# Hootananny pub (formerly Hobgoblin)



## madolesance (Aug 12, 2007)

Heard just this weekend that The Hobgoblin is to close and re-open as a chinnese restaurant/ caelidh bar. Is this going to mean the end of another Brixton public house.


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## chio (Aug 12, 2007)

I've never been in the place, but I'm intrigued at the thought of a Chinese restaurant and ceilidh in one place


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## lemontop (Aug 12, 2007)

Really hope not. Don't go there so much these days but have had some great nights out in there over the years.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 12, 2007)

That's a shame.  

Hard to believe there's enough demand for a ceilidh bar out there though.


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## lemontop (Aug 12, 2007)

The pub's huge and seems to be quite a weird location for a Chinese restaurant. What the hell's a ceilidh bar?


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## Tank Girl (Aug 12, 2007)

nooooooooooooo


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## lang rabbie (Aug 12, 2007)

Lambeth website said:
			
		

> Server Application Unavailable


It appears the Lambeth webserver is currently down, but it may be worth looking for a licensing application in the morning.


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## London_Calling (Aug 12, 2007)

Not easy doing the Riverdance with a springroll in one hand and yer King prawn balls in the other.


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## lang rabbie (Aug 12, 2007)

They have a website already:



> Whats on in Hootananny Brixton
> *Live Scottish Music Every Night*



Oh... my... God! 

Can  I claim political asylum with some Welsh Brixtonians


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## spanglechick (Aug 12, 2007)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> They have a website already:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


my god! 

i 've been to two ceilidhs in the last week, but that was in the Hebrides, and tbh, there aint much else going on out there (except rain.  and midges.).  Why on earth do they imagine people are going to want to experience this often enough to make it financially viable? 

it's not like you can go for a drink with mates regardless - this kind of music is pretty full-on.


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## RubyToogood (Aug 13, 2007)

It's an, er, brave venture.

I wonder what made them think "Hey, this formula works in Inverness, it's bound to work in Brixton!"


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## Guineveretoo (Aug 13, 2007)

I have never heard of a ceilidh pub. Not even in Scotland!  And a Chinese Restaurant too? How bizarre.


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## RubyToogood (Aug 13, 2007)

There are lots of ceilidh bands. However there are not that many ceilidh bands based in London I shouldn't think, not enough to have fresh acts on all the time anyway. What are they going to do, ship them all down from Inverness? Cos that's not going to be cheap! Either that or have the same bands on over and over and over (most of whom won't be Scottish anyway).

The mind just boggles really.


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## treefrog (Aug 13, 2007)

I've been to a few ceilidhs, and enjoyed them. However, they were in Fife and unaccompanied by crispy shredded beef. The mind truly boggles...


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## Calva dosser (Aug 13, 2007)

To think that, back in the early eighties was the young Commie drinker 

It amused me that as The George Canning it was named after an Eton and Christchurch educated son of an Irishman who was also a Conservative PM 

But then I don't suppose the residents of Canning Town realised they had such a dangerous lefty for their eponymous little domain.

A Ceilidh boozer? with Chinese attachments.

Reckon Jackie Leven will play

http://www.jackieleven.com/

He likes a nosh-up.


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## clandestino (Aug 13, 2007)

It's just bizarre. I have fond memories of drinking in the Canning, as well as doing a New Year's Eve party there in 2001. In fact, this means that all the pubs I used to drink in in the Nineties - the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Canning/Hobgoblin, George IV, Landor - have been made over or demolished. 

Still. At least it's being replaced by something suitably mental. A Scottish/Chinese folk bar - the mind doesn't just boggle, it reels...! We'll have to have an Urban outing.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

This is probably the funniest thing I have read/seen all week!  Since the Two Woodcocks shut down the Hobgob is my local so I`m quite interested.

I can`t quite imagine it myself.. but I`ll definitely be giving it a go... last time I danced at a ceilidh it was at a mate`s festival wedding and it was brilliant!  

Still though... how very odd!

Can`t believe they`re already selling tshirts for the place?!?!


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 13, 2007)

Shocking news.

That used to be my drinking hole from the mid 80s after the White Horse shut.  Would go there and then on to Mingles.


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## RubyToogood (Aug 13, 2007)

I'm having trouble believing this isn't just a windup...


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

Actually I am too.... if it wasn:t for the website... 

*Hootananny*
Inverness and.......


....


....


Brixton!!!!​  


Unless someone has spent a lot of time mocking up that website - which would be genius....


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## Gromit (Aug 13, 2007)

Thats one of the few Bristol pubs I've drunk in. Shame to see a pub close.


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## Orang Utan (Aug 13, 2007)

I'm from Leeds and I usd to go to ceilidhs when I was a kid - they're not that uncommon


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

I went to University in Wales, they're actually depressingly common. A bit like an unfortunate version of the 'Come on Eileen' section of the local pissed-up disco, only extended for hours and given dubious Celtic schtick.

Needless to say I'm gutted for the pub. I can't see this lasting more than a few months.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

I don`t think anyone thinks that ceilidhs are unusual in themselves... it`s the combo of Chinese, Ceilidh and Hobgoblin that`s a bit tough to get my head around...


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## strung out (Aug 13, 2007)

Calva dosser said:
			
		

> It amused me that as The George Canning it was named after an Eton and Christchurch educated son of an Irishman who was also a Conservative PM


oi! thats my great great great great great great uncle you're talking about


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> I went to University in Wales, they're actually depressingly common.



I also went to University in Wales and didn`t come across any ceilidhs at all.. what with them not being a Welsh thing per se.  Were they some kind of studenty piss up cheap beer type thing?    To be fair to this one.. it looks like they have some good bands playing ...


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> I also went to University in Wales and didn`t come across any ceilidhs at all.. what with them not being a Welsh thing per se.  Were they some kind of studenty piss up cheap beer type thing?    To be fair to this one.. it looks like they have some good bands playing ...



Eh? A twnpath is a Welsh Celidh - very common in West Wales at least. Usual bad dancing, drinking and faux heritage night affairs.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Eh? A twnpath is a Welsh Celidh - very common in West Wales at least. Usual bad dancing, drinking and faux heritage night affairs.



If you mean a twmpath... it`s similar.. but not the same... as I understand it.  To be fair I wasn`t way out West though.. and by your reasoning a barn dance is an English ceilidh.. in fact I`m just heading off to a Japanese ceilidh now...  

eta... I guess barn dances, ceilidhs, twmpaths etc etc are all similar type affairs..

except this one will be a Chinese ceilidh!


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

Christ, you should know as well as I do that the the Welsh assimilate anything into ersatz heritage mode given a chance. The whole celtic connection means that 'celidhs' are a common experience in that part of the world, along with other fine and upstanding Welsh events, like Line Dancing and Country & Western. It's the West innit...


