Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Recommended Pubs & Restaurants => Topic started by: admin on October 18, 2016, 11:07:34 AM
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I've just heard that the Northumberland Arms pub is at risk of closure - I'm told that present landlords Margaret and Geoff are leaving and Robbies are not advertising for new tennants.
There is apparently a petition in the pub to turn it into an asset of community value.
This is a wonderful little pub and would be a sad loss. If you agree, please call in and sign the petition.
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14724567_10154641493187495_2133223870618161559_n.jpg?oh=28e9fb72b3ff8d57385dc89eab77dba0&oe=5890E565)
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This is a wonderful little pub and would be a sad loss. If you agree, please call in and sign the petition.
Missing the point a bit there I think Admin. If people agree, they need to call in and drink.
Robbies won't want to close a viable business, and if they do, any subsquent community action stands a much better chance if it actually is a community asset that people frequent, rather than just a nostalgic memory they don't want to lose.
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Plenty of people frequent the 'Thumb'. We don't live close to it, but we do call in there sometimes, and it's often quite busy. I agree, the Thumb is a great little pub and it would be very sad day if it closed.
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It is indeed an excellent pub. It would be a shame to see it go.
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The nomination for the Northumberland Arms to become an Asset of Community Value is up for consideration at Marple Area Committee on 14th December.
Looks like the recommendation by officers is to refuse. Shame!
Item 12. http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=8976&EVT=101&DT=A
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I see the application to list the 'Thumb' as an asset of community value was approved - good news, but of course it's only the beginning.
Does anyone know what (if anything) is happening now?
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I see the application to list the 'Thumb' as an asset of community value was approved - good news, but of course it's only the beginning.
Does anyone know what (if anything) is happening now?
That's right, I was pleasantly surprised. I know that Cllr @Malcolm Allan knows quite a bit about this, so I wonder if he could give us an update please?
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There is a small group working to save the Pub, supported by a large group of regulars - around 200 signed a petition just before Christmas that went to Robinson's, the brewery who own the pub. The group now has a meeting being lined up with the Robinson family, and in this group we have some good expertise including someone from the Brewery Estate business, a commercial accountant, a surveyor, along with myself to help if I can. The lovely tenants, Margaret and Geoff, retire this month but are being wonderful, supporting, hoping their hard work in creating a great local pub won't be lost. They have done a huge amount running community activities over the years. This is what helped to get the pub "ACV" status but, as is said below, this only buys time if Robinson's decide to sell the property. The group have been in touch with CAMRA for advice and there are a number of options that we want to put to the brewery. If anyone wants to add their support, the best way is to call in the pub and pick up a leaflet.
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That's good news Malcolm - thanks for that. I'll drop by for a leaflet next time I'm passing. We don't live that close to it, but we pop in from time to time and it would be a shame to lose such a great little pub. Whatever happens, Geoff and Margaret will be missed.
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Looks like the Northumberland Arms Community Group are making good progress:
http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/ (http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/)
Next public meeting: 7pm on Tuesday 28 th Feb 2017 at the Jubilee Methodist Hall (next door to The Thumb)
(http://thethumblocal.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/8/9/99899216/editor/thumbmain.jpg?1487267544)
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Sign now up development potential , any one know whats going on with the buy out that was going to happen .
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Sign now up development potential , any one know whats going on with the buy out that was going to happen .
I've merged your query with the existing thread @amazon you will see below there's a link to their web site and there was a public meeting on Tuesday. They haven't updated their news yet but I imagine they will soon.
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Being listed as a community asset in itself does nothing. In fact it often works against rescue attempts by strengthening the resolve of the seller inasmuch as they become determined not to sell it to the group that made the application in the first place, thus delaying their own intentions. There is also nothing in the act that compels the vendor to sell the asset to the applicants. That is, even if, the applicants can raise the necessary capital required to buy and run the business. We have had community assets in Marple in the past.
In fact if my memory serves me correctly, one of the pubs on Glossop Rd/Lane ends was on the register and the project just sank without trace. I know that this particular project caused some 'irritation' at high level within Robinson's brewery. What community assets often do is give people false hope when probably no hope is a better alternative.
Sometimes pubs just run their natural course particularly in these times of many other distractions.
Nevertheless, I like the 'Thumb' and I wish the group ...Good Luck.
Staying on the subject of Marple pubs, I understand that the Landlord of The Bull's Head has given his notice. I don't really go in it myself but does anybody know what's happening with that?
