Marple Tavern

[MsW]

Here we go again - we had a solo singer on at weekend and I can 100% guarantee the sound insulation was on the windows the doors were LOCKED and we were checking noise levels on the corner of the street every half hour - it's actually got to a point now where we don't enjoy the acts as we are so worried about the neighbours ! The Marple Tavern is not only our livelyhood it is also our HOME so we are not trying to upset anybody we are simply running a business. 75% of our regulars live on Wood Lane, Peacefield and the surrounding houses and many of them are retired (one or 2 are not so good on their legs)so while you are complaining they are enjoying the pub and the entertainment so if we are not here they will have to stay in - how is that fair ? My only real issue is "why buy a house near a pub if you want peace and quiet"?

[andy+kirsty]

Firstly, it is quite interesting to see how many people live so close to me, no doubt we interact in real life too.

Pubs are one of those things that are wholly subjective, to ‘declare my hand’ I much prefer the Railway and have been drinking in there for the past 12 years, in fact when I lived on Claremont if I didn’t go in the Railway I’d schlep up the hill to the Ringers walking past the Otters. It never occurred to me to go in – much as I never went in the Pine or the Bull.

Having grown up in Marple, been schooled here, bought a house here and am now raising my own family you get to know the place and of all the pubs in the town the Otters is the worst.

Living where I do I have been in maybe a dozen times in the past 5 or 6 years. The place doesn’t appeal to me, in its original guise it reminded me of the Alzheimer’s hospice attached to North Manchester General with leatherette wing backed chairs, a blue haze in the air and a strange smell – perhaps as my Grandfather was in there at a similar time it has linked the two places in my mind – I drew the conclusion that a pub that chose its soft furnishings on the basis of how easy it was to disinfect them probably wasn’t where I wanted to spend a great deal of time.

In recent times it has improved visually, certainly the makeover that was undertaken by the chap who owned the Rock Tavern did the world of good. But it was only ever cosmetic. On its opening night I went in, as did my neighbours, one goes in to watch football the other hasn’t been back.

Pubs and communities have a strange relationship, they both serve each other, are dependent on each other and do what they can to coexist. The Landlords want to be the centre of the community, the other pubs in Marple seem to have the balance right, there are no other complaints on this forum. The otters has always been on the edge, it doesn’t seem to have a ‘place’ in the town.

Provided the music isn’t obtrusive, provided the patrons behave themselves then I will continue to walk past it to another boozer and we can all live in peace, however, if the noise increases again and they tip drunkards onto the streets every night then I genuinely believe the place will no longer be grounded in the sort of community I want to live in.

Assuming that the thoughts on this thread are representative there seems to be the will locally to do something about it.

[Jeannieljr]

The biggest problem with the Marple Tavern is that it's open too late, playing music that is too loud and it's located in a residential area. This is a licensing issue. People who are being disturbed should ring the Stockport environmental health noise team. As for the afternoon music, plenty of hard working retirees live in this community too. These individuals should be able to sit outside in their well-earned spare time without getting a headache!

[Rachael]

Henrietta, you had cause to complain a COUPLE  of years ago?  I live right near the club, OCCASIONALY they have evening events that may cause a bit of noise, but they are far and few between.    I could not count on one hand the amount of times I have heard noise in a space of 12 months, or even two years, I would understand if it was every weekend, but it is not, I live within metres, have never heard noise that I felt the need to complain.   

Did you complain to the rugby club first, or just go straight to the council 

As for the Marple Tavern, a fellow dog walker I bumped into, lives closer than me, and said that there was a singer on at the weekend, the doors were wide open and it was very noisy, he felt it was going to wind the neighbours in the immediate vicinity right up ( including him )  ... I could not hear it where I live, but I guess on such a hot evening, it's a difficult one.... I thought the doors had to be shut when there are live acts on?

[MsW]

Last night a few people turned up after last orders who aren't regulars and they were very drunk and very loud. We refused to serve them and after asking them politely twice to leave the car park they were walked off the premises and down the road in the direction they claimed they lived. We cannot be held responsible for every single incident as they had got in that state else where and were refused entry hence the noise, it was dealt with swiftly and with as little fuss as possible and we can only apologise for the short period of nuisance which was due to circumstances out of our control, we have a clear policy on NOT serving anyone who appears drunk when they arrive at the pub.

[Golfballbazooka]

I'm writing this post at half past 1 on a Saturday night... I have just been woken up by people shouting whilst coming out of the pub. This is not the first time it's happened... If the maple tavern wants to pride itself on being a social hub for the community, perhaps it should put some rules in place that help to prevent people screaming outside the pub while the rest of the community try to sleep. This has gotten worse since the change of ownership.

[My login is Henrietta]

I've come to this topic late as I have been away for some weeks. I live on Buxton Lane near the pub in question. If there was a problem with noise or rowdiness I would be able to hear it and and be disturbed by it. If it disturbed me or my neighbours I would be complaining too. However, despite being within spitting distance of the pub I can't say I've been bothered by its activities.

The Rugby Club, however, has been a different matter and that's nearly a 1/4 of a mile away from my house! A couple of years ago I had cause to complain to SMBC about one of its night-time events. The music was so loud that both inside and outside my house I initially thought that the row was coming from next door's garden!! Perhaps the rugby club is the problem not the pub?

