A dark day - The CPT (Lounged)

[taper]

Geoff.b

Best first post ever!

[DulwichFox]

Why do Pubs rely on Food to make a profit....

... Whilst Restaurants rely on Drinks....

Foxed Fox (?)

[Kapt.Kopter]

taper Wrote:

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> Geoff.b

>

> Best first post ever!

couldn't agree more

[Jah Lush]

As a regular myself I know it can do with few slight adjustments here and there but if they can keep it to what it is - a proper friendly back street boozer then I'll be very happy. It could be a lot worse. Someone could have bought it, closed it down and turned it into flats. As long as it keeps going and isn't completely unrecognisable as to what it was before then I'm happy.

[El Pibe]

I'll miss the old bird, but tbh it's struggled to find an identity for a few years whilst it's takings must have been in freefall. And Murphy's right about the beer.

If these guys to a good job (and lets hope that quote from the OP is just a marketting chap knocking one out rather than anything to do with the finished product), then I'll be happy to see a bit of life breathed into the third place*.

*apparently it's having music whilst turning off the wi-fi; funny, I always thought the third place was a loo, shows what I know.

[BrandNewGuy]

Used to love the CPT back in the early 90s - TV football in the bar, Sunday papers in the lounge and a decent quiz. Can't help thinking it's gone downhill recently, capped by the behaviour of a bunch of coked-up pissed-up wannabe crim geezers who tried to ruin the Goose Is Out singaround the other month, without the management giving a toss. Haven't been tempted back since then...

[Jeremy]

Their mission statement (or whatever it is) is a load of cock, but if every pub is individually ran, it could quite possibly turn out to be decent. So I will hold judgement... and as others have pointed out, the fact that it's remaining as a pub is good news in itself.

[thomas thomas]

Let's all wait and see what happens before we moan. As some have said, the pub could have been closed all together. And I happen to think that it is the customers who make the pub. So don't give up on somewhere because it looks different.

[Sue]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> Used to love the CPT back in the early 90s - TV

> football in the bar, Sunday papers in the lounge

> and a decent quiz. Can't help thinking it's gone

> downhill recently, capped by the behaviour of a

> bunch of coked-up pissed-up wannabe crim geezers

> who tried to ruin the Goose Is Out singaround the

> other month, without the management giving a toss.

> Haven't been tempted back since then...

xxxxx

To be fair, it was the new manager who didn't give a toss - who I believe has since left, though I haven't been back either since that episode. Shame, as it was our local and we used to go there quite a bit.

Adam, the previous manager, was extremely supportive of the Singaround and would never have let that happen.

ETA: Was somewhat shoot-in-foot time for the CPT we felt, given that we were generally filling the room on what would have been a slow Sunday night for them.

[Jah Lush]

That particular manager didn't last five minutes did he. Was out of his depth. I'll also be reserving judgement until things are up and running. I'd certainly welcome the toilets being given a complete refurb.

[Sue]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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I'd certainly welcome the toilets being

> given a complete refurb.

xxxxxx

Never mind a complete refurb Jah, I'd welcome there being a Ladies with more than one cubicle - and something rather larger than the present set-up whereby if somebody is washing their hands nobody else can get to the aforesaid cubicle :))

Plus there's no provision for people in wheelchairs. They can get into the pub (via a portable ramp apparently which someone will bring out if you shout from the door loud enough) but once there they can't have a pee, which rather detracts from the enjoyment of a pint unless you've got an extremely strong bladder :))

Actually come to think of it, the bogs at the Actress are downstairs, what do disabled people do there? Is there another one upstairs I've never noticed?

[Sue]

thomas thomas Wrote:

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> Let's all wait and see what happens before we

> moan. As some have said, the pub could have been

> closed all together. And I happen to think that it

> is the customers who make the pub. So don't give

> up on somewhere because it looks different.

xxxxxx

Yes I agree it is the customers who make the pub.

Unfortunately, it was the "coked-up pissed-up wannabe crim geezers" as Brand New Guy describes them above who we were told were "regulars" and therefore took precedence over our Singaround.

Nyge (my OH and the other half of the Goose) went in in December to put up a notice (with permission obviously) on the night of the Singaround saying that it was now at the Mag, in case people turned up at the CPT, and one of these "regulars" said to him "I'll take that down as soon as you've gone, mate."