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Christ, you should know as well as I do that the the Welsh assimilate anything into ersatz heritage mode given a chance. The whole celtic connection means that 'celidhs' are a common experience in that part of the world, along with other fine and upstanding Welsh events, like Line Dancing and Country & Western. It's the West innit...



ok


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## Gromit (Aug 13, 2007)

I've never heard of a twmpath or celidhs.

If they are the equivalent to an Irish 'diddly dee' pub (as I like to call a pub with too much traditional irish music) I'll be sure to avoid em if they crop up in Cardiff's town centre.


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## lizardqueen (Aug 13, 2007)

*NOoooooooo!*

I can't believe this is happening to my local.  A flaming scottish theme pub - are they taking the piss??   

I've just done a spot of searching and have found that the hob is currently owned by pubs'n'bars, who are letting the tenancy through Howard Day Associates.  Although I doubt we can do much now - looks like its a done deal already.  

http://www.pubsnbars.co.uk/tendeatilas_current.asp?fdunitid=18

Shocking


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## milesy (Aug 13, 2007)

that's pretty much the only pub i ever go to these days. what a bummer


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## dum dum (Aug 13, 2007)

Can't the council just make it 'Go' on fire and have done with it.Flats would be better than this shite.


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

So how many fucking Bravehearts are going to brave the trip down Effra Road for a bit of sporran wangling, cheesy dancing then? Sounds like a Scottish equivalent of the Swan, only without the close proximity to the tube station.

It's going to fail. The old regulars are going to look on and laugh at the silly pissed visitors and then place will change hands again in 6 months. It's such a silly idea, so out of keeping with the surroundings, that I'll be surprised if they even have the usual welcoming introduction to the area.


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## ivebeenhigh (Aug 13, 2007)

i have a few Scottish friends in brixton i am composing the "you will never believe it but..." email right now.


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

I know some Scottish people in Brixton. They moved to fucking to London to get away from this crap - I doubt they've got a taste for ersatz Scottish nights down here.

And next week... the Pretend Proclaimers, followed by Not so Wet Wet and Wee Aye Jockey Charlie. It's a must see...


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## ivebeenhigh (Aug 13, 2007)

the scots think its hilarious.

it seems they had aberfeldy play at their other venue, who are pretty good.

also if they are applying the same level of care and attention to their pricing, advertising, decorating and music policy as they are to their website then then place will shut within 3 months never mind 6


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## Gromit (Aug 13, 2007)

I hope the first act to drag out a set of bagpikes gets egged off stage.


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## Chairman Meow (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> It's such a silly idea, so out of keeping with the surroundings, that I'll be surprised if they even have the usual welcoming introduction to the area.



I bet they said that about the neighbouring Chinese Elvis restauarants in Streatham. Are they still there?


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## tarannau (Aug 13, 2007)

Yeah, but that Chinese Elvis was in a Streatham institution - one of Sarf London's first ever continental restaurant venues, beloved of hen and stag parties. A match made in heaven.

Whereas bringing Maurice McMicklethwaite, his bagpipes and singing cardigan down to the Canning is likely to meet with a slighty frostier response to say the least.

Ah well, we'll see just what the management are made of when the moans start flying in. If they think that Scottish music is going to keep most of the locals and nearby people content then they may be sadly misguided, especially seeing as the place boasted a full garden listening to the RDK reggae rig this weekend. Could be a culture clash, and not in a particularly good way.


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## Roadkill (Aug 13, 2007)

I haven't been to the Hobgoblin in a few years, but there are few things I can less easily imagine it as than a ceilidh bar.  The idea just seems bizarre. 

I wonder how long it'll be before the first person gets arrested for raising their kilt in _Carry on up the Khyber_-esque fashion?


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## lights.out.london (Aug 13, 2007)

chio said:
			
		

> I've never been in the place, but I'm intrigued at the thought of a Chinese restaurant and ceilidh in one place


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## pogofish (Aug 13, 2007)

Hootnanny's in Inverness is a not unreasonable & versatile live music bar/venue.  Many different bands/club nights play there, even the odd English one!    .

Not exactly a "traditional celidh bar" - which is largely an innovation for the tourists anyway.


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## chio (Aug 13, 2007)

There's never really been such a thing as a "ceilidh bar". Ceilidh is just something that gets put on in pubs


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## pogofish (Aug 13, 2007)

Nah, a ceilidh can happen anywhere - It is simply a gathering of people.  

IIRC, the literal translation is a visit but you can usually take that as meaning a bit of a party.


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## Yossarian (Aug 13, 2007)

A Scottish bar? What the fuck?

This is either a pisstake or the stupidest idea I've ever heard in my life. Even most of the Scottish people I know would rather jump in front of a bus than spend an evening in a Scottish-themed bar.


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## lizardqueen (Aug 13, 2007)

This makes me very very sad  

The hob has been my local for years.  I've made loads of fab friends there, and it has been the setting for some of my happiest brixton memories.  

Unfortunately I'm not surprised to see it being sold off for re-furbishment - almost every pub in the area has been re-incarnated over the past couple of years, so it was only a matter of time.

But a scottish theme pub.  I would never have guessed that one in a million years.


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## pogofish (Aug 13, 2007)

Yossarian said:
			
		

> A Scottish bar? What the fuck?
> 
> This is either a pisstake or the stupidest idea I've ever heard in my life.



How kindly has Lambeth's licencing looked upon club-type applications in the last year or so.  Don't I remember a bit of discussion about that on here?  

This may be a rather oblique way of getting one in?


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## lizardqueen (Aug 13, 2007)

Yossarian said:
			
		

> A Scottish bar? What the fuck?
> 
> This is either a pisstake or the stupidest idea I've ever heard in my life. Even most of the Scottish people I know would rather jump in front of a bus than spend an evening in a Scottish-themed bar.



But could you resist the fun they have in store for the opening weekend...



> South London gets a taste of Hootananny, the opening weekend of the new venue brings the wild men of the ceilidh world to Brixton. The drums and pipes of SAOR PATROL will ring out late into the night like a clarion call to exciled Scots in the capital. Sessions throughout the days with special performances by Davy the Ghost and a Historical re-enactment will announce Hootanannys arrival.



I'd love to see the regulars' faces when they arrive for a quiet pint, only to be greeted by Davy the Ghost and a bagpipe band     The mind boggles....


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## Dj TAB (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> I went to University in Wales, they're actually depressingly common. A bit like an unfortunate version of the 'Come on Eileen' section of the local pissed-up disco, only extended for hours and given dubious Celtic schtick.
> 
> Needless to say I'm gutted for the pub. I can't see this lasting more than a few months.



...can't say I'd be upset to see this venture fail IMHO....

Sort of culture for the disney masses who like a bit of gloss!


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## clandestino (Aug 13, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Sounds like a Scottish equivalent of the Swan, only without the close proximity to the tube station.
> .



