Farewell Robins Pub & Quba Ice (topics Merged)

[Redhyde]

Simply across the industry the extra money from food and families hasn't compensated for the high spending smokers.

But meh, not smelling of ashtray after a lunchtime pint is very welcome and the people who feel the same will keep the pubs that deserve to be kept open, open.

[bringbacktherobin]

I was in there with a mate last week, and we were chatting about the pub itself. The thing is it isnt a "up-market" place like Bar BS3, it isnt a "proper" pub like The Coopers, its just some run down estate pub.

If i go out for a drink in the week in ashton, i would rather go the luckwell/bs3/the coopers then the robins and i think a lot of other people did too.

[madmax]

Quba Ice is shutting as well.

Blimey I didn't know that. OMG pubs shutting all the time.

I would suggest that The Masonic is the only traditional pub in the whole of North St.

I just hope that there are some pubs left, as I don't drink beer at home, it just doesn't seem right, I'd rather go and pay £2.50 a pint for a decent real ale or cider in a good pub atmosphere, than be sat at home with some cheap, fizzy, chemical crap from a tin.

Yeah Masonic is very tradional and the Full Moon but a fair old walk to the ground when others are closer. THe other, I think is called 52 Degrees North (Liquid Assets) is traditional, but not been in there for ages.

MM

[punnett]

Blimey I didn't know that. OMG pubs shutting all the time.

Yeah Masonic is very tradional and the Full Moon but a fair old walk to the ground when others are closer. THe other, I think is called 52 Degrees North (Liquid Assets) is traditional, but not been in there for ages.

MM

Liquid assetts is more of a Gastro Pub now

[Nogbad the Bad]

Simply across the industry the extra money from food and families hasn't compensated for the high spending smokers.

But meh, not smelling of ashtray after a lunchtime pint is very welcome and the people who feel the same will keep the pubs that deserve to be kept open, open.

But they haven't stayed open have they, and it seems we can expect more bad news concerning our traditional pubs every day.

If the government had decided pub landlords could choose to make their pub smoking or non smoking I've no doubt which pubs would have thrived and which one's would have closed.

The obvious answer was to have smoking sections in pubs but once again over reaction and over legislation won the day.

The Robins isn't my local but I feel for the regulars and I'll miss it anyway.

[Robbored]

I smoke and understand the need for others to be able to drink smoke free, but a total ban on smoking in pubs has caused a lot of pubs to lose business, what was wrong with pubs having an option of a snug/smoking room like in older times, some have countered to loss of trade from smokers by introducing hot food/ bistro, but all pubs don't have to room to do so.

Whether the smoking ban has had as big an an effect as some landlords will tell you is debatable. To para-phrase Mandy-Rice Davis "they would say that,wouldn't they?"

Sure the smoking ban hasn't helped but I've yet to to see any conclusive research that supports the view that the ban is entirely to blame.. There are so many other factors that contribute to the closure of pubs. Cost and supermarket competition is the bottom line.

Anecdotally - my local pub is now just as busy as busy as it was before the ban. The smokers simply go out into the garden shelter when they want a fag. Sometimes you'll find 10 people out there. Plus, you now see partners and wives that wouldn't previously have come in because of the smoke filled atmosphere. Its swings and roundabouts.

[Frome Valley]

Liquid assetts is more of a Gastro Pub now

Its back to being called the Spotted Cow.

[Frome Valley]

To para-phrase Mandy-Rice Davis "they would say that,wouldn't they?"

Because the Landlord knows more about it than you and will tell you that without enough space outside the pub to provide areas for the smokers like say the Plough & Windmill they struggle. The down turn in trade lost via smokers only needs to be 2-3% and can shut the pub. Yet to hear a Landlord in a traditional Bedminster pub state "we couldn't cope with the extra trade the smoking ban brought".

[Barrs Court Red]

The smoking ban saw trade drop all over the place. This suits the government who would rather see pubs fail than actually deal with the real causes of anti social behaviour.

