On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:04am Boozer wrote:
The demise of the British pub is a sad one. Anyone on here lost their local or a favourite pub in the last few years? If so where?
On 10 Jan 2017 at 1:38pm Meic wrote:
Aside from the Chalkpit (more Offham than Lewes,and now the Curry Cottage), I think the Fruiterer's (Lancaster St/Sun St) was the last to go, as a result of Shepherd Neame's greed in the early 2000s. Before that, the Meridian/Pewter Pot (Shepherd Neame again, Western Rd, frankly, good riddance), the Prince of Wales (Malling street, Charringtons If I remember correctly), and the WIndmill (Western Rd, Whitbread?).
There's a common factor here: pubs in Lewes that serve Harvey's beer survive. Thise that don't, struggle
On 10 Jan 2017 at 1:51pm Boozer wrote:
Shepherd Neame have a lot to answer for, including the Lamb at Ripe.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 1:53pm Boozer wrote:
Doesn't just have to be Lewes. Can also think of the Anglers Rest at Barcombe Mills, Winning Post at Plumpton Green, Old Ship at Isfield, Royal Oak at Wivelsfield, Golden Cross Inn at Golden Cross, Pump House at Cooksbridge.... also heard of the Bricklayers Arms at Newick and Shepherds Dog at Plumpton but I don't know much about these? Any photos of any of these would be interesting too.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 1:54pm Boozer wrote:
Swan at South Chailey, Kings Head at North Chailey.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 2:23pm Pedro wrote:
The pub trade is a bit of a struggling/declining industry since the smoking ban came into effect about a decade ago, combined with alcohol prices going up in pubs, but drastically reducing in supermarkets. Couple these factors with home entertainment/netflix/tv show boxsets/online gaming etc becoming commonplace, its no huge surprise that pubs are not quite as busy as they used to be. People still like to go out, but more to restaurants, so pubs have been trying to jump on that bandwagon and rely on their food trade more than ever before, which is great.
Its sad in some ways seeing pubs close (its easy to weep when it comes to nostalgia), but its also just inevitable progress and evolving lifestyles. The smoking ban was sensible policy, as its helped many people give up smoking entirely (smoking has been on the decline for the past 2 decades thankfully, but the smoking ban surely would have helped), as well as making pubs and indoor spaces cleaner and healthier places to hang out in.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 4:54pm Busty bar maid wrote:
These pubs all went out of business because pedro went in and bored the Cr#p out of everyone and could never stay on subject in any conversation.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 5:15pm Boozer wrote:
True not all are sustainable, but it's a shame when a village loses its only pub. Anyone know where the Shepherds Dog was in Plumpton then?
On 10 Jan 2017 at 6:00pm Sussex Jim wrote:
It's the same with any local service. Use it- or lose it.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 8:59pm Old Malling wrote:
The Lewes pubs which closed in recent years weren't great to be honest, although I'll always have a soft spot for the Fruiterers. At one point it felt like the pubs were closing from the outskirts of town heading inwards and I was waiting to hear that the Black Horse or Snowdrop had closed. Thankfully it didn't happen.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 9:27pm Decent Citizen wrote:
Just looking at a little book "The Inns of Lewes past and present by L.S.Davey ,written in 1977.Lewes had 70 pubs and 7 churches ,breweries in from the 18th century.Interesting book with street by street pub locations.Anyone wants to ask about a road street,I can look.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 10:22pm Drunken old sot wrote:
I'm just about old enough to have sat with a bottle of pop on the step or waited outside of, The Bell, The New Station Inn, The Red,White and Blue, The Railway, The Fountain and The Wheatsheaf as my dad zig zagged his way home to Malling from the station. Thank goodness that we had more public loos in those days too.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 10:33pm Pedro wrote:
Lewes is pretty well endowed with pubs in 2017. Being a sorta-DFL'er, I grew up in towns/villages with far fewer pubs "per capita". Suppose the Brewery is responsible for that.....well them and the alcoholics. Peoples heads will explode with rage and indignation when ONE cannabis cafe/shop inevitably opens up in Lewes in the near future, yet when one of the gazillion Lewes pubs closes its doors, there is public outpouring of grief around an establishment that gleefully pushes Britains second most lethal drug, in alcohol, to its clients, and panders to the dwindling number of users of Britains most lethal drug in cigarettes - by purchasing expensive and energy inefficient outdoor heaters to keep their yellow clawed hands warm.
Britain would literally be a safer, more creative, calmer and better place, if all pubs were converted to weed/magic mushroom hangouts, while tobacco and alcohol is tossed into "classification A", along with the sad memories of the millions of peoples lives they destroyed.
Now THAT, my feathered friends, is how one trolls.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 10:38pm Happy dog walker wrote:
Pedro, have you not f****ed off back to Belgium yet with your sacred tennis ball?
On 10 Jan 2017 at 10:48pm We'vehadourfun wrote:
Pedro you utter pillock you couldnt troll a Norwegian stone bridge. Go away
On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:03pm Pedro wrote:
Ahhh, the above response posts just strengthen mine! Thanks!
Where to first? Belgium or Norway? 
On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:07pm We'vehadourfun wrote:
Anywhere but here please
On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:17pm pongo wrote:
The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr Brain has long since departed hasn’t he, Pedro?’
On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:19pm Pedro wrote:
I applaud you for the much needed upgrade in your insult levels since the "Norwegian Stone Bridge" comment. Almost feels now like you were hustling me. 
Carry on like that and I'll have to tell teacher, you big meanie.
On 10 Jan 2017 at 11:20pm Pedro wrote:
Incidentally, I was referring to "We'vehadourfun". Pongo weighed back in with a poor effort. Clumsy.
On 11 Jan 2017 at 6:32am Bob wrote:
Pedro seems to think he is far cleverer than he actually is. Is he also TC?
On 11 Jan 2017 at 7:04am Google user wrote:
Look up trolling fishing for the correct meaning of the word in respect to the internet . Not a bridge in sight and hence the in the emoticons
On 11 Jan 2017 at 10:46am Jeff wrote:
At £5 a pint its hardly surprising pubs aren't managing to survive.
Beer prices have gone up more than house prices in the last 40 years and way more than wages.
Landlords will say the ridiculous price of a pint is not all going to the publican and the cost can be blamed on the breweries and the amount of tax the government put on alcohol but surely the amount of tax is the same for the supermarkets so is the only difference is the breweries take?.
On 11 Jan 2017 at 11:00am ar10642 wrote:
The problem is not so much the breweries these days as the "PubCos" which are middlemen sucking all the life and profitability out of pubs. And when it doesn't make enough money they have a nice little asset they can flog off to a developer.
On 11 Jan 2017 at 12:37pm Jude wrote:
The Oak in Ardingly beautiful place good drink lovely food. To be developed
On 11 Jan 2017 at 12:46pm Benny to Bob wrote:
There's only one TC
On 13 Jan 2017 at 10:32am Jude wrote:
That's my name but not me.