I thought the same. I used to live opposite the Swan and would find myself in there every so often. The three minute walk from the tube to my flat contained too much temptation on nights when I'd had a skinfun. Sunday night - Ladies night, free chips - was the best.


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## clandestino (Aug 13, 2007)

I couldn't see any mention of the Chinese food on the website. Maybe that's just a rumour...


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 13, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> I couldn't see any mention of the Chinese food on the website. Maybe that's just a rumour...



Maybe the building is going to be split into two? It's pretty big, and I'd have thought they'll struggle to fill half of it with their ceilidh bar.


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## JTG (Aug 13, 2007)

strung_out said:
			
		

> oi! thats my great great great great great great uncle you're talking about



I was gonna say that


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## Crispy (Aug 13, 2007)

I forsee some rather angry punters: "What the fuck is this shit? I'm trying to drink" - these new landlords must be mad.


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## clandestino (Aug 13, 2007)

I can't imagine they care about appealing to the locals - if anything they're probably hoping they fuck off and drink somewhere else. The only way something like this can work is if it attracts the stag/hen/office party crowd, who'll travel to Brixton for the Canning Chinese Ceilidh experience. 

I once went to a wedding in Glasgow which was a curry and a ceilidh. That was fun. Why can't they do a deal with Khans and go for that?


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## Tricky Skills (Aug 13, 2007)

I like to think that somewhere up in the East East of Glasgow, a 'Brixton themed bar' is selling red stripe and jerk chicken to the locals


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## lang rabbie (Aug 13, 2007)

It seems to fly in the face of all commercial logic.   

The previous attempt at Scottish themed pubs in London ended in late 2004.   IIRC a company called JD Morrison's  once had four, but AFAIK they are now down to the Rob Roy at Paddington, which is a dive that would attract only the most hardened member of the Tartan Army.   

Both the *London Scotia Bar* in Bermondsey Street (now the Woolpack), the *William Wallace *in Aybrook Street, Marylebone (now the Gunmakers) closed down due to lack of custom on nights when there wasn't a big Scottish sporting event. 

I liked the Scotia.   It was a good down to earth vantage point from which to sit bemusedly and watch the gentrification of Bermondsey.   The prospect of random crowds of Scots (plus bagpipes) was very effective at keeping some of the worst excesses of "New Bermondsey at bay.  The Scotia had a good final St Andrew's Night with both pipers and fiddlers!

For the William Wallace being the base for London's Kilmarnock and Hibs supporters clubs clearly wasn't a year round paying propostion, but it may also have been a reflection of the lousy customer service under various managers.   When they stopped  serving Deuchars on draft, that was the end for me.


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> It seems to fly in the face of all commercial logic.
> 
> The previous attempt at Scottish themed pubs in London ended in late 2004.   IIRC a company called JD Morrison's  once had four, but AFAIK they are now down to the Rob Roy at Paddington, which is a dive that would attract only the most hardened member of the Tartan Army.
> 
> ...



There is also Albannach in Trafalgar Square.  But that's pretty bloody smart.  I don't think they're aiming at the same market as this lot!


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## Rollem (Aug 13, 2007)

if this wasnt so bleeding tragic, i'd be pissing myself laughing !  

someone, somewhere has a very big screw thats come loose....<shakes head>


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## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Tricky Skills said:
			
		

> I like to think that somewhere up in the East East of Glasgow, a 'Brixton themed bar' is selling red stripe and jerk chicken to the locals




   Let`s do it!


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

Rollem said:
			
		

> if this wasnt so bleeding tragic, i'd be pissing myself laughing !
> 
> someone, somewhere has a very big screw thats come loose....<shakes head>



If I seem to to be reduced to taking the piss inanely on this thread, taking lazy stereotyped potshots at 'Jocks' and all things bagpipe, then please don't let it mask my real sadness that my local of too many years to mention seems to be about to go through some kind of gawdawful theme makeover.

The Hob's not a flash place, nor it is always pleasant or sparkling clean. But it's a proper boozer, where all types and generations meet, either sprawled round pool table, watching sport or just outside in the warm concrete of the beer garden. I'll never be short of local contacts - from plumbers through to electricians and even stonemasons ever again. It's a place I can walk in and instantly know a hefty chunk of the pub at any time. W/e events, from the Comedy Club, through to Jazz and RDK Hi-Fi playing outside, through to a Ukelele band practicing and some dodgy RnB nights swing randomly around, reflecting the diverse neighbourhood. That's a good thing in my book.


Now I may be wrong and this won't be a hopelessly forced pub with a dubious Highland theme. Maybe it won't have a music selection which veers between ersatz Celtic aural wallpaper, furiously and craply retro Celtic-themed folk shindigs and some second rate bands that happen to have a Scottish connection, but I suspect that I'm not that far off the money.

It'll close within a few months unless they've very deep pockets, are willing to compomise or they manage to bus in a new clientele. I can't see most of the current crew being happy to sit listening to Scottish themed background musuc. And if there's the sound of bagpipes washing across the pub, then I suspect the new management may well end up with a speaker up their rectum.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> .
> 
> And if there's the sound of bagpipes washing across the pub, then I suspect the new management may well end up with a speaker up their rectum.


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## gabi (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm lookin forward to it - sounds suitably surreal. I don't expect the clientele will change much either... 

The garden will still be there too presumably (hopefully remaining a bagpipe free zone mind you..)


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## Pieface (Aug 14, 2007)

How odd.....

I know some Scottish dances actually - had to learn them at school when it was raining outside 

I have a feeling if won't work - it's such an incongruous idea that there has to be another reason for it surely???

Was the Hob dying on its arse then?


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

Nah, the Hob's not heaving, but it was doing respectable trade for a wettish summer and the football season holds great promise - it's the pub in the immediate area with screens now. In general it's doing enough to survive, but not enough to reinvest heavily in the premises - it needs more major work, but they've only been offering it with 2 year leases.

The more Scottishly they theme the pub, the more customers they're likely to lose. The folks in there are a tolerant and long suffering lot, but there's a limit to how much bad music and relentless Celtic-theme muzak that any non-ginger human being can take. If it continues to show sport then it's likely to retain some customers from the old days, but even they're likely to baulk and leave quickly if Wee Johnny and his bagpipes make a parping entrance after the game.


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## corporate whore (Aug 14, 2007)

*hoots mon!*

What odd - and unhappy - news. 

Aren't ethnically-themed pubs yesterday's papers? O'Neills is all but gone and in the locale even Ganley's couldn't make a fist of an Oirish-themed pub in a boozer that was fairly authentically Irish to begin with, despite the early promise of gentle stand-up comedy piped into the toilets  

Like tarannau sez, all life is in the Hob. I haven't been there for ages now I no longer live within staggering distance, but it was always reliably good, unpretentious and easy-going.

 all round.


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## rutabowa (Aug 14, 2007)

AT LAST a decent pub in Brixton, i shal be making the journey south much more often now.