[Maesknoll Red]

The Full Moon North Street is still there and trading.

Last couple of times I've been past it looked closed to me, but I'm glad to be proved wrong.

It's been 10 years since I moved from Southville and it's not the same going to 'Bemmy' drinking now, many of the characters are gone, the spread of "lower Clifton" from the Tobacco Factory up North St and the demise of the traditional shops through North and East St has removed the local feel and character of the area.

[redsrus]

Sorry to hear this, mildly suprised.

Notwithstanding the arguments about smoking bans/supermarket competition etc, its in a good location, on a main road, with plenty of chimney pots around.Suprised it never turned into a brewers fayre type of pub, especially with the large car park and bus stop outside.

Hardly ever used it myself, still in mourning over the Wedlocks,but my Ashton Vale mates didn`t give it a high rating on beer quality.

If the freehold is held by the Smythes as MM says,I would say it would have a fair chance of being saved.Its only the larger pub groups (inntrepreneurs etc) that change usage covenants (ship & castle/wedlocks etc)so they cannot resurrected as pubs.

The only asset is the building with its freehold with A3 (food & drink)usage, so the existing owners with the liability of the lease are probably looking to move it on, unless they bump the landlords.

Opportunity for the trust ??

Just for info-liquid Assets/Bar 130 N has reverted back to being named the Spotted Cow, does food and on my one visit appears a bit studenty.

[Frome Valley]

Last couple of times I've been past it looked closed to me, but I'm glad to be proved wrong.

It's been 10 years since I moved from Southville and it's not the same going to 'Bemmy' drinking now, many of the characters are gone, the spread of "lower Clifton" from the Tobacco Factory up North St and the demise of the traditional shops through North and East St has removed the local feel and character of the area.

The Full Moon is sometimes shut weekdays but still open. The Pubs in West Street are all still hanging in there and a few are doing ok and quite busy weekends.

[Robbored]

Because the Landlord knows more about it than you and will tell you that without enough space outside the pub to provide areas for the smokers like say the Plough & Windmill they struggle. The down turn in trade lost via smokers only needs to be 2-3% and can shut the pub. Yet to hear a Landlord in a traditional Bedminster pub state "we couldn't cope with the extra trade the smoking ban brought".

Pub landlords opinions are not objective enough to be taken as fact. How can they be objective when their livelihoods are at stake?

One landlord I know in busy Nailsea pub says the its the brewery strangling him with extortionate rents and barrel charges rather than the smoking ban that cause him to struggle.The more barrels he sells the more they charge him. He has no choice but to pass on these increases to his customers.

He say that when the smoking ban first came in there was drop in takings for about a 4/5 month period but since then trade is pretty much back to pre-ban levels.

[Redhyde]

The smoking ban saw trade drop all over the place. This suits the government who would rather see pubs fail than actually deal with the real causes of anti social behaviour.

The desire was to close the grotty pubs in the hope that the scum would stay at home and be foul behind closed doors. Instead they can't wait to get home from the supermarkets and end up drinking on the streets.

All off licences should be closed. Only allow sales of alcohol at pubs and at massive chain stores with regular testing and massive fines, much more so than now.

Or really we should just ban alcohol altogether.

And breeding licenses or better education whichever's cheaper.

[Frome Valley]

Pub landlords opinions are not objective enough to be taken as fact. How can they be objective when their livelihoods are at stake?

One landlord I know in busy Nailsea pub says the its the brewery strangling him with extortionate rents and barrel charges rather than the smoking ban that cause him to struggle.The more barrels he sells the more they charge him. He has no choice but to pass on these increases to his customers.

He say that when the smoking ban first came in there was drop in takings for about a 4/5 month period but since then trade is pretty much back to pre-ban levels.

The landlord has to be objective because it is their livelihood thats why so many are getting out and pubs are closing. Do you seriously suggest that a smoking ban was going to be good for trade where many of the clients smoked?

