Storm in a Thai cup Rusthall

Before lockdown the Red Lion in Rusthall served Thai food which received rave reviews and had a live jazz night on Saturdays.  Since the partial lifting of the lockdown the Thai food service has resumed but the jazz nights are off limits.

Sadly all has not gone well since re-opening.  The popular Manager left before the re-opening but why has not been made public.  This week all Thai kitchen staff have been given notice.  Before lockdown the pub was closed on Mondays but is open now for what may be described as pub grub.  

The surmise locally is that Thai is out and pub grub in every day.

The locals, well some of them, are up in arms and have taken to social media to vent their fury.  Fingers are being pointed, accusations made and conclusions reached based on no hard evidence or  any unbiased  objective analysis.

Red Lion Rusthall

Since the new tenant took over the Red Lion on a long lease from the brewery the establishment has gone from strength to strength.  The pub receives excellent reviews  for its food and entertainment. Moreover there are no complaints about noise levels and unruly customers exiting the premises.  Well done, keep up the excellent work.

Red Lion closed, again

The Red Lion in Rusthall closed earlier this year.  The living accommodation is occupied by the people who ran the pub.  It is rumoured they will leave before the end of the year, but what then?    Local gossip relates that at least eight prospective tenants have turned the pub down.

UPDATE

The pub is re-opening on 23 December.

Red Lion comes up trumps!

Well done.  The pub's karaoke evening passed without incident, by which I mean that the  landlord took the necessary steps to minimise noise.  Keep up the good work.

Soon, the darts 'star' John Lowe is coming to the Red Lion, Rusthall to play a few matches, proceeds to the local hospice.  John is a Derbyshire man and lived but a couple of miles from me. He visited my 'local', The Bridge Inn, Hollis Lane, Chesterfield.     Goodness me, it is over 23 years since I was in the pub.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Blast from the past

It is reported in the local press that John Lowe is to play darts at the Red Lion in Rusthall  in aid of the Rusthall war memorial fund.

Memories came flooding back.  John would drop into my local in Chesterfield, the Bridge Inn on Hollis Lane.  The locals were well-behaved, not challenging John to play darts, he was out for a quiet drink.

Another of my haunts was The Star on Chatsworth Road. The landlady bore a close resemblance to Hylda Baker, both in looks and voice. A friend of the landlord and his wife was Charlie Drake. Charlie stayed at the pub from time to time. Again, the regulars were well-behaved. Charlie was not asked to tell a few jokes, but as the evening wore on we would be regaled with anecdotes and a stream of jokes,

NIMBY.

I live opposite a public house and under the flightpath of aircraft landing at Gatwick Airport.

The current pub landlord is doing an excellent job (which is more than can be said for the majority of  predecessors) in ensuring that disturbance to neighbours is kept to a minimum.

Aircraft noise is not too bad.

The problem is that people who cause disturbance would be rather put out if they had to suffer the noise themselves.  For many this is the problem with Nimbyism: double standards.

Of course one can understand the attitude of people who do not want a new railway at the bottom of the garden or a new runway at an airport: yet these very people do not think twice about travelling by train or aircraft and even less about the disturbance that is caused.

I invite my readers to consider what your attitude would be to a proposal which would damage your enjoyment?  It is easy to criticise when you are not affected by a scheme, but if you were how would you react?

How does one balance personal interest with the needs of the wider community?  The answer is that one cannot.  Clearly measures can be taken to reduce the impact of a new railway or runway, but no more.

The opposition to the HS2 railway proposal is being directed at the environmental damage the railway will cause and also at the business case for the scheme. Strong though these arguments are, nevertheless there is an underlying nimbyism.

One issue bringing out the nimby brigade is the issue of airport expansion in the South-East of England.  The current government was elected on a manifesto opposing an additional runway at Heathrow.  There is pressure for a 'U-turn' on that commitment.  A second runway at Gatwick or at Stansted has been ruled out in the past. The Mayor of London's proposal for an artificial island to be built in the Thames Estuary, 'Boris Island' is widely opposed, as are suggestions to increase capacity by developing Manston in Kent

It has been suggested that, with HS2, Birmingham airport could meet demands for increased runway capacity.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviation/9339749/Boris-Johnson-backs-new-runway-at-Stansted.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9338969/Political-timidity-stops-airport-plans-taking-off.html

All change at the Red Lion

Another change of landlord at the Red Lion, Rusthall.  By my reckoning that is eight changes wihin fifteen years. There are three other pubs in the village and the club so I would have thought the brewery would have given up the struggle to keep in open.

