I declare an interest, I live opposite the Red Lion.
When I moved to Rusthall, Barry was the landlord of the Red Lion. A stickler for adhering strictly to licensing hours, his main claim to fame was the husbanding of bar stools. After each drinking session the stools would be gathered in and placed in an alcove accessible only from behind the bar. Selected customers were offered a stool. If your face didn't fit, no stool.
Barry left for Hastings after thirteen years as mine host. Since his departure there has been a succession of landlords none of whom has made a financial success of the pub.
The brewery has admitted that the Red Lion is a 'marginal pub' by which it means it is not a good income generator. Successive landlords have had meagre pickings. One problem is that it is impossible to contain sound within the pub, so any amplified or loud live music is broadcast to the neighbourhood, as are the questions on quiz nights and the runners and riders on race nights.
Matters got so bad that a group of residents living close to the pub objected en bloc to the proposed licensing hours when the new licensing laws were introduced and attended in strength when the pub's licensing application was considered by the local council.
The current landlord has thrown in the towel and the pub has a sign on the door: closed until further notice.
The time has come for the brewery to consider closing the pub as it is unlikely any new landlord will improve on the efforts of those who have gone before. I was informed at an early age that fast women and slow horses were two sure-fire ways of losing money. I would add to the list being the landlord of the Red Lion.
KENT COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: acerbic, carping, caustic, curmudgeonly,critical, cynical, grumpy, moaning, sardonic and plain speaking.
The notice has come down from the door and the pub is open! No food board outside though.
ReplyDeleteO yes there is food. Keep up with things around you or move out of the village. Dave from over the road. I feel the landlord is making a good go of it.
ReplyDeleteObviously you have failed to note the article was written in 2011. Wakey, wakey Dave. And you have missed the August 2011 post. Keep up with things. Perhaps you should take your own advice and move out :)
ReplyDeleteThe pub has been a local place for normal people to gather and enjoy each others company. If it means trying to look at other ways of generating traffic with Bingo, Quiz nights and Race nights (Of which I might add, have been a few), then that has to be done. It does not help when someone does nothing but constantly complain about the noise and ruin everyones enjoyment. This place has been licenced since 1415, and beggers the question why on earth you chose to move opposite? You are the original discusted of Tunbridge Wells, and got the town the original label that is still quoted! GET A LIFE,AND LET OTHERS LIVE THEIRS!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou will notice that the post was written in May 2011 since when there has been a huge improvement in keeping noise levels down to an acceptable level.
ReplyDeleteI see you prefer to remain anonymous which says a lot about you. It is not just me that complained about the noise a few years ago. There were many complaints about a previous landlord and this led to the conditions placed on the licence. All I ask is that the conditions are complied with and the current landlord has done a good job in this respect. It is all a question of the level of noise. I don't believe there have been complaints about bingo, quiz nights or race nights for over two years. The complaints have been about very loud music, so much so that on one occasion people in Greenfield Close complained. Quite what has led to your pathetic diatribe I do not know as there have been no complaints from me for months
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