Port Erin Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I see H & B are bleating on about tough trading conditions, following on from the UK Budget increases on top of recent price rises. Given that we are paying at least 60p a pint more here than in the average UK city centre pub, I have no sympathy for this Company which has destroyed the character of our pubs and has no vision or imagination to revitalise trade. How can Jaks sell Okells (brewed by H & B) for £2.50 a pint when it's being sold in C'est La Vie (owned by H & B) for £2.95 a pint? Talk about taking the piss. What about happy hours or special offers on food? Theme nights around National Days (Australia Day, St Patrick's Day, etc?). We don't have many decent pubs left, thanks to H & B's 'refurbishments'. They're either family orientated with food, croissants and creches or crammed full of drunken, teenage tossers drinking alcopops and spoiling for a fight to the background of blasting noise. I love pubs and nights out the same as anyone, but I resent being ripped off in sub-standard pubs that do not measure up. A night out in Douglas is piss boring nowadays, and staying in must surely be the new going out - judging by how quiet the pubs are these days. Roll on summer so I can enjoy BBQs with friends in the garden on cheap supermarket lager - now that's entertainment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeky boy Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 You forgot to include Wine Bars full of bad mannered BMW driving, Becks drinking, label wearing, premature ejaculating, wannabe yuppies They were sad cunts in London 1986, so taking 22 years to emulate a bunch of one-dimensional wankers makes our local version look all the more ridiculous Another compelling reason to stay at home with a takeaway and a pack of supermarket beer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebees Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Goto a Bushys pub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Another compelling reason to stay at home with a takeaway and a pack of supermarket beer Shouldn't you be saying "to go out to a nice little restaurant in town with some delicious local food and reasonably priced beer" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Erin Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Another compelling reason to stay at home with a takeaway and a pack of supermarket beer Shouldn't you be saying "to go out to a nice little restaurant in town with some delicious local food and reasonably priced beer" ? Can you suggest anywhere, because these places seem to be as rare as rocking horse shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxblue Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think that pubs are pretty much the same the world over, some are good, some are okay, and some are best avoided. What annoy's me most about the Isle of Man "nightlife" is the apparent constant need to "defend" yourself if you walk around Douglas on a Friday or Saturday night !. Now, I am 42 years old, been there, seen it, done it, (including a few months c/o HMP), and even I feel uneasy sometimes walking along the promenade, or down Victoria Street going to meet friends or going for something to eat. How it must feel for anyone else is, well, ....... I don't know ........ Oh, and before I forget, if you were the 16-18 year old tosser in the cream coloured "hoodie", with his 4/5 mates who I caught sitting on my bike, twisting the throttle, last Thursday night (13th) on North Quay, I hope your face has healed, but, if not, please report it to the Police, that will give me a chance to get your address !. Anyway, as I was saying, some pubs are good, etc, etc, etc etc, . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I see The Waterloo has now gone. I wonder where the next casualty will fee? Probably The Clarendon I reckon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbones Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I see The Waterloo has now gone. I wonder where the next casualty will fee? Probably The Clarendon I reckon They've applied to knock down and rebuild the Clarry and the farmers shop next door, probably including the douglas too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Sounds like it's the pup go-ers who are shite, rather than just the pubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I have no sympathy for this Company which has destroyed the character of our pubs and has no vision or imagination to revitalise trade. We don't have many decent pubs left, thanks to H & B's 'refurbishments'. They're either family orientated with food, croissants and creches or crammed full of drunken, teenage tossers drinking alcopops and spoiling for a fight to the background of blasting noise. From your own admission they must have revitalised trade, just changed their demographic - 'crammed full of drunken teenage tossers' must mean they are full, just not appealing to you that's all. Having said that, the majority of your post I agree with and it's rare that I get out to the pubs myself now for some of the very reasons you mentioned - but still a lot comes down to personal taste. You hate the pubs, but I bet the 'teenage tossers' love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shit3hawk Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 They've applied to knock down the Clarry the farmers shop next door and probably the douglas , so they an sell the plots to Askett-Hawks for a really huge sum of cash and get in on some of the action down that area Fixed your post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven ! Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I see H & B are bleating on about tough trading conditions, following on from the UK Budget increases on top of recent price rises. Given that we are paying at least 60p a pint more here than in the average UK city centre pub, I have no sympathy for this Company which has destroyed the character of our pubs and has no vision or imagination to revitalise trade. For many years the Island was famous for its price of beer being significantly lower than in the UK. What happened? I see The Waterloo has now gone. A pity really as Strand Street needs a decent pub. I have no doubt the brewery will blame the smoking ban on this closure. Every time I went in there, the women working behind the bar were chain smoking and there were always a number of customers who were pluming unexhaled smoke into the already heavily smokey atmosphere. Towards the latter stages, the pub truly deserved its reputation as a dingy hole. Maybe this one would have flourished with the smoking ban, had the brewery any conception of 'upmarket'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 A piano. A dart board. A snooker table. Nothing on draught except mild and bitter (lukewarm, naturally). Over-excited youngsters dealt with by the regulars (rushed out through the door - whether its open or not) Aaaahhh.....real pubs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
When Skies Are Grey Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The possible flip side of this is that H&B may look to offload some of their extablishments - thus giving the private landlord the chance to purchase and do with as they see fit. Agreed that most of the places in Douglas now are Stepford clones of each other.....I was dragged in to C'Est La Vie the other weekend....and promptly left when I saw a man is in 30's drinking Blue WKD...in public!! Dear oh dear what has the world come to....next stop was the Albert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overdose Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The possible flip side of this is that H&B may look to offload some of their extablishments - thus giving the private landlord the chance to purchase and do with as they see fit. Doubt H&B will do that, knowing them when/if they sell the properties they'll stick a clause on them preventing the property being used as a licensed premesis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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