[Barrs Court Red]

The desire was to close the grotty pubs in the hope that the scum would stay at home and be foul behind closed doors. Instead they can't wait to get home from the supermarkets and end up drinking on the streets.

All off licences should be closed. Only allow sales of alcohol at pubs and at massive chain stores with regular testing and massive fines, much more so than now.

Or really we should just ban alcohol altogether.

And breeding licenses or better education whichever's cheaper.

Blimey, are you on fast track to be editor of the Daily Mail?

[bangers]

Its back to being called the Spotted Cow.

Used to be the doorman for both the Spotted Cow and Bar Salt. IMO both are crap and North Street is pretty s**t.

[terjon]

I know a lot of people who use to drink in the robins and it was my local many moons ago, I spoke to them last night and they said the main problem was the clientel that know used the pub, shall we say " A bit rowdy" the odd scurmish, not the place you want to take the girlfiend or wife, to many young loud people,

SMOKING HAD NOTHING TO DO with it.

I drink in my local and it is always busy, but I must confess the landlady takes no prisoners and has banned all the local nutters, Full of couples and single people very friendly everyone singing and enjoying themselves,

Pub landords need to remember the basic facts , Most local people will use the pub if you have a zero tollerence on the idiots who spoil it for everyone else, you only need one fool in a pub on a regular basis and I garuntee in 3-4 months your pub will be empty, NO one likes going to a pub where the random drunk is going to abuse you,

Its not rocket science.

[madmax]

I know a lot of people who use to drink in the robins and it was my local many moons ago, I spoke to them last night and they said the main problem was the clientel that know used the pub, shall we say " A bit rowdy" the odd scurmish, not the place you want to take the girlfiend or wife, to many young loud people,

SMOKING HAD NOTHING TO DO with it.

I drink in my local and it is always busy, but I must confess the landlady takes no prisoners and has banned all the local nutters, Full of couples and single people very friendly everyone singing and enjoying themselves,

Pub landords need to remember the basic facts , Most local people will use the pub if you have a zero tollerence on the idiots who spoil it for everyone else, you only need one fool in a pub on a regular basis and I garuntee in 3-4 months your pub will be empty, NO one likes going to a pub where the random drunk is going to abuse you,

Its not rocket science.

Spot on. My neighbours go down every Saturday night for the entertainment etc and they say it always ended in a fight (not them). The pump beer wasn't the best but did improve over the past year. If you drank lager or cider you were OK, but they didn't do well on ale beer. Smoking did have nothing to do with it. I'm trying to find out the real reason why as no locals expected it to happen as nothing was said.

West Street is thriving due to the amount of apartment accomodation that has shot up over the past two years. North Street is now geared more for families and eateries than 10 blokes in a bar playing drinking games. I like both TBH and it's nice to have the choice.

MM

[bringbacktherobin]

I think the smoking ban has nothing to do with it aswell, do you actually know any smokers that have gone "Actually, i wont go down the pub tonight as i have to stand outside for a smoke"

Its more to do with the high prices of a pint of beer and people not having a lot of money. You cant even get four pints for a tenner anymore, the price of beer has actually got to the price where people have to think about it before going out.

[terjon]

I think the smoking ban has nothing to do with it aswell, do you actually know any smokers that have gone "Actually, i wont go down the pub tonight as i have to stand outside for a smoke"

Its more to do with the high prices of a pint of beer and people not having a lot of money. You cant even get four pints for a tenner anymore, the price of beer has actually got to the price where people have to think about it before going out.

Well from a personal point of view, I would gladly pay higher prices for a pint in a better pub with friendly people rather than a cheap pint full of roudy drunks who have no respect for anyone,

[Barrs Court Red]

Well from a personal point of view, I would gladly pay higher prices for a pint in a better pub with friendly people rather than a cheap pint full of roudy drunks who have no respect for anyone,

The problem is, the higher drink prices don't seem to be putting off the rowdy drunks. Pubs round my way are full of youngsters with no bills to pay but plenty of wedge to waste on booze, while people with houses and kids a) can't really affored it 2) get put off by said chavs.