[simonesaffron]

I occasionally go in it with a friend of mine who is a regular there. I don't live near it.

I always enjoy my visits there. I am a Grandmother, I was in it last month and I  would say that the age group was mixed but leaning more to the 50+ drinker. I didn't see any irresponsible behaviour and I thought the music was quite good.

It presents to me as good community pub, which the local community should be supporting and I guess many of them are.   

[Snowball]

Another vote in support of the Marple Tavern. I only get out for a beer with friends once a week or so and we've found the pub to be a friendly welcoming place.

As per other comments, running a pub business is pretty difficult these days, you only have to look at the number of them closing down every week to realise this. Just selling drinks is no longer enough to survive, providing music, food, quizzes etc. is needed to draw people in. At the end of the day its an estate pub that will live or die from the support of the local community. Instead of moaning about it, get in there and give it some support. If it ever closes and finishes up a vandalised eyesore you'll only have yourselves to blame.

[Tracie]

I have been going in the Marple Tavern for nearly 8 years now as a regular, and its a great pub the tenants and bar staff that are in now are brilliant and very pleasant and I wish them all the best in the world, they work very hard and at the end of the day they are trying to make a living like the rest of us, and in this day and age running a pub is not easy.   The cheap beer does not at attract young ones to the pub at all, the majority of the regulars that go in are older than me and I am 45 even though I do consider myself to be young at 45.   Granted there are some younger ones that go in but, they are hard workers too, and they never cause any trouble.   We all go in to meet and chat with friends and chill out after a hard days work, what is the harm in that ?   Since I have been going in the pub I have met some great people and I have also made lots of very dear friends too.   We have some great nights playing crib, darts and pool or even just sat chatting and the weekends music is just brilliant (Blank Cheque is one of my favourites, just two guys play acoustic guitars).   So, the local residents need to take a chill pill and get themselves in the pub and support it, if your so community orientated. 

[Rachael]

I live around the corner from it too ,  I have no problem with the place .  I think the last tennants tried really really hard . My husband and my father in law would go in from time to time .   My father in law would get a text message to let him know if there was a new beer arriving, or when the football was on ... its the little things .    They sponsored charities, and worked hard  with the community . I hope the new tennants do well and continue the same  .   I can understand the logic of the hedge being cut , surely if people can see that it is a well used beer garden, then are more inclined to visit themselves.  Also inside it will make it lighter, and brighter and more welcoming .

[admin]

I live round the corner from the Marple Tavern and the previous tenants Karen, Lisa and Simeon transformed it from a place I never used into a good but under-used community asset. They tried hard to get the real local community into the pub (I remember Karen actually knocking on every door round here and introducing herself when they first arrived) and we’ve had some great New Year nights, family parties and dos there in the last few years. The pub and its regulars were very supportive of Friends of the Park and the Skatepark project in recent times too. Despite all that I understand that they were struggling to make a living and that is why they left. I’ve been in a few times since the new tenants arrived and they seem to be trying to carry on much the same as before but they need more local people to use it. I’ve been in on a Friday night and was surprised at how good the singing duo was and I’ve been in to watch the football with my son (who has been a regular through thick and thin for years). They’ve had a good guest ale on each time I’ve been in and the beer is a good price too. If you haven’t been in for a while I’d say go in and support it. It will be as good as the local community make it!

[MsW]

Maybe if "the community" who complain every single weekend came into the pub once in a while they would see we have very few young drinkers but many 50+ hardworking drinkers who appreciate the "cheap beer" as they use hard earned cash to buy it non of whom I might add are sat writing complaints in the afternoon - most people go to work during the day. As for the live music the majority are single or duos and ALL are local to the area so please forgive us for helping people from "the community" as it's obviously not your particular group. All our regulars live within walking distance of the pub and the average age of people leaving noisily is around 60 to walk up the road to their houses!! We are open for the hours on our licence and work very hard to keep our customers happy - unfortunately you clearly come from a different section of the "community" despite the fact most of our customers live exactly on or around the junction in question. Please understand we are not out to annoy anyone we are simply trying to run a "community pub" with a small minority who have campaigned for years to close the place with no regard for any of the locals who do enjoy the place.

[andy+kirsty]

The place needs knocking down.

We live not too far from it and are sick of listening to terrible singers each Saturday.

My understanding was that when they had live 'acts' on they needed to close the doors, I don't know if it is still in the licence.

There were one or two local residents who did some digging and complained. maybe our new local Councillor will be interested seeing as he lives just round the corner.

A

[JennyB250]

For anyone living around the junction with Cross Lane and Buxton Lane.  The 'Local Community Pub' now has extended hours and is open until 1.30am at weekends and until 12.30am all other days. We are constantly disturbed by patrons leaving the pub at all hours or as they stand outside smoking and drinking, as well as the live music that drifts out through open doors most weekends.  Late hours and cheap drinks does not attract the local community but instead attempts to draw in younger drinkers from the surrounding area. Today I see they have significantly reduced the height of the hedging from over 15 foot to around 3 or 4 foot around the beer garden.  The tall hedging did at least baffle some of the noise, but now it is free to escape into the surrounding houses at all hours.   The previous tenants were very community orientated, alas it would appear the new occupants have less regard for their neighbours.