A Shropshire community is facing a drinkers’ disaster with many of its pubs boarded up, for sale, or for let, in a near-wipeout - underlining the depth of the crisis in the pubs trade.
See the casualty list in our gallery below
Although there is no danger of St Georges, in Telford, going dry, over half of its “locals” have now either closed - either temporarily or permanently - or otherwise have some question mark over them.
And there has been a fresh blow with news that the Albion Inn has now been put up for sale.
Mr Ian Ferguson, tenant licensee at The Albion Inn, said: “We’ve been put up for sale as well, by Marston’s brewery. I’ve been here over 15 years and had a letter through the post saying the pub is for sale. It’s £380,000, if you’re interested in buying.”
He said it was being sold as a pub, but he did not know the reason for the sale.
Mr Ferguson said the Bell & Bails was boarded up until somebody was found to take it over, the Cottage Spring was up for lease, as was The Bush, the Barley Mow was closed, and the Pigeon Box had been closed since about March.
Further afield, he said, the Stafford Arms at Ketley Bank - also a Marston’s pub - was for sale too.
Mr Ferguson added: “We’ve been here 15 years and we would not have been here that long if it had not been worthwhile.
“We’ve been very busy up until the last few years. The smoking ban hasn’t helped very much.”
Of the general problems in the pubs industry, he said: “Trade has gradually been going down over the years. Supermarkets don’t help us. Three cases of beer for £20 - we can’t compete with that.”
A spokeswoman for Marston’s Brewery said they did not comment on individual cases.
By Toby Neal
32 Comments
Demand and supply, I’m afraid.
smoking ban more like, its a bit like if you banned all the fat people from macdonalds you would soon see their restaurants boarded up…
when the pigeon box closed it was a sad day for many locals. the pub had been there for over 150 years. it was not just a pub though it was like a central meeting point for groups and friends alike. when the landlord announced he would be running the Bush we basically relocated to there lol
I’m sad to see the Bell and Bails boarded up again,my Uncle ran it when it was the Quarry House Inn, its not just St Georges the Old Shawbirch is also boarded up on the Trench road.more and more are closing. the old style pud sadly is a thing of the past.
sorry I meant pub not pud before everyone tries to put me right.
(spencer) McDonalds seems full of skinny teenagers not fat people - Pubs weren’t just full of smokers before the ban - as HSJP says it’s supply and demand.
Spencer - it is basic demand and supply. If people don’t use pubs, they close. The smoking ban might have an impact on the demand, but I think you’ll find that the supply of pubs far exceeds the demand for their services.
Greedy brewerys and government between them have priced out the pub drinker, can anyone explain why a gallon of petrol is abou a fiver but a gallon of beer is in excess of 20 pounds
H. St. John Peasbody - I’m afraid your demand and supply comment is a little too simplistic!
If there wasnt a demand for alcohol - why are the supermarkets doing such good trade? And why are hospitals seeing such a rise in drink related illnesses?
It was government legislation in the 90’s that made the pub trade unviable, causing the breweries to move out. The continual above inflation tax hikes and more recently the smoking ban have been the final nails in the coffin.
The only way that many historic pubs will be saved is if the government intervenes by penalising supermarket sales and making pub sales of alcohol attractive to the breweries once again.
Unfortunately it won’t happen, as this government (and btw the tories are no better) are too short sighted to see the consequences of their actions on local communities. It doesn’t help that all the main political parties are in the pockets of the breweries and supermarkets either!
It is interesting that the Shropshire Star has only chosen to focus on St Georges, other areas have been just as badly affected. Dawley has also had half of it’s town centre pubs closed since the new year (including the Lord Hill, Dun Cow & Royal Exchange) with many others also now up for sale!
As a Camra member I am a big fan of real ale, not fizzy lager rubbish. Perhaps more effort should be made in introducing the lager follower to genuine real beer. I also blame greedy pub chains for the high rent and leasehold. Weatherspoons have the right idea.
Persona Non Grata: The demand and supply I am referring to is the demand for and supply of the services of pubs, not the demand and supply of alcohol. This being the case, your comments are simple.
The answer is a state-controlled monopoly such as Alko in Finland.
I know somebody who ran a pub,they were forced out by the Pub chain who owned it.It was closed for at least 6 months whilst the chain was looking for new management.It’s not a case of supply and demand it’s a case of the Pub chains looking for management who bow to the whim of the Pub chain.
HSP - And there was me thinking they were the same thing.
The answer is to remove stupid legislation and taxes to allow people to drink in moderation in controlled premises as we they had previously for several hundred years!
Alun
What planet are you from?
Camra has a lot to answer for in pushing for the legislation which decimated the UK pub trade in the first place!
Are you really saying that characterless weatherspoon pubs are more desirable than the many historic pubs that we are losing daily - because they serve real ale?
Mainly the smoking ban. If people can’t sit down and socialise with a pint and cigar they are more likely to stay home. Mind you, it’s what Labour want - the destruction of traditional society, to make us easier to manipulate and control.
Greedy breweries, governmet legislation, (smoking bans etc), drink driving laws, Sky high mortgages, petrol prices are the reasons for pubs closing down. People quite simply don’t have the money to go to pubs these days. Going for a pint down the local is now beyond the family man’s reach. Or so it seems!
