Fight to keep pub as 'community hub'
Another boozer in Lincoln is up for lease as the struggling pub trade continues to be hit by the recession.
The Lord Tennyson on Rasen Lane is to let, but owners Punch Taverns say the building is already under offer and will continue to be a public house.
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The Lord Tennyson pub in the city is to let, but the owners are confident it will continue to be a public house.
Punch Taverns have several other pubs scattered across the county which need to be leased if the licensing trade is going to survive.
The Federation of Small Businesses say that one of the reasons behind the failure of pubs is the tie many of them have with specific breweries, meaning they cannot shop around for booze bargains.
David Dexter, Lincolnshire Region Chairman for the FSB said: "With 40 pubs closing every week, it's time the Government took urgent action to stop the trend.
"The single biggest reason for this dramatic rate of pub closures is the tie.
"Britain is on the brink of losing its traditional community hub – the British pub – and it is time for action."
Punch Taverns assured the Echo that there was an element of flexibility with all their pubs depending on the level of investment and what the tenant wanted to achieve from running the business.
Other pubs up for lease through Punch Taverns include The Cherry Tree in Cherry Willingham and the Bell Inn in Coleby.
It also recently let out the Marquis of Granby in Waddingham, near Gainsborough.
5 Comments
by Stan, On the Busses
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:33PM
“I live in Rasen Lane and as far as the Lord Tennyson is concerned I say good riddance! The place is run down and scruffy, both inside and out. The land would be better cleared and much needed new housing be built.”
by mikee, Lincoln
Monday, October 26 2009, 6:21PM
“come on labour, close everything, then you can use your scare mongering to keep everyone under your spell, instead of being allowed to talk as communities, to save our communities, government you're all scandalous control freaks, and we want our pints and fags in peace”
by lynn, lincoln
Monday, October 26 2009, 5:03PM
“I live near the Birchwood Shopping Centre. It is currently being completely revamped, and it's looking extremely attractive, except for the pub there, the Black Swan. What a blot on the landscape, outdated, and an eyesore in the grand scheme of this development. I think a bulldozer would remedy this situation!”
by lynn, lincoln
Monday, October 26 2009, 4:54PM
“I blame the smoking ban for a large amount of pub closures, also the cheap booze on sale in all the supermarkets. I don't go to the pub because I object to paying £3.50 for a glass of wine when I can buy a bottle of a tad more.
My Father ran a pub for a lot of years, it was an old fashioned boozer. He made his money from buying supermarket spirits and putting them through the optic, (on the quiet of course). He also made money from having his own juke box and gaming machine. I assume those days have long since gone. Most of his 'punters' met on the same day, at the same time each week, and this was the hub of the community to swop tales and have a good old natter. The only food on offer was nuts and crisps, now if a pub doesn't offer food they are doomed!”
by John Shipton, Lincoln
Monday, October 26 2009, 10:41AM
“It is a shame that so many public houses are closing in the city of Lincoln whereby the main problem has been that pubs are tied down to certain breweries which control price and what is on offer.
I have worked in my younger days for two major breweries which were Ind Coope and Trumans.
Ind Coope started off in Romford, Essex, in 1709.
This part of the country had the famous Romford Brewery.
Upto 1961, the brewery industry was diverse with lots of beers to chose from. It was in 1959 that amalgamations, mergers, and takeovers where identities began to disappear. Ansells, Taylor Walker, and Ind Coope, together with Allsops became Allied Breweries. The catering firm Jo Lyons joined later in 1978 to be called Allied Lyons.
Similar mergers happened with Watney Mann and Trumans joining a hotel company and became the Grand Metropolitan Group.
The same happened to Courage and John Smiths, as with Carlsberg-Tetley in 1992.
Romford Brewery is no longer and the site is now a shopping and entertainment complex.
Trumans Brewery no longer exists in the East London.
The stranglehold on pubs should be broken otherwise community hubs will close just as what happpen in the brewery trade.
But then, I drink real ale from the wood and not beer and lager stored in metal casks!”