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I went to the Bulls Head at Christmas for the first time since moving near it. It was a strange place. Lights were barely on, just a few people crowded round the bar and it didn't feel very comfortable. On that night we went to several pubs, all of which were heaving. But the Bulls Head certainly wasn't. It could - and should - be a thriving pub given its location, but from that visit and from walking past regularly, it's clearly not. Go past at night and it barely looks open.
Anyway, I never got to visit the Thumb, but it sounded right up my street. I will be watching the attempts to buy the pub with interest and will be happy to get my wallet out, even if it's not on my doorstep!
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Being listed as a community asset in itself does nothing. In fact it often works against rescue attempts by strengthening the resolve of the seller inasmuch as they become determined not to sell it to the group that made the application in the first place, thus delaying their own intentions. There is also nothing in the act that compels the vendor to sell the asset to the applicants. That is, even if, the applicants can raise the necessary capital required to buy and run the business. We have had community assets in Marple in the past.
In fact if my memory serves me correctly, one of the pubs on Glossop Rd/Lane ends was on the register and the project just sank without trace. I know that this particular project caused some 'irritation' at high level within Robinson's brewery. What community assets often do is give people false hope when probably no hope is a better alternative.
There's a lot of truth in what you say and I think you're right about Robinsons probably being irritated by it. The other side of that coin is that Robinsons' attitude to closing their pubs is very unpopular with pub lovers. It may make business sense in the short term and on an individual basis but the practice of preventing someone else from having a go to turn a pub that they no longer want into a success is very mean-spirited and I believe alienates their customers.
I too wish the Thumb the very best in rising to the challenge and will buy shares if they manage to get that far. They are certainly making a better show if it than the Travellers, which faltered before it really got off the ground.
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There's a lot of truth in what you say and I think you're right about Robinsons probably being irritated by it. The other side of that coin is that Robinsons' attitude to closing their pubs is very unpopular with pub lovers. It may make business sense in the short term and on an individual basis but the practice of preventing someone else from having a go to turn a pub that they no longer want into a success is very mean-spirited and I believe alienates their customers.
I too wish the Thumb the very best in rising to the challenge and will buy shares if they manage to get that far. They are certainly making a better show if it than the Travellers, which faltered before it really got off the ground.
it was builders viewing day at the thumb yesterday a lot there viewing .
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The Localism Act is a badly thought out piece of legislation and the most misunderstood section of it is The Community Asset Register.
All kinds of strange and curious businesses up and down the country have found themselves placed on this register. These applications are usually made by well meaning but misled community groups. In the case of pubs, the act was meant to give local communities the opportunity to prevent the only pub in the village closing down. It wasn't meant to give a handful of locals (however well meaning) the opportunity to contest every pub closure that was announced. Especially when there are a handful of other pubs within easy walking distance. I do, to some extent admin, agree with what you say about the brewery's 'mean-spiritedness.' Conversely though, many would say that a business owner should be able to sell part of his business if and when he chooses and to who he chooses. It is after all the owner who has put the investment in, in the first place. None reading this would be very impressed if we decided to sell our house and then discovered that we were postponed from doing so because we had a beautiful garden from which our neighbours derived great benefit from and they had registered he house as a community asset.
Robinsons have a lot of pubs and if they sell to a community group, they will create a dangerous precedent every time they want to sell one of THEIR pubs.
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I think it is worth thinking about why the localism act came about. Basically pub companies (usually pubcos rather than pub owning breweries) were running down pubs with and flogging them off to the highest bidder.
I used to live in London and a busy popular pub was bought by Tesco and shut down. They did this a lot. Another became a chain coffee shop. Many for housing. Why? Because in many cases the value for redevelopment was far higher than that of a pub. Whole communities lost their pubs forever, for once a pub closes, it rarely reopens. In other cases pubs were deliberately run down just as an excuse to sell.
The law may not be exactly right but it's the only thing communities have to stop closures. Many threatened pubs have saved and now thrive. The Thumb may not be right for Robinson's but that does not mean it can't thrive in other hands. But if it's converted to housing, it never will.
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Andrew,
The Localism Act wasn't introduced into legislation to protect pubs. It was introduced as a catalyst to seemingly devolve power from the centre and implement the then coalition government's 'vision' of 'Big Society.'
Pubs were just tagged on at the end of it, in fact it mentions, ...' Shops, pubs and playing fields...'