I could be wrong. Maybe modern man prefers to sit at home in front of his expensive plasma TV or play computer games with a pint of best supermarket bitter on the coffe table.
Times are changing, that’s the only thing for sure.
Harold: Went to Helsinki a few years ago with work thank god! because the food and drink were extortionate! the local drink was coal tar no wonder they have such few pub/bars
Find an enrepreneurial builder to convert the pubs to residential property, more peope move in to support the remaining pubs. Simple.
Anyway, many (not all) pubs in the UK don’t deserve to be in business given the lack of capital investment, bad food, and surly service. Consider this to be a matter of survival of the fittest.
And finally, the smoking ban is a godsend. Maybe the increase in alcohol related illnesses will be offset by a drop in smoking related ones ?
like the passing of steam trains, another sad event marking the slow death of Great Britain.
Interesting to note that the “”your shout poll”
on this website (at the top of this page)
shows:
Canada (48%)
Britain (26%)
Mars (26%)
Is that telling us something ??
When it’s all gone, its gone for good.
I ran a pub for my parents for nearly 10 years, and in that time it was fun, as it was a meeting place for locals as well as “home from home” for many. The atmosphere was great, and there was rarely any trouble, because the “local lads” stepped in on my behalf if ever there was the beginning of an incident. Sadly, the pub I ran has changed hands so many times in the last 30 years that I have lost count, and it now stands boarded up and forlorn which breaks my heart every time i walk by. I feel desperately sorry for landlords now as they are fighting a losing battle against the government, high rents, and punters who just don’t have the money to spare to socialise in that environment as with the spiralling cost of living, there is nothing to spare at the end of the week.
Time we got rid - they bought us to our knees the last time they were in power. They have done the same again this time.
It’s amazing - people find more to say on the subject of closing public houses than post offices. I suppose if post offices sold alcohol then the subject would be different.
Is the name of the Pub “The Champion Jockey” in Donnington Rosebud????
Thats boarded up and a complete disgrace.
probably you will all blame the smoking ban but i think its just us brits have gotten a bit more health concious and are drinking less…. Still incase you blame the ban i will say that the smoking ban is a great Labour policy which has improved food sales in pubs and safe guarded the nation, WELL DONE GORDON, KEEP IT UP, OIL PRICES WILL COME DOWN SOON AND YOU’LL BE SEEN AS A GREAT LEADER
Danny? Danny! Stop licking that window, it’s time for your medication.
come on shropshire star buck the trend of the doom and gloom national newspapers and help promote shropshires pubs. give them some free promotions and lead a campaign for everyone to pop into their local at least once a week for a pint,short or a soft drink.
do not let the pubs go down without a fight.
SAVE OUR LOCALS occasional drinker
good, less pubs, less alchoholics
Back to the first comments about supply and demand, or should I say DEMAND and supply….
The anti smoking brigade DEMANDED ALL smoke free pubs, which were then SUPPLIED.
The more tolerant REQUESTED separate inside smoking areas, of which there was ABSOLUTELY NO SUPPLY.
Result - LOSS OF 1500 PUBS IN ONE YEAR….
No wonder Mars seems to be the preferred option….
danny peer.
well danny if you think G Brown and this Labour lot have done a good job you should join them that voted Mars,Hospitality Industry in tatters,thousands out of work and home because of the smoking ban,with thousands more to come,and all based on a con job a fraud,and anyone who says it is not the smoking ban that has done the damage,just look at the closures before the ban and the closures one year on,it is time the landlords/lady and club owners to say,enough is enough,and put the ashtrays back on the tables and watch the customers come back in after all smokers did make up 75% or more of the pubs custom,give people the freedom to choose,smoking or non smoking venues,everyone happy,enough said,Tug.
The smoking ban is the final kick in the teeth for our beloved boozers. I remember the 90’s reccession, times were hard, yet our pubs survived - a bit of escapism and a chance for a drink & a chat with your friends.
Supermarket booze has been cheap for years now, not since July 1st 2007, yet is constantly trotted out as a cause. Maybe it is, but only because Britains 10 million odd smokers and their friends have realised its cheaper and nicer to socialise in the comfort of home than some draughty ’shelter’.
The only thing I could implore is for the non smokers of England to use their now smoke free public houses, if this legislation is so popular then why are they in crisis?
PS I am talking real pubs here, not licensed eating houses.
Paula: We live in a commercial world and like Harold says its supply and demand be it a pub or a Post Office and sadly even schools.
When the suns out, the beers are gardens fill up, rain, howling winds, freezing cold. Smokers and their friends, partners, and family stay in the comfort of their own home with beer from the supermarkets. The smoke-hating antis always had the choice of investing their own money into smoke-free venues. They do not care how many go under and they call smokers selfish!
Ventilation should have been the way forward for those in business who wanted.
freedom2choose.info for tolerant non-smokers and smokers alike please join our forums and consider becoming a member.
rather surprisingly after the story in the paper on Friday i drove past the Bell & Bails and all the boards had been taken down.
How ironic that Marstons refused to comment but then removed the boards!!!!