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## Mr Retro (Aug 14, 2007)

Assuming the Hob is going to go, where will the current regulars de-camp to? I can only think of Mango Landin'.

Is it actually going to close for a re-fit?


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

Mango, White Horse, people's houses I reckon. it's the football crowd I wonder about more. 

No idea about re-fit - I think it'll be a fairly quick and dirty refurb if there's one at all.


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## DJWrongspeed (Aug 14, 2007)

it does sound of a last gasp idea, but if it means it staying as a boozer then so be it.  The outside area could do with a bit of tidy up to be honest that'd bring more peeps in.  I guess it suffers from not really being properly sound proofed and that back room space isn't really a gig/club space. It's great for comedy though.


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## Dubversion (Aug 14, 2007)

so nobody's looking forward to seeing Peter in a kilt then?


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## gabi (Aug 14, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Mango, White Horse, people's houses I reckon. it's the football crowd I wonder about more.
> 
> No idea about re-fit - I think it'll be a fairly quick and dirty refurb if there's one at all.



If its a quick and dirty refurb then what makes you think all these legendary regulars will move on? Of course they won't... theres nowhere else in the vicinity besides mango landin. Which aint great.

I think you a) underestimate the staying power of the people in question and b) overestimate how different the new scottish/chinese owners will make the place


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

Wasn't on the last gasp though - FWIW it's a fairly profitable pub with considerable potential upswing. The difficulty is that it needs some fairly major infrastructure work - they need to rip the toilets up and repipe for example - that nobody's willing to invest in on the basis of a 2-yr lease. 

The back room's underused, but it suffers from that inbetween a club/pub atmosphere. Comedy clubs, a belly dancing convention (I shit you not) and the odd well regarded nights are sell outs in there, but the average Friday night suffers.


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## Bob (Aug 14, 2007)

The real danger for the Hobgoblin is being turned into flats. You could easily get a couple of big flats worth £300k each on the ground floor. That's equivalent to a profit of £600 a week for a pub. Doesn't sound huge but I wouldn't be surprised if the Hob doesn't make a fairly small profit since it's rarely rammed...


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> If its a quick and dirty refurb then what makes you think all these legendary regulars will move on? Of course they won't... theres nowhere else in the vicinity besides mango landin. Which aint great.
> 
> I think you a) underestimate the staying power of the people in question and b) overestimate how different the new scottish/chinese owners will make the place



I doubt that, seeing as I'm one of those regulars with serious 'staying power' and with no ambition to change the place I've drunk in for umpteen years. Yes, I'll put up with a lot and the beer garden's always a refuge, but nobody's tried to foist off novelty Scottish branding and boasted of playing 'Live Scottish Music Every Night' on the regulars before. That's enough to make me choke on my pattie, whichever way you look at it.

Maybe, as I've said in an earlier post, there'll be more of a compromise than the website suggests. Maybe the Scottish soundtrack and schtick willbe less than relentless and the bands will be shipped out to a deserted and soundproofed back room, letting the old guard sup their pints unmolested by bagpipes and fiddles. Maybe there'll be more a variety and the place will attempt to be more inclusive and inkeeping with its surrounds. But - judging from their website and proud Scottish branding - something's got to give before that happens.


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## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> The real danger for the Hobgoblin is being turned into flats. You could easily get a couple of big flats worth £300k each on the ground floor. That's equivalent to a profit of £600 a week for a pub. Doesn't sound huge but I wouldn't be surprised if the Hob doesn't make a fairly small profit since it's rarely rammed...



That's my concern. The cynic in me suggests that the owners are deliberately letting the place run down, offering 2-yr leases with high chance of failure, on the understanding that it may help aid residential planning in the future.


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## lizardqueen (Aug 14, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> The real danger for the Hobgoblin is being turned into flats. You could easily get a couple of big flats worth £300k each on the ground floor. That's equivalent to a profit of £600 a week for a pub. Doesn't sound huge but I wouldn't be surprised if the Hob doesn't make a fairly small profit since it's rarely rammed...



This is my biggest worry.   

The hob could be a great pub if the money could be found to rectify the problems that currently put off potential punters.  I know the loos put a lot of people off, the garden could do with a clean up and I'm sure a new pool table and a lick of paint in the back room would encourage more people to go there.

Yet instead, some buffoon has decided to change it into a ridiculous theme park that is so incongruous with its surroundings its laughable.  Its never going to work  

Then once McDoogals or whatever its going to be called has shut down, the council will be more likely to accept an application to turn the place into flats, on the grounds that it is no longer a viaible business option as a pub.

Tragic


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

I have a blinding idea.  They could make it into the new Nelson Mandela Academy.  

They wouldn't have to worry about a sports field either as they could just walk across to the park


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## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> The real danger for the Hobgoblin is being turned into flats. You could easily get a couple of big flats worth £300k each on the ground floor. That's equivalent to a profit of £600 a week for a pub. Doesn't sound huge but I wouldn't be surprised if the Hob doesn't make a fairly small profit since it's rarely rammed...



With the new "luxury"* flats opening up opposite Brazas imminently and that area`s proximity to the tube it`s only a matter of time I reckon.  I think the Hobgob is a lovely building and I bet some developer out there has his/her eye on it.  



*small rooms, low ceilings, paper thin walls, flash looking but flimsy fitted kitchen, laminate floors, extortionate price (although, to be fair, I had a nose around these ones during the building and they`ve got a nice little secure bicycle park thing round the back) - also the shop underneath currently seems to be hosting an enormous amount of kids` clothes stock - whether this is temporary or it will be a kids clothing shop, I don`t know.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> With the new "luxury"* flats opening up opposite Brazas imminently and that area`s proximity to the tube it`s only a matter of time I reckon.  I think the Hobgob is a lovely building and I bet some developer out there has his/her eye on it.
> 
> 
> 
> *small rooms, low ceilings, paper thin walls, flash looking but flimsy fitted kitchen, laminate floors, extortionate price (although, to be fair, I had a nose around these ones during the building and they`ve got a nice little secure bicycle park thing round the back) - also the shop underneath currently seems to be hosting an enormous amount of kids` clothes stock - whether this is temporary or it will be a kids clothing shop, I don`t know.




Did you know that the HobCanning used to be a privately owned bar?


----------



## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> Did you know that the HobCanning used to be a privately owned bar?



I`m a bit confused - sorry -   ... privately owned as opposed to what?


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 14, 2007)

Like Lizardqueen and Tarranau, as long time local of the Hob, I am gutted by this and I still cant quite believe this isn't a piss-take.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> I`m a bit confused - sorry -   ... privately owned as opposed to what?




as opposed to being owned by a brewery or leased out.


----------



## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> as opposed to being owned by a brewery or leased out.



oh right... well, no I didn`t, as such, but wouldn`t that be the case with most pubs? I can`t say I know that much about the ins and outs of pubs although my mother was born and brought up in a pub. 