If it was introduced to protect pubs then it has been ne of the worst failures in legislative history, as they are closing at the rate of 27 per week. The reason pubs are closing is that (with a few exceptions) they can't make any money. The business model for a tied pub now, is outdated and belongs in the 1960s, pre all the other distractions that people now have. The offer from pubs in general is just not good enough, but publicans still cling to it.
It is a pleasure to visit a good pub, nobody who is a drinker would argue with that, but they are thin on the ground these days and they are going to be thinner.
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Okay - it was a poor choice of wording. But if it hadn't have been for the uproar about pub redevelopment, would the community empowerment section of said act have been included? Sorry but I seriously doubt it.
Organisations like CAMRA have been campaigning for better pub protection for years. If they hadn't been, would the coalition government have put that in for the sake of saving some village greens and so on? I seriously doubt it. Pubs are the ones that are under threat the most from corporate greed. And remain so.
And no, by itself it won't save pubs. It will just save some pubs. But if it puts stumbling blocks in the way, then I am for that. If it hinders developers closing down thriving pubs because they want to convert them to housing or supermarkets, then I'm all for it. And I know several pubs that have been saved because of this act. Many weren't saved by community groups actually buying them, but were saved because the community was embolded by the powers it has, to fight and fight hard.
The pubs themselves have to fight too. Pub operators need to adapt and change else they won't thrive. You can't keep doing things in a way that is stuck in the past. But there are plenty of excellent pubs out there that deserve a future. Indeed Marple has many excellent pubs - good ones are certainly not thin on the ground here.
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I'm going to have disagree with you Andrew, about the excellent pubs in Marple. There is Oldknow's and The Beer Factory but they have only been opened a matter of months and is it any coincidence that both these pubs were converted from shop premises by enterprising owners and are free from any brewery ties? But where are the others?
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The Northumberland Arms Community Pub Project Ltd has updated their web site with the latest info:
http://thethumblocal.weebly.com/how-do-we-stop-redevelopment.html
The next meeting is mid-April, date and venue to be confirmed.
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I went to the Bulls Head at Christmas for the first time since moving near it. It was a strange place. Lights were barely on, just a few people crowded round the bar and it didn't feel very comfortable.
If you mean the Bull's Head on Market Street, time was when it had a very bad rep. When I attained official drinking age it was on the list of pubs I was forbidden by Father to go into and as late as the late 1980s and for a good few years on from that, the police had it marked down as the haunt of the local villains (per the policeman who investigated my break-in and was a friend of Father).
That sort of reputation sticks however the tenants/managers try to improve matters. I still know people who won't go into the Bull's Head including people considerably younger than I.
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If you mean the Bull's Head on Market Street, time was when it had a very bad rep. When I attained official drinking age it was on the list of pubs I was forbidden by Father to go into and as late as the late 1980s and for a good few years on from that, the police had it marked down as the haunt of the local villains (per the policeman who investigated my break-in and was a friend of Father).
That sort of reputation sticks however the tenants/managers try to improve matters. I still know people who won't go into the Bull's Head including people considerably younger than I.
Whats this to do with the Nortumberland arms at compstall .
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Amazon,
If you would try and follow the thread, you would know that Henrietta's comments about The Bull's Head, is very relevant to the content that has been previously posted.
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Amazon,
If you would try and follow the thread, you would know that Henrietta's comments about The Bull's Head, is very relevant to the content that has been previously posted.
i stand corrected .
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I'm going to have disagree with you Andrew, about the excellent pubs in Marple. There is Oldknow's and The Beer Factory but they have only been opened a matter of months and is it any coincidence that both these pubs were converted from shop premises by enterprising owners and are free from any brewery ties? But where are the others?
Well personally I would say the Norfolk, the Hatters and I have a soft spot for the Ring O'Bells (a good pub does not have to be free of brewery ties.) The Midland and the Navigation are certainly not bad pubs. I would not hesitate to have a night out in any of them, although if I was chosing the Samuel Oldknow, Beer Factory and Hatters would be top of the list.
Indeed the only pub I would be reluctant to go in again would be the Bulls Head as it stands.
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Robinson's has accepted the community offer for the Northumberland Arms and there is a public meeting to launch the share offer on Saturday 1st July at 3pm in the Methodist Church near to the pub. Congratulations to the team of volunteers that has achieved this!
Read more on their web site: http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/ (http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/)
(http://thethumblocal.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/8/9/99899216/leaflet-2-front-final_orig.jpg)
(http://thethumblocal.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/8/9/99899216/leaflet-2-rear-final_orig.jpg)
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Apparently there is a delay in getting the Thumb's Share Offer open whilst they await Community Share Standard Mark accreditation - they ask that people please be patient, they should be able to accept applications in a few days time.
