General Chat

Long story. Since 1839, on the corner of the next street, was a pub called The Lord Nelson. It was moved and rebuilt the next corner down in the early 1900's. In the 70's it's name was changed to The Artful Dodger, and around 2000 became Dodgers Karaoke bar and cafe, and painted bright blue.

It was a horrible pub by the time I moved here, and we only ever went there once, had one drink and went back home. The next nearest pub, because of my OH's walking difficulties, is a bus ride away, and not much better by all accounts.

Anyway, two years ago, a couple took it over, renamed it the Queen Charlotte (we'll never know why) and stopped the karaoke, which was apparently what brought in a lot of the trouble there. The Dodgers had become somewhat notorious.

All very well, but they decided to make it a music venue to compete with another brillian once elsewhere in the city, (no chance). They also stated when they opened they wanted to make it a proper local.

They failed in a big way. The put student thrash bands in, far too loud, no chance of a quiet drink, you couldn't hear yourself think. Eventually, neighbours got sick of it and slapped a noise abatement order on them earlier this year.

Another couple have now taken over the pub, brought back it's original name and were about to return it to being a proper local. They already have a proven track record and put other pubs in the area back to being successful locals, rather than failing theme pubs. We were looking forward to having another good pub, right on our doorstep, where myself and my OH could go out without his being in agony through walking too far, and unable to enjoy his evening. Goodness knows he doesn't get out much.

However, due to a leak, a lot of electrical work is needed, and although the new landords have done a lot of the work themselves, to save costs, the brewerey have decided they don't want to pay £25k for electrical repairs to bring into line with regulations.

So they are selling the pub. The landlords have appealed for local tradesmen to give an estimate on the work needed, but the brewery, (Admiral) are simply not listening, and are determined to just sell the pub.

This area, with all it's little side streets is seriously crying out for a proper pub, where we can all go and have a pint without being deafened by thrash bands and heavy metal...have a laugh and stagger home of an evening. It's disgusting that a brewery have a golden opportunity it's just throwing away. There are enough pubs closing down due to recession and the smoking ban, but here, we're begging them to open this one...

That's a real shame TW.......*fingers crossed*it is sold to somebody who can understand there's a gap in the market xx

has anyone organised a petition to the brewery?

I'm hoping the landlords can get their quotes and prove the brewery wrong.

The brewery has said they will fully reimburse the landlords for all their costs and reinstate them somewhere else....now where's the sense in that?

Lesley, the announcement that the brewery is selling the pub has only just been made and is in today's evening news, but I am sure support can be drummed up here. We've already lost one local pub, it was a beautiful building too, which was pulled down without consent four years ago. Now the council won't grant planning permission for a group of flats on the busy junctiion and the land has been sold and resold three times since the pub came down. There's jsut a piece of waste ground with a big hole in the middle where the pub used to stand proud.

That's so annoying TW. That happened with a lovely old cinema locally which is just a car park now......well I say car park, it's just waste ground.

It's such a waste Lesley, and like I said, this area is crying out for a proper local. It has a function room upstairs, kitchen facilities, gardens and a car park....and now the other one is out of the picture, there's been no competition, they just haven't seen it.