Anyway, am I missing something here?.. I have had quite a few rounds of sake.. it`s almost 11 where I am.


----------



## tarannau (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> I`m a bit confused - sorry -   ... privately owned as opposed to what?



Bit confused too here

Sod it. Me and some of the other regulars are going to grow Mr Whippy combovers, don some bad suits and bumrush the nearby Conservative club.

beats bagpipes anyway.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> oh right... well, no I didn`t, as such, but wouldn`t that be the case with most pubs? I can`t say I know that much about the ins and outs of pubs although my mother was born and brought up in a pub.
> 
> Anyway, am I missing something here?.. I have had quite a few rounds of sake.. it`s almost 11 where I am.




Apparently many decoades ago it was privately owned before being sold off to brewery.

Just a useless piece of info 

In fact, I think it was a private members club


----------



## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> Apparently many decoades ago it was privately owned before being sold off to brewery.
> 
> Just a useless piece of info



It won`t be useless when it turns up in Mrs M`s pub quiz!!


----------



## Crispy (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> oh right... well, no I didn`t, as such, but wouldn`t that be the case with most pubs? I can`t say I know that much about the ins and outs of pubs although my mother was born and brought up in a pub.
> 
> Anyway, am I missing something here?.. I have had quite a few rounds of sake.. it`s almost 11 where I am.



The majority of pubs are brewery owned these days. You'll see the words 'free house' - which can mean the pub is owned by a chain, or is independantly owned (very rare these days)


----------



## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> The majority of pubs are brewery owned these days. You'll see the words 'free house' - which can mean the pub is owned by a chain, or is independantly owned (very rare these days)



Well yes, I know that, I just didn`t understand why MtM was telling me that the Hobgob was once not brewery owned...  but now I do...


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 14, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> Well yes, I know that, I just didn`t understand why MtM was telling me that the Hobgob was once not brewery owned...  but now I do...




It was just useless information  

I bet if the owner was still alive he'd regret not having kept hold of it for a few more years


----------



## RubyToogood (Aug 14, 2007)

I keep looking back at this thread to see if it's all been revealed to be a hilarious wind-up.


----------



## lang rabbie (Aug 14, 2007)

RubyToogood said:
			
		

> I keep looking back at this thread to see if it's all been revealed to be a hilarious wind-up.



It's a bloody well organised wind-up if it is. 

HOOTANANNY, BRIXTON LTD was registered at Companies House as company number 06311515 on 13/07/2007


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 14, 2007)

Excellent!  I've been looking for somewhere to take any US visitors I might have for a quick gay gordons, a dashing white sergeant, or strip the willow!   

Quite where they'll get their custom from the other 365 days a year, I'm not sure.......


----------



## zoltan (Aug 15, 2007)

Thyyse not even showing Scotland football games - I see on the 12-9 - its France Vs Scotland, but theres some live stuff booked up...


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 15, 2007)

*Hootanany message boards...*

I've noticed the hootanany website has a message board.  

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/

There are already a couple posts from surprised brixtonians on there....maybe we should add a few more


----------



## christonabike (Aug 15, 2007)

Oh my gawd

This isn't a joke is it

Not sure what to say, just looked at the website and there's no mention of Big Country at all


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

ah, so it's a THAI kitchen, not a Chinese


----------



## christonabike (Aug 15, 2007)

It gets weirder


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 15, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> ah, so it's a THAI kitchen, not a Chinese



Aaaah its all making sense now.  I thought a chinese restaurant in a scottish bar was a bit weird, but a thai one...well thats just traditional innit


----------



## gabi (Aug 15, 2007)

"Hootananny Brixton will open on 23rd August" Christ, thats quick - is the hob already closed for refurb then?


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

> Are you really going to turn one of Brixton's largest and most racially diverse locals into some dodgy townie bar with a dubious Scottish theme?
> 
> I mean the area's changing, but you're hoping for an entirely new clientele to materialise in this residential area. Either that or you're hoping that a huge number of locals are suddenly going to won over by bagpipes and ersatz versions of 'celtic' theme tunery, *which seems about as likely as finding as finding a hidden image of William Wallace on the Jamaican flag. Just how many nights of unwanted Highland tossery are you going to inflict on the neighbourhood,* or will there be a variety of entertainment on offer?


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> Aaaah its all making sense now.  I thought a chinese restaurant in a scottish bar was a bit weird, but a thai one...well thats just traditional innit




Well the Thais eat insects, so do the Chinese.  The Scottish eat haggis and fried mars bars


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> "Hootananny Brixton will open on 23rd August" Christ, thats quick - is the hob already closed for refurb then?





On this page, it says 7 September   

http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/index.htm


----------



## gabi (Aug 15, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> On this page, it says 7 September
> 
> http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/index.htm



Oh, I was going off the forums, but they've probably shifted the date back a bit.

Check this - Tarannau's worst nightmare  Cant wait to see how the regulars respond to this..

http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/hootsvideo10sec.htm


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> Oh, I was going off the forums, but they've probably shifted the date back a bit.
> 
> Check this - Tarannau's worst nightmare  Cant wait to see how the regulars respond to this..
> 
> http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/hootsvideo10sec.htm




can't view youtube at work  

Actually, I'm  waiting for all the muggers to get beaten up by loads of Scottish nutters


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 15, 2007)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> HOOTANANNY, BRIXTON LTD was registered at Companies House as company number 06311515 on 13/07/2007


a separate company for the brixton branch.....so the parent company doesn't suffer if the brixton venture, as i suspect, goes tits up!


----------



## tarannau (Aug 15, 2007)

"Cutting edge Celidh music' my arse. Short of appending a chainsaw to the front of a fucking fiddle there's no accuracy in that phrase. It'll be the same gawdawful retro parpy Celtic heritage nonsense wheeled out to students, tourists and nationalist simpletons. So that's the aforementioned (fucking) fiddles and bastard bagpipes, perhaps with the odd 2nd rate singer/band who happens to have passed through Scotland. Perhaps we may even get to see some Riverdance rejects do one of them new fangled Highland jigs. McWhoopee!

It's not my worst nightmare Gabi, but a surreal one tempered with real sadness nonetheless. Are you still convinced that it won't change that much and that the regulars will be happy to sit and enjoy a live jock music attack 'every night?' Christ save us and our ears.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 15, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> I've noticed the hootanany website has a message board.
> 
> http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/
> 
> There are already a couple posts from surprised brixtonians on there....maybe we should add a few more


Looks like a few people already have, ha ha!


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 15, 2007)

There are approximately 2000 Scots living in brixton.  Don't think it's going to be enough.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 15, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> "Cutting edge Celidh music' my arse.


 My thoughts exactly. 




			
				tarannau said:
			
		

> Are you still convinced that it won't change that much and that the regulars will be happy to sit and enjoy a live jock music attack 'every night?' Christ save us and our ears.