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The Northumberland Arms Share Offer is now open:
http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/ (http://www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk/)
It closes on 17th September.
(http://thethumblocal.weebly.com/uploads/9/9/8/9/99899216/editor/thumbmain.jpg?1487267544)
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The Northumberland Arms Share offer is going really well but there is only a week left and they still have a way to go.
I've put my money where my mouth is and invested £1,000 in shares today.
I've since been told that the best option is to do it on-line via the link below, as then your contribution will be considered for match-funding by Crowdfunder:
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited (http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited)
Alternatively, you can send a cheque by following the instructions here: https://www.thenorthumberlandarms.com/business-plan-share-offer (https://www.thenorthumberlandarms.com/business-plan-share-offer)
Note that the crowd funding page shows the amount pledged on-line only and doesn't include cheque payments. I'm advised as of this morning the situation is £125,550 in share applications have been pledged, and they have applied for £100,000 of Crowd Match Funding from Big Society Capital. This gives a total of £225,550 against the target of £296,000.
So they've broken the back of it but need a big push and another £70,450 to finish by 22 September! Over half of this needs to be pledged via Crowdfunder in order to reach the £100,000 match.
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They have had a cheque from me too. It's well worth looking at the proposals. The plan is, when in profit, to pay interest in the shares. Also there is a government scheme where you can claim something like half the money back from the initial share purchase. Comes in the form of a credit to your tax bill.
Plus you help save an important community asset!
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The Northumberland Share Offer has been extended to 30th September.
The total on-line is growing nicely but still needs a big push if they are going to make it:
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited/
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Here's the latest status from the Northumberland Arms Share Offer:
New update: Share Offer update - £233,400 raised to date in total!
Our 'amount raised' on the Crowdfunder page does not reflect our actual total amount raised to date!
We have raised £44,000 via postal applications and a further £100,000 via Big Society Capital, so at 3pm Monday 25th September we only have a further £62,600 to raise!
Make your investment today and lets make this happen together!
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited/
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Saving the Thumb is now so close and only £20,550 is needed with 37 hours left!
Crowdfunder have now uploaded the full £100,000 Big Society Capital money, and there have been a few more investments.
Co-operative & Community Finance have also emailed to say they have approved a £25,000 investment and will upload it to Crowdfunder today.
There is £45,000 in postal applications that will also be uploaded to Crowdfunder today.
So the total at 10.45am on 29/09/17 is: Crowdfunder £205,450, + Postal pldges £45,000, + CCF £25,000 = TOTAL £275,450 at the moment.
So there is a further £20,550 to raise and the big challenge is to do that with only 37 hours left.
Ring everyone you know. Facebook everyone you know. Go and knock on doors. Email. Tweet.
THE COMMUNITY CAN DO THIS!!
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited/
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There is now less than £6,000 to go! Come on Marple, Marple Bridge people - own your own pub!
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited/? (http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-northumberland-arms-community-society-limited/?)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DK-09BYW4AIO7GB.jpg)
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Congratulations to the Northumberland Arms Community Society on reaching your target!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLB7oo-WsAA2vgu.jpg)
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There was a comment on Facebook over the weekend that the society now owns the pub! Still work to do before it re-opens but great news.
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Is it too late to invest now the target has been reached ?!?
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Is it too late to invest now the target has been reached ?!?
I believe they did not reach their upper limit by the deadline so you may be able to.
I'd suggest getting in touch with organisers via this link: https://www.thenorthumberlandarms.com/contact
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Thanks
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The latest news (17th November) is that the Society completed the purchase of the Northumberland Arms on Friday 10th November - in their own words, "lock, stock and with plenty of room for barrels!"
They are starting a minor pre-Christmas refurbishment, and are working towards a re-opening date of Saturday 9th 16th December 2017. Full details will be made available nearer to that date.
The Society is also in the process of generating share certificates, and will endeavour to get these posted out to share-holders within the next ten days.
