gary


if there is a demand for traditional bar snacks please get back at we will supply them at the vale

i have just returnd from travels and would like to know any feed back about the vale good or bad in my absence

all comments will be replyed to.

Hoopers bar sells the best scampi fries I've ever tasted ? can?t remember who makes then though. I think they must be using real scampi not just cheap imitation stuff that you find in other bars. Just the right amount of crunch and just the right amount of softness ? fabulous.


Right I?m off scampi fishing ? does anyone know where?s a good place to go?

Scampi Fries are little crunchy pillows of ersatz fish and lemon flavourings, they might be corn, they might be anything for all I know, I've never been arsed enough to look.

But when enmouthed and bitten into one can insert the tip of one's tongue into the inner shell and feel a sensuous smoothness that is most pleasing.


I doubt the pricipal ingredients have ever been near briny waters or indeed grove, but them's tasty and that's a fact Jack!

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Old fashoned boozers are closing because they

> don't make money and don't have enough customers -

> if everyone who says they were much better

> actually went regularly enough then they would

> still be in business


Can I be controversial here and suggest that it may have a lot to do with the smoking ban? Oh that and the ridiculous cheap pricing and availability of alcohol in supermarkets and other places nowadays.


> Modern pubs, for all of their faults (as well as

> pluses) tend to make money. Because people in

> there spend money

>

> There are what I would consider 2 proper old

> -school boozers left in SE22, and I like them

> both. But I rarely see many people in either of

> them. Which is doubly-odd considering how many

> proper-boozers have gone, you would think the they

> would benefit. But I suspect a lot of the old

> patrons actually (whisper it) quite like the newer

> pubs as well


Sean, what ones are they in ED/SE22, out of interest? (seriously, I do not know)


My personal opinion, I suspect a lot of the old patrons don't like the newer pubs either, its maybe just that the 'old-school' ones are beyond recognition. (yes, I do realise things cannot stay the same forever but...it often seems that we are becoming too homogenous and appealing to the 'masses' with familiarity)



Controversial? How? It's a pretty common view. It's also wrong IMO. It sure didn't help but the trend towards these pubs closing had been going on for years and ever faster. Smoking ban might have been a nail in the coffin but it wasn't a root cause. Plus, members of my "traditional" family gave up smoking on the back of it - so they are financially better off and will live longer. Bonus



I would say The Castle and the CPT, both on Crystal Palace Rd. Ok the CPT did out the front a few years back but the back bar is as close to an old-school pub as I have found anywhere.


Not sure what your last parapgraph's point is tho. old school pubs are different from newer pubs but are also beyond recognition?


i suspect the pubs of your youth were quite different from the pubs of 50 years previous as well (not that I'm saying you are that old - just that things change) . So will drinking dens be in 50 years time. If you harbour any resentment at the new styple pubs and their clientele, take solace that in 50 years time they will be complaining about how they have lost their heritage as well!

Fair enough Sean, so 'controversial' was the wrong word to use.


I am assuming the steady decline of clientele before the 'nail on the coffin' was increasing availability elsewhere/diversification? Or perhaps in ED's case, lack of traditional bar snacks?


In my last para, I meant that seemingly the character of most local pubs has irrevocably changed although they still differ from those with the ubiquitous 'designer' wallpaper and anodyne themes.


I don't harbour any resentment to the 'new' style pubs and their clientele and never said (or meant to imply) that in my post. Sure, people will complain in 50 years time that they too have lost their heritage, nostalgia is never what it used to be. I get that.


*heads off to the Castle via the CPT* (tu)

And I may have been using language at 7am that was more direct than I meant to ? sorry Katie


My take on the decline in clientele is to do with the social habits of said clientele. Going to the pub was a much easier option even 20 years ago when you had 4 TV channels on a small screen and take out booze cost just as much then as it did now (I remember Red Stripe being about a pound a can 20 years ago ? about the same now)


Whereas the same people these days often have a huge home cinema setup, the internet in another corner and cheaper booze at home ? the pub, even if it was the same place as 20 years ago, isn?t the same draw


I would also saying that pubs have character (versus the ubiquitous wallpaper modern ones) is part of the crossover. Back then no-one said their pub had character ? it was just an equally homogenised ?pub?. (There are exceptions of course ? I knew that the Beehive in Swindon was a good ?un back then and it still is now)

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...