I was thinking about this. Maybe they wont change the pub that much to begin with....if there's no music in the day, I can imagine sitting down in the garden to have a pint. But as soon as the fcuking bagpipes start up, i'm off down the Effra for some proper music, or Mango Landin for a chiled out pint. 

The buggers.

I can't believe they are doing this!

I tell you what Tarranau, we're gonna have a fcuking proper party in there before the jocks take over.


----------



## Crispy (Aug 15, 2007)

I'd imagine some sort of organised 'shut the fuck up' effort from the regulars should keep them on their toes.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 15, 2007)

Papingo said:
			
		

> There are approximately 2000 Scots living in brixton.  Don't think it's going to be enough.


eh? Where do u get that from? 

I know one scot in Brixton....maybe we can count them up between ourselves!


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 15, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> I tell you what Tarranau, we're gonna have a fcuking proper party in there before the jocks take over.



Absolutely. We're not going down without some noise!!   

I'm hoping the hob will still be open for the bank holiday - could be a blinding weekend


----------



## tarannau (Aug 15, 2007)

I should think that the owners better have very thick skin and cloth ears to survive the onslaught in the early months. And good bouncers too.

Still, it'd be interesting anyhow - I'd wager this be the first time that a hefty number of regulars ask the bar to 'turn it down' at every occasion.

Proper party Hatter? The resistance hasn't even started. The RDK rig's being moved to the Conservative Club to drown out the sound of Wee Willy's bagpipes on opening night, the local youths will be resplendent in 'No Jock' sweatshirts and I've paid the little rasta by the station to mutter 'Scottish is paedophiles' at regular intervals.

First fucker on the bagpipes is going down in a hail of (fried) chicken bones and festivals...


----------



## wurlycurly (Aug 15, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> I should think that the owners better have very thick skin and cloth ears to survive the onslaught in the early months. And good bouncers too.
> 
> Still, it'd be interesting anyhow - I'd wager this be the first time that a hefty number of regulars ask the bar to 'turn it down' at every occasion.
> 
> ...





There's a lot of Dark Ages anti-Scottish crap on this thread, but your bile is possibly the most bitter. Fucking moron


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 15, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> eh? Where do u get that from?
> 
> I know one scot in Brixton....maybe we can count them up between ourselves!



2001 census. 


I am one too.

One, one Scot!  Mwah ha ha ha ha

Two, Two Scots!  mwhah ha ha ha ha


----------



## tarannau (Aug 15, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> There's a lot of Dark Ages anti-Scottish crap on this thread, but your bile is possibly the most bitter. Fucking moron



Have a look at their website and tell me that it isn't Dark Ages Scottish crap.

FWIW I think there's more to Scottishness than fiddles, bagpipes, overused Burns poetry and exceptionally bad beards, not that you'd know it from the Hootanany website - the Saor Patrol video's a particular cracker. 

And get over yourself, I'm half Welsh, but if some tosser wanted to open up a 'cutting edge Celtic bar' with an outdated notion of Welshness, all harps, daffodils and women in funny pointed hats, then my reaction would be exactly the same. It's not the Scottishness that's necessarily the problem, more the gawdawful branded 'authentic' Scots folkiness and the fact that their business plan seems to wipe out a good racally mixed local in a residential neighbourhood in favour of all encompassing naffness.


----------



## wurlycurly (Aug 15, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> FWIW I think there's more to Scottishness than fiddles, bagpipes, overused Burns poetry and exceptionally bad beards, not that you'd know it from the Hootanany website - the Saor Patrol video's a particular cracker.




Shucks, that's so sweet!!!! Certainly forgives your earlier throwaway paedophile line and stuff. And half Welsh, eh!!!! Good for you.


----------



## tarannau (Aug 15, 2007)

The paedophile stuff's more to do with a certain well known Brixton street character. Generally he's to be found muttering 'police is paedophile' but he's an undiscerning chap seemingly committed to equality- occasionally it's the Irish, whites or gays. 
 

Check post #23 for a more balanced post FWIW and why I dislike all this fake Scottishness so much. It the one that starts:



> If I seem to to be reduced to taking the piss inanely on this thread, taking lazy stereotyped potshots at 'Jocks' and all things bagpipe, then please don't let it mask my real sadness that my local of too many years to mention seems to be about to go through some kind of gawdawful theme makeover.


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 15, 2007)

Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman


----------



## Crispy (Aug 15, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> I've noticed the hootanany website has a message board.
> 
> http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/
> 
> There are already a couple posts from surprised brixtonians on there....maybe we should add a few more



They're still coming...

Note that the message board software asks for your email, and then actually publishes it with your post  - fucking thing.


----------



## clandestino (Aug 15, 2007)

hootananyposter said:
			
		

> We listen to reggae, jazz and hip-hop. We eat jerk fish and patties, not haggis.



Not very impressed by this line of attack on the Hootanany board. That's just replacing one set of cultural blinkers for another IMO. Surely the point of Brixton is that there are no rules, that, musically at least, you're as likely to find yourself in the middle of a belly dancing convention one night D ) as you are to be dancing to hip-hop, or punk, or soul, or whatever the next. The great Brixton pubs, including the HobCanning, haven't stuck to any music policy - they've taken in everything. The problem with Hootanany isn't that it's going to play Scottish music - it's that it's going to play Scottish music EVERY BLOODY NIGHT from here to eternity (or mid October, whichever comes first). Even the Swan isn't that blinkered.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman




Wouldn't worry about him, he picks on me as well.  I just avoid his gaze now.  The minute you make eye contact with him is when he'll start on you, although he's not really starting on you, you just happen to be there


----------



## Giles (Aug 15, 2007)

You may laugh, but you never know. Maybe it will start a new London-wide trend for rundown pubs to change into faux-Scottish theme bars.

Stranger things have happened. Not many, though.

Giles..


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 15, 2007)

Giles said:
			
		

> You may laugh, but you never know. Maybe it will start a new London-wide trend for rundown pubs to change into faux-Scottish theme bars.
> 
> Stranger things have happened. Not many, though.
> 
> Giles..





Maybe all the Irish theme pubs will turn into Scottish pubs and they'll be no O'Neills, Durty Nellys, Filthy McNastys, Molly Malones etc. left in London 

Once we're bored of Scottish theme pubs, we can move on to Welsh


----------



## tarannau (Aug 16, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> Not very impressed by this line of attack on the Hootanany board. That's just replacing one set of cultural blinkers for another IMO. Surely the point of Brixton is that there are no rules, that, musically at least, you're as likely to find yourself in the middle of a belly dancing convention one night D ) as you are to be dancing to hip-hop, or punk, or soul, or whatever the next. The great Brixton pubs, including the HobCanning, haven't stuck to any music policy - they've taken in everything. The problem with Hootanany isn't that it's going to play Scottish music - it's that it's going to play Scottish music EVERY BLOODY NIGHT from here to eternity (or mid October, whichever comes first). Even the Swan isn't that blinkered.