There is a tremendous amount of work to do in the intervening period to get things ready, and with that in mind the Society is looking for volunteers from within their cohort of shareholders. They've had lots of messages via social media expressing a wish to get involved, so if you do want to lend a hand in the preparations on a voluntary basis, please get in touch via their web site contact page (https://www.thenorthumberlandarms.com/contact) with some brief details of what you’d like to help with, whether you have any particular skills or expertise they can draw upon, your availability and your contact telephone number, and the Thumb Team will be in touch.Current and future tasks the Society are looking for immediate assistance with are:
Refurbishment works:- Cleaning team (interior of the building, and fixtures and fittings etc)
- Wallpaper stripping / preparation for decorating team
- Decorating team
- Finishing & setting up team
- Gardening party (initially, a really good clear out and cutting back overgrown areas etc)
Opening /Post opening:- Volunteer bar work
- Volunteer café work
- Volunteer catering work
- Volunteers willing to set up and run various groups and activities are also more than welcome!
They are of course also in the process of hiring part time and full-time staff, so if you or anyone you know are looking for paid work at The Northumberland Arms, get in touch too.
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There is also a Table Top sale at the Thumb this weekend!
Sat 25 Nov 10-4, call Peter on 0161 427 8776 if you’d like to book a space.
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Latest news is that the Thumb reopening will now be Saturday 16th December. They were aiming for the 9th but there has just been too much to do!
More details a bit nearer the time.
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anyone received their share certificate and invite to Saturday yet ?
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anyone received their share certificate and invite to Saturday yet ?
No not here yet.
I spoke to someone on the committee on Saturday and he seemed fairly sure that they would open on Saturday and they have just posted a video of beer coming out of a tap!
Hopefully will get the details for Saturday soon........
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They are replying to questions on their FB page saying that the pub will be open from 4pm on Saturday.
When I added a comment and a link to this thread it was deleted, which is a bit disappointing but never mind.
I haven't seen a full announcement anywhere yet but if / when I do I'll pop the details here.
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anyone received their share certificate and invite to Saturday yet ?
In a word, no, neither have some others I know.
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On one hand, I think the communication could have been a lot better with shareholders.
On the other hand, I've never tried to re-open a pub that's been been closed for some time, and do all the work that this requires!
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We now have full details of the Thumb opening times over Christmas:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQ_uwuOWsAA37dm.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQ_uzsQXkAAxl-h.jpg)
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Good luck to all involved with all the hard work you have put into this. Here's to a successful New Year. Cheers! :)
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Had the pleasure of visiting the Thumb this afternoon, and of a chat with some of the customers.
Rick, the chairman of the society that now owns the pub, admitted freely that their communication has been terrible, but that basically there was just so much to do. As such they have concentrated on just getting everything that needed to be done, done so they could open.
For my money, they have done a grand job and I hope the pub has a good future ahead of it. It's a great pub for young and old, and without a lot of hard work and dedication, it would have been lost forever.
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The Thumb made the national news yesterday. Here's an ITV clip and I believe a different version was on BBC too:
https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/videos/10155481524552672/ (https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/videos/10155481524552672/)
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Here's another little video about the Thumb from Manchester TV:
https://youtu.be/_eqkJI2oK1k
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Enticed by the prospect of some Malaysian 'street food' and a pizza Mrs barndoor and I called into The Thumb the other weekend (the first time we've been since its renovation, as it happens). The beer was great, we loved its new decor, and the lingering odour of stale B.O. in the front room has gone. The place has much to commend it.
But that infernal slamming front door! We had planned on staying for the evening, but its relentless bone-shaking 'bang!' as people entered and left - which was frequently - quickly became too much to bear, and we left after just one drink. Perhaps the proprietors might want to consider ways of minimising its noise impact, because we certainly won't be returning until it's been addressed.
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But that infernal slamming front door! We had planned on staying for the evening, but its relentless bone-shaking 'bang!' as people entered and left - which was frequently - quickly became too much to bear, and we left after just one drink. Perhaps the proprietors might want to consider ways of minimising its noise impact, because we certainly won't be returning until it's been addressed.
I've passed that comment onto a member of the Thumb management committee.
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Enticed by the prospect of some Malaysian 'street food' and a pizza Mrs barndoor and I called into The Thumb the other weekend (the first time we've been since its renovation, as it happens). The beer was great, we loved its new decor, and the lingering odour of stale B.O. in the front room has gone. The place has much to commend it.
But that infernal slamming front door! We had planned on staying for the evening, but its relentless bone-shaking 'bang!' as people entered and left - which was frequently - quickly became too much to bear, and we left after just one drink. Perhaps the proprietors might want to consider ways of minimising its noise impact, because we certainly won't be returning until it's been addressed.
Nit picking
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Amazon I have to agree 100% with you comment.