Red Lion, Rusthall

A few years ago residents living close to the Red Lion had much to complain about, so much so that objections were raised to the proposed premises licence. Residents turned out in force at the  meeting of the Licensing-Sub-Committee held on 25th August 2005.  Goodness me, was it that long ago?

The brewery, Shepherd-Neame, caved in and accepted the conditions proposed by the Environmental Health Department of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Below are the minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee.

For the most part the conditions have been adhered to, although this evening people were leaving the pub (and making a lot of noise) after midnight.

25th August 2005

APPLICATION FOR PREMISES’ LICENCE – RED LION, 82 LOWER GREEN ROAD, RUSTHALL

LSC17/05 Consideration was given to an application for a premises’ license at Red Lion, 82

Lower Green Road, Rusthall, which had been referred to the Licensing Sub-
Committee.

It was noted that Environmental Health had withdrawn their representation as the applicant had accepted the following conditions:

1. Music cease at 11pm;

2. No more than 2 music events per calendar month;

3. Acoustic baffles must be fitted to the windows when music is being played;

4. The door on Lower Green Road must be kept shut at all times whilst music is

being played;

5. A door person must man the door at all times during music events; and

6. All conditions must be enforced by the second appointed day (24 November

2005).

The Licensing Sub-Committee proceeded to hear the case following the adopted

procedure rules and all parties present at the hearing were invited to address the

Sub-Committee. After hearing the evidence from all the parties, the Licensing Sub-
Committee retired to take their decision with the Legal Advisor and Committee Clerk.

Members then deliberated the application which was determined having regard to the

four licensing objectives.

Upon reaching a decision the Members of the Sub-Committee returned to the

Committee Room to announce their decision in public. The Legal Advisor announced
the legal advice given to the Sub-Committee during the deliberations.

RESOLVED –

That the application for a premises’ licence in respect of Red Lion, 82

Lower Green Road, Rusthall be determined as shown at Appendix 1 attached.

Appendix 1

LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE

LICENSING PREMISES APPLICATIONS – THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2005

LICENSING PANEL DECISION NOTICE

NAME AND ADDRESS OF

PREMISES: Red Lion

82 Lower Green Road

Rusthall

Tunbridge Wells

Kent

TN4 8TW

NAME(S) OF APPLICANT:

Shepherd Neame Ltd

REASON(S) FOR

APPLICATIONS -

(REPRESENTATION):

Four representations were made regarding this application, as

follows:

(1) To prevent public nuisance

(2) To prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance

(3) To prevent a public nuisance as concerns over level of

amplification for films after 11pm (10.30pm Sundays) and impact

of this on nearby residents. Concerns about noise after 11pm

(10.30pm Sundays) generated from live music and the impact on

residential amenities. Concerns about the proposal that live

music on New Year’s Eve should continue to close of business

on New Year’s Day etc and the disturbance caused by the

recorded music to the neighbouring residential properties.

Concerns in particular about evenings that lead onto working

week days such as Bank Holiday Mondays and Valentine’s Day

etc and the disturbance caused by the recorded music to the

neighbouring residential properties. Concerns over extension of

hours, particularly during the week and on Sunday nights, as this

will undoubtedly cause a disturbance to residential amenities,

with noise of music and activities occurring within the premises

and the noise of people leaving the premises. This noise may

include slamming of car doors, engine noise, and people’s

voices, all of which will be particularly prominent late into the

night.

(4) Noise late at night carries further than in the daytime and it is not

unreasonable for people to try and get some sleep after 11pm in

the evening. The public house also has a powerful recorded

music system. The base notes thumping away are a constant

irritation which soundproofing alone do much to diminish.

(5) As a residential area we are concerned about extended trading

area for the following reasons-: loud music, late night noise and

traffic.

(6) This is a village pub and a very late opening time could very well

mean people leaving drunk and noisy and could damage

property, cars etc.

(7) Noise and rowdiness is unbelievable when it is turn out time

when there are

people shouting and name calling.

DECISION MADE:

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered the licensing objectives

and have decided to limit the supply of alcohol on Sundays to 23.00

and to limit the opening hours on Sundays to 23.30 hours.

In all other respects they were prepared to grant the licence in

accordance with the amendments to vary the licence proposed by

the applicant and as agreed with the Environmental Health Officer.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS:

N/A

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Licensing-Sub Committee took into account the representations

from the interested parties to the relation to the licensing objectives.

Red Lion, Rusthall closes its doors.....again!

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.