Amen to that - it's the variety I'll miss the most. A few weeks ago and a quiet daytime pint was pleasantly distracted by the sight of nigh-on 30 ukelele players piling out of the backroom to play a table-stompingly good impromptu rendition of 'Kung Fu Fighting' and "Smells Like Teen Spirit.' They departed to whoops and cheers from the entire beer garden. And just a few hours later a reggae rig, playing the finest in JA 7"s started up with a warm sound, a live jazz jam taking its place in the gazebo the next day 

And over recent years - despite having no stable management to speak of - there's still been a huge variety of great names in there. From Harry Hill  to Perrier Award winners Daniel Kitson and Rich Hall through to Manasseh, TenorFly and Top Cat. Or Kane and Brockie, Terry T, SL2, Doc Scott and a host of the hardcore and jungle pioneers. Alongside the Alabamas and a variety of other bands. And that's in one of the Hob's deader periods - still a good reflection of the area's roots and the performers locally. 

And now we're being offered a relentless diet of highland noise and forced bagpipe based revelry. Cheers for that Hootnany, thanks a fucking bundle.


----------



## editor (Aug 16, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman


'The Irish' must have done something very, very bad to him in the past because he goes on and on about them. He doesn't like the English much either.

Last week he was loudly sounding off by the bus stops on Brixton Road and two girls just said, "shut your noise," and after that he came over, had a chat and appeared completely normal and polite.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 16, 2007)

All negative posts on the hootanany website have been deleted  

They only seem to allow people to write about what a great place it is  

Found out last night the hob is closing bank holiday weekend.


----------



## Pieface (Aug 16, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman



he starts on everyone - don't feel singled out.

Anyway - tarannau - I know you balanced out your ranting before with one post but lay off the slagging the Scots now will you?  It's starting to piss me off as well.  The bar's a crap idea - I think we all agree with that.


----------



## editor (Aug 16, 2007)

Mind you, they're selling real ales, so we can expect to see WoW giving it some sleepy sporran action soon.


----------



## Crispy (Aug 16, 2007)

Can't take the heat, huh?
*gets back on the case*


----------



## tarannau (Aug 16, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> 'The Irish' must have done something very, very bad to him in the past because he goes on and on about them. He doesn't like the English much either.
> 
> Last week he was loudly sounding off by the bus stops on Brixton Road and two girls just said, "shut your noise," and after that he came over, had a chat and appeared completely normal and polite.



Ah J****y's alright really. He's nearly equally offensive to everybody, but he seems to have mellowed to me over the years.

FWIW PieEye, it'd eb a lot easier to avoid using cliched jibes if the whole concept of Hootananny didn't seem to revolve around bagpipes, fiddles and some bizarre retro beardy celidh folk fusion.  The prospect of "Peter the Ghost' reading poetry to the sound of bagpipes on opening night seems like some US sketchshow's parody of Scottishness.


----------



## Pieface (Aug 16, 2007)

I know I know - it is a parody and I don't think any Scot would be impressed but you're all banging on and it's getting dull now and inevitably it'll start to dilute into general slagging.  

It's too strange an idea to be for real.....


----------



## tarannau (Aug 16, 2007)

But it is real. And in a few weeks it'll be strange men with beards and drums 'banging on' regardless.
 

Will try and restrain the rants, although bombast is at the heart of all good bulletin boards. Where would we be without, for  example, Dub's rants about the Beatles.
 

Forgive us a little hyperbole and frothing indignation - it's one of the only responses to the powerless feeling of watching a decent pub turning into McScottishville.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 16, 2007)

3 messages that haven't been deleted - yet


----------



## Pieface (Aug 16, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> But it is real. And in a few weeks it'll be strange men with beards and drums 'banging on' regardless.
> 
> 
> Will try and restrain the rants, although bombast is at the heart of all good bulletin boards. Where would we be without, for  example, Dub's rants about the Beatles.
> ...



I know  - I'll back off now - I can understand the anger.  I'm really baffled by this one.


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 16, 2007)

Anyway, you wouldn't get bagpipes at a ceilidh


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 16, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> All negative posts on the hootanany website have been deleted


 Boo! Can't take a bit of criticism. 

In answer to an earlier poster, you dont need to put your email address in the box in order to post on the forum - so keep doing it people! 

The forum also says it takes HTML....could be fun! (remember what was done to the gordon brown website!  )


----------



## spanglechick (Aug 16, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Anyway, you wouldn't get bagpipes at a ceilidh


why not?

there were bagpipes at both the ceilidhs i went to last week.


----------



## Crispy (Aug 16, 2007)

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/

That link again in full


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 16, 2007)

Cheers Crispy. But it looks like they've stopped anyone posting anything on the Hootananny forum now - they're running scared!


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 16, 2007)

spanglechick said:
			
		

> why not?
> 
> there were bagpipes at both the ceilidhs i went to last week.


Oh ok - there weren't at any of the ones I've ever been to - all I remember is just a fiddle and a very basic drum kit


----------



## tarannau (Aug 16, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> Cheers Crispy. But it looks like they've stopped anyone posting anything on the Hootananny forum now - they're running scared!



Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there. Shame that. I  suspect they'll find that they'll not be able to shush the dissenting voices in the pub quite so _cleanly_

Celidhs can pretty much feature anything ime Orang - I've seen accordions, flutes, fiddles and a whole load of nonsense. Sometimes you even get a 'caller' and it comes across like a glorified barn or line dancing session.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 16, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there. Shame that. I  suspect they'll find that they'll not be able to shush the dissenting voices in the pub quite so _cleanly_
> 
> Celidhs can pretty much feature anything ime Orang - I've seen accordions, flutes, fiddles and a whole load of nonsense. Sometimes you even get a 'caller' and it comes across like a glorified barn or line dancing session.




my favourite's still there though 


> Are you really going to turn one of Brixton's largest and most racially diverse locals into some dodgy townie bar with a dubious Scottish theme?
> 
> I mean the area's changing, but you're hoping for an entirely new clientele to materialise in this residential area. Either that or you're hoping that a huge number of locals are suddenly going to won over by bagpipes and ersatz versions of 'celtic' theme tunery, which *seems about as likely as finding as finding a hidden image of William Wallace on the Jamaican flag. Just how many nights of unwanted Highland tossery are you going to inflict on the neighbourhood, *or will there be a variety of entertainment on offer?