[terjon]

The problem is, the higher drink prices don't seem to be putting off the rowdy drunks. Pubs round my way are full of youngsters with no bills to pay but plenty of wedge to waste on booze, while people with houses and kids a) can't really affored it 2) get put off by said chavs.

To be fair to the younger people who drink they are not all roudy trouble makers, I believe there are pubs where the younger eliment go and thats fine, there should also be pubs where they cater for couples and singles who are out to enjoy themselves,

The main problem with pubs like the robins, they allow the local youths to congregate there on 2-3 tables in the pub who act loud and spoil it for the others, thats why it became empty.

Its PUB LANDLORDS who should decide what type of people they want in thier pub. I know which pubs would be still here in a years time, and its not the crap pubs full of idiots.

[screech]

Only went in there twice, the first time the lager was so watered down it tasted foul, the second time a year later It hadn't improved in the slightest. It also looked rough and generally there seemed to be better options, well until the megabowl got flattened. Don't bother with a pre match drink now much if at all, tried the Dolman hall, it aint bad, probably the best place for me if I did want a drink. Still sad to see it close though along with the Wedlocks and Ship.

[terjon]

The Robins, Wedlocks, and the ship had the same problems, not the place most people want to drink, wrong clientel which puts off lots of people. Be honest what person whats to go out on anight out and stand next to a bunch of loud drunks who have been there since tea time, how is that fun.....

The pattern is there for everyone to see, I beleive in general most people are fed up with the lack of respect in the world and when you get people with no respect drunk that is a recipe for disaster, hence lots of pubs being quite, people have had enough.

[Somerset_Sam]

Very sad indeed, not the greatest of places but has been my pre-match drinking venue for 25 years (mainly due to where I park), looks like I now have 2 options

a) buy some cans from the off licence across the road and sit in the pub car park (which people did before it closed)

b) drink at the ground, but they don't do cider in the atyeo

Might not mean much to some people and I know I only went there every other Saturday, but I have grown up drinking there on a Saturday lunch time before watching the City, never done anything else, I thought I would have to change my routine when the new ground is built but loks like it is going to change 3 years earlier!

[tenby]

shame good pub on matchdays, but quiet in the week

[Barrs Court Red]

Jesus Christ and I'm guessing none of you were ever young?

There's a difference between being young, and acting like a ####. Unfortuantly the small amount of youngsters who fall into the latter give the rest a bad name.

[Always Ashton Red]

Last couple of times I've been past it looked closed to me, but I'm glad to be proved wrong.

It's been 10 years since I moved from Southville and it's not the same going to 'Bemmy' drinking now, many of the characters are gone, the spread of "lower Clifton" from the Tobacco Factory up North St and the demise of the traditional shops through North and East St has removed the local feel and character of the area.

The Full Moon is sometimes shut weekdays but still open. The Pubs in West Street are all still hanging in there and a few are doing ok and quite busy weekends.

The Full Moon is my local, its very rarely closed. This and the masonic are the only tradional pubs on North Street. Though there are still a few on west street.

[Bristolface]

being rammed every home game cant do no harm to finances but i don't think they can survive on just matchday profits. that is why i mentioned that is is the nearest pub around for a large area in Ashton.

It is strange that during the week most pubs in the city are empty but you take a drive out to the country and most country pubs are doing good business with people driving out. A lot more needs to be done to save local pubs.

country pubs seem to do ok on weekends if they do food, but the Star inn at Star on the A38 is now being run by adminastrators, and the White Hart at Cross is being shut down, Just seem's the way things are going brewery's are shutting pubs with not a high enough turn over, and leaving clause's in the planning so they cant be reopened as Pub's again. The Bell at redcliffe is just another one. I got told about the Robin's shutting by Gerry the landlord of the Miners last night, so guess my local is going to be ramed now on a sat, Gerry is lucky he always has a good full pub what ever day of the week.