Charming.

So if these people are still there after the refurb, I doubt I'll be back, however good a job they make of it and however good the ale is.

Having said that, many of the regulars at the CPT are fine, there just seems to be a very unpleasant bunch who aren't.

[MrBen]

Hmmm....a bunch of good natured, knitted folkies and the ageing, coked up builders with a chip on their shoulder doesn't sound like a great mix does it?

I used to go there a fair bit on Sundays by myself as it was good for a pint and papers. It had to be a tabloid though or they'd mistake you for an undercover copper. I liked the back lounge best as the front was a bit hit and miss - sometimes friendly, other times downright lairy.

Now the Mag is closer to home and I reckon they've done a pretty fine job there of catering to different groups at once, perhaps because of the space. It can be like a creche at times but you'll still find hardened drinkers at the bar and some decent live music and food.

As for the CPT - you never know until it happens but it will need more than some art on the wall to attract a decent crowd and I'll wager that for every one of the regulars who'll miss it, there are 4 others who would try it out if its offering was improved. It doesn't need to transcend to the Third Place - all it needs is a decent juke box, decent beers and a small kitchen for some simple food.

[Vilmos]

Were the new owners to declare that the pub was a dead horse, never to make a profit, and applied for planning permission to demolish it and build flats in its place, they could make a very tidy profit.

[karter]

Things change. This is just what the cpt needs. A good buy imo.

[El Pibe]

Thinking about it, in order to do anything practical with the place they'll have to knock out the bar from the middle, and that gorgeous victorian [style?] wood and glass bar/partition would be a loss.

[Jah Lush]

I bloody hope not.

[Otta]

That is my biggest fear, but my dad seems to think that that is their plan. He was convinced the glasswork was listed, but I can't find any evidence of that.

[Jah Lush]

It bloody should be listed. The whole building should be listed. If memory serves I think The Wishing Well (now the Victoria Inn) managed to keep the glass/bar partition bit after the refurb. I can't be sure of that because I've only been in a couple of times since it re-opened.

[herrd]

For at least the last two years, the CPT was 100% destined to get taken over, (primo location, ace facade, original features, bugger all custom, gaggle of mobility scooters parked out front) so don't know why anybody is remotely surprised. I liked the grizzled regular's witty repartee in the old CPT. My fave line was: "Nice coat. Are you a poof?" Doubly funny as I was stood with the missus, as it was our anniversary (who says romance is dead?)

On a controversial note, and as a dad of a 2 1/2-year-old myself, I really hope they make it an adults-only pub and ban the blasted buggies. The other Friday, thirsty at 11.50am (well, it was Xmas...) I was asked to leave the EDT, even though it was open, because I WASN'T a toddler and they had some dance group thingy going on. As well as non-parents (often overlooked on the forum), us mums and dads need somewhere to escape the ankle biters, too. And, before you say it, the William Hill doesn't count.

[herrd]

Looks like they own 39 boozers in Brighton...

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1348867.merger_creates_new_club_superchain/

[Jah Lush]

Great post herrd. Had me laughing out loud. I remember when the EDT was a proper pub. I'm not overly keen on it now. I hope I won't be saying the same about the CPT. There's life in the old girl yet.

[*Bob*]

Did strangers walking into the EDT used to get called poofs as well then?

Back when it was a 'proper pub', I mean?

[steveo]

Perfumed ponce

[herrd]

To be fair, Bob, it was said in jest and taken as such. I had a good laugh with them after they'd shot me down. We didn't exchange addresses, but it was water off this duck's back. Sometimes when you're on a regular's plot and stand out (like wearing your ponciest going out coat at 6pm on a Tuesday), you play by their rules. It's the law of the local, world-wide, in my experience. You have to feel for the old boys, who have been squeezed sideways since almost every pub in their manor has had the parma ham treatment.

Anyway, the thing I'm most grateful of is this: at least it's not part of the blasted Bishop chain. We might, just might, get a SE22 bar where a lame "Beaver" joke isn't made. "You can't beat a good Beaver," etc, was turning most pubs in SE22 into some kind of Airplane script writers' convention...