Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

[mjr]

The latest round of sales-or-closures includes the pubs in Hawick, Stafford and Warrington mentioned earlier in this discussion. A quarter of them (4 of 16) are in Scotland, which seems disproportionate - maybe insulting about half the customers was a bad move.

[Sweep]

Your digging away at this topic is truly incredible.

I rather doubt mr spoon supposedly insulting customers is a factor - and spoons customers are in fact rather used to being insulted by some folk waving a liberal flag who are anything but liberal.

The chain has been closing some branches for a while and has slowed down its opening rate.

They freely admit that they over-expanded in some areas - in some places they have two within easy walking distance.

They tried to shut my esteemed local but had problems getting someone to take over the lease as it is a listed building.

So it continues as a fine pub and an open-to-all listed building which they effectively saved as a community resource.

The local cycling group goes there sometimes.

Maybe you should wander in some sometime to talk to the customers - in the interests of balanced research.

And it perhaps hasn't escaped your media savvy notice that many pubs are closing - at an appalling rate over the last decade.

edit - I note one of the closures is in Burnley - that's a place with two very close to each other - the remaining one is a traditional pub building that might otherwise have closed.

Neither is cycle friendly. Both face directly on to the street.

[al_yrpal]

Our most local Spoons, The Baron in Caversham, has just closed. Caversham is not really Spoons territory, more wine bar land. Only 100 metres away the 3 Feathers, a Brakspears pub is also up for grabs. The ex Spoons Baron has posters up to recruit staff for the new pub taking the premises over. Meanwhile in Leave territory business is no doubt on the up!

Al

[mjr]

[...personal attack cut...] I rather doubt mr spoon supposedly insulting customers is a factor [...personal attack cut...] Maybe you should wander in some sometime to talk to the customers - in the interests of balanced research. [...]

Maybe the spoon head should reverse his previous statement and say Remain voters are welcome again first instead of blaming us for the latest fall in his profits simply because so many have done what he asked and stayed out.

[al_yrpal]

No, Tim is sticking to his guns banishing Continental chemical excuses for beers and encouraging Remainers to desert Spoons for Whine Bars

Al

[Sweep]

instead of blaming us for the latest fall in his profits simply because so many have done what he asked and stayed out.

On a point of fact, where in that article you linked to does it say that?

Meanwhile, more suggestions welcome - hope to get out and take some pics of new ones in the future and will try, eventually, to figure out how to put pics in thread.

[mjr]

instead of blaming us for the latest fall in his profits simply because so many have done what he asked and stayed out.

On a point of fact, where in that article you linked to does it say that?

Nowhere. It's old news that no-one mentioned in this thread, but seeing as you asked, it was quite widely reported when it happened. Random example: https://london.eater.com/2019/3/15/1826 ... ce-rise-uk

[PH]

instead of blaming us for the latest fall in his profits simply because so many have done what he asked and stayed out.

On a point of fact, where in that article you linked to does it say that?

Nowhere. It's old news that no-one mentioned in this thread, but seeing as you asked, it was quite widely reported when it happened. Random example: https://london.eater.com/2019/3/15/1826 ... ce-rise-uk

That report is different to all the others I've seen, where although having his usual Brexit rant, he gives the reasons for the drop in profits (Despite a rise in sales) as mainly the higher employment costs. This one is probably closer to the truth, though I don't expect you're bothered about the facts enough to let them get in the way of your own agenda
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/busi ... 41721.html

[Sweep]

instead of blaming us for the latest fall in his profits simply because so many have done what he asked and stayed out.

On a point of fact, where in that article you linked to does it say that?

Nowhere. It's old news that no-one mentioned in this thread, but seeing as you asked, it was quite widely reported when it happened. Random example: https://london.eater.com/2019/3/15/1826 ... ce-rise-uk

Nowhere in that "london eater" (not a business news publication i regularly consult I must confess) does it contain or back up your point either. A clear piece of editorialising - pushing two separate points together in a shoddy attempt to plant a link.

The clue is in the editorialising exclamation mark.

In short that london eater piece is not a news report but a crude opinion piece. And I am mystified by what the last sentence in it has to do with anything, let alone the apparent subject of the piece and its headline.

Back to individual branch reports.

[Mick F]

I'm here again.
IMG_0187.JPG

Someone stole my Moulton

Only joking.
Here without a bike today.

[Sweep]

I don't know if you took advantage of the app working on the beer festival beers MickF (usually it's just on the main branded stuff) but two thoughts:

1: You could have kept your bike in clear line of sight from your table when ordering - in my experience the stuff often arrives faster than I could walk to the toilets and back.

2: In view of the strength of some of the wonders in that beerfest, possibly a good idea to leave the bike behind for once.

Hope to add some pics and reports over the next 2 to 3 months.

[Mick F]

I was in the Spoons in Plymouth again yesterday.

[Mick F]

I don't know if you took advantage of the app working on the beer festival beers MickF (usually it's just on the main branded stuff) but two thoughts:

1: You could have kept your bike in clear line of sight from your table when ordering - in my experience the stuff often arrives faster than I could walk to the toilets and back.

Agree.
It works well.

[Sweep]

Thanks for the report Mick but note the "s" at the end of the thread title

am concerned that you are living in that one - it must be good so it is very definitely on my list.

Will try to contribute more soon - still have a plan to get norfolk/suffolk way.

[Mick F]

Living in it?
It's one of the best boozers in Plymouth city centre.

We often go into Plymouth, and seem to gravitate to three.
Noah's Ark, The Newmarket, and The Union Rooms (Whetherspoon)
Sometimes go to the Minerva - oldest pub in Plymouth circa 1540
https://sites.google.com/site/theminerv ... th/history
Sometimes go down the the Barbican to the Dolphin.
None of these are cycle friendly though except the Wethersoon's.

One cycle friendly pub I have been to though, is just down from the Minerva. The Porters.
Good beer garden where you can leave your bike out of reach of passing strangers. Not such a good pub, but ok and friendly with good beer.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.36968 ... 312!8i6656