----------



## hipipol (Aug 16, 2007)

Yer man with the stick - Reggae Music!
He always smiles at me, says hello - intervened once when he was getting turned over by the Fearless Boys in Blue, htree of em, he ttold me not to worry, so I sang some Culture then some Mighty Diamonds at the rozzers, had no effect on them, but mate me a mate!!! 
"Black Reggae Music, is a mesagge from The King"
"Have mercy on a good man, and help him, we pray Jahman"
The first verse "man was made to suffer" seems to fit the occasion

As for a Scottish theme pub, well it wont work, but as the old signs said -
"No Blacks
No Irish
No Dogs"
My Mum was turned away from lots of places with me a babe in arms like all over South London cos they hated the Scots as much as the other prohibited types. She, my Dad and me finally settled in Honour Oak Park - I now live a mile away from that house - where we also have an ethnically diverse population. 
I'm looking forward to having my first Haggis Green Curry while listening to the band of the Black Watch play "Johhny Cope" and "The Black Bear" in the Garden" as hords of Buckfast swilling bussed in Neds battle it out with the locals.
Aye, ye'll ken wha dun ye the noo, eh?


----------



## clandestino (Aug 16, 2007)

This all reminds me of Arthur Baker's ill-fated venture at the Prince Of Wales. After similarly misreading the area, he sloped back to west London, declaring he'd grown tired of "dodging bullets" in Brixton. What an idiot. I wonder how long Hootanany will last before making a similar declaration.

I just don't understand why Hootanany picked Brixton. There must be a real shortage of city centre pubs with decent sized back rooms etc.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 16, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there.


Well I must be banned from posting then and so must a few of my mates. One of them tried to post this a few times as "The Manager - Brixton" and it just didn't come up!



> We have a full night of entertainment lined up for our opening night on Friday 7 September.
> 
> Bands:
> The Red Gold & Green Tartan Family Band
> ...


----------



## twistedAM (Aug 16, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> This all reminds me of Arthur Baker's ill-fated venture at the Prince Of Wales. After similarly misreading the area, he sloped back to west London, declaring he'd grown tired of "dodging bullets" in Brixton. What an idiot. I wonder how long Hootanany will last before making a similar declaration.
> 
> I just don't understand why Hootanany picked Brixton. There must be a real shortage of city centre pubs with decent sized back rooms etc.



But don't you know, the Dex Club is now open? Wonder how it's doing?


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 16, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there. Shame that. I  suspect they'll find that they'll not be able to shush the dissenting voices in the pub quite so _cleanly_
> 
> Celidhs can pretty much feature anything ime Orang - I've seen accordions, flutes, fiddles and a whole load of nonsense. Sometimes you even get a 'caller' and it comes across like a glorified barn or line dancing session.


Oh yes, I remember the callers and the barn dancing. My brother once got splinters of wood in his arse after executing his own unique blend of traditional Scottish dancing and breakdancing by sliding along the ancient wooden floor of the church hall


----------



## clandestino (Aug 16, 2007)

twisted said:
			
		

> But don't you know, the Dex Club is now open? Wonder how it's doing?



Yeah, but that's nothing to do with Baker, is it?


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 16, 2007)

twisted said:
			
		

> But don't you know, the Dex Club is now open? Wonder how it's doing?


I'm going to a party there next week. I'll let you know. Though I think the party is on the roof. Hope the weather's good.


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 16, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> This all reminds me of Arthur Baker's ill-fated venture at the Prince Of Wales. After similarly misreading the area, he sloped back to west London, declaring he'd grown tired of "dodging bullets" in Brixton. What an idiot. I wonder how long Hootanany will last before making a similar declaration.
> 
> I just don't understand why Hootanany picked Brixton. There must be a real shortage of city centre pubs with decent sized back rooms etc.


Dodging bullets? I'd like to see a source for that. From what I know, Baker pulled out cos his business partner allegedly put all the money for the Prince up his nose.


----------



## twistedAM (Aug 16, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> Yeah, but that's nothing to do with Baker, is it?



It's not but it was what he had originally planned. Apparently it took a couple of years planning permission to get it all through. 


And in regard to Orang utan's post:
I thought Dex was owned by Brown's ex-partner.

I'm confused myself now...but have fun on the roof!


----------



## gabi (Aug 16, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Dodging bullets? I'd like to see a source for that. From what I know, Baker pulled out cos his business partner allegedly put all the money for the Prince up his nose.



He was interviewed in TimeOut from memory..? hope the cunt gets a cap up his arse at carnival.... that comment was the tip of the iceberg on his thoughts of Brixton...

Pussy.


----------



## clandestino (Aug 16, 2007)

It was in ES magazine I think.


----------



## Bob (Aug 17, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> I'm going to a party there next week. I'll let you know. Though I think the party is on the roof. Hope the weather's good.



Is it a public party or private? Have always fancied looking on that roof...

The upstairs room above the KFC is fab....


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

twisted said:
			
		

> But don't you know, the Dex Club is now open? Wonder how it's doing?



Ooh, finally. Interested to see what it's like.

Orang... is that a work sponsored event? (Might get Treebeak to blag us in if so)

Or have you joined the members club?


----------



## milesy (Aug 17, 2007)

there's a bit about the hob's re-branding in the SLP today. apprantley there's 5000 scots living in brixton. 

do all scottish people want to drink in scottish themed pubs listening to traditional scottish music?


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

i know 4 of those 5000...


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Dodging bullets? I'd like to see a source for that. From what I know, Baker pulled out cos his business partner allegedly put all the money for the Prince up his nose.



Strange how the Brixton grapevine works, as I heard an entirely different tale of events. Allegedly Mr Baker swanned about acting like Charlie Big Potatoes for a little too long, talking much and doing very little - his partner and backers got entirely frustrated as a result, cutting him out and rebranding as 'The Prince'

And after Baker's toys out of the pram outburst about dangerous old Brixton I lost any sympathy for the man. Why the faked surprise - did he live with his head in the sand about the reputation of the place. Bit rich seeing as he originally opted to call the venue Harlem as well....

,


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> i know 4 of those 5000...



I know 3 in the Hob alone. They were as thunderstruck as the rest of us.
 

Call it a hunch, but all those Scots living in the capital aren't suddenly going to think:

"Well, this big city has pretty much everything. But I really am pining for a retro Celidh evening, complete with some bloke dressed as a ghost reading Burns poetry and a load of suspiciously stereotyped beardies bashing drums, squawking fiddles and even parping their bagpipes too. Throw in a traditional Highlander Thai meal and it'll make it exactly like a typical Friday night in Glasgow or Edinburgh. And make it every night. GREAT!'


----------



## twistedAM (Aug 17, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Bit rich seeing as he originally opted to call the venue Harlem as well....
> 
> ,




To be fair, that's the name of his joint in Notting Hill. He was obviously going for a mini-chain thing along the lines of his other venture The Elbow Rooms. But other than that I must have been on your grapevine; had never heard the coke story before and anyway, aren't his original partners now in charge of Prince/Dex??


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> acting like Charlie Big Potatoes



Like Mr Cheap Potato?


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Nah, more like strutting King Edward, supposed master of the Harlem realm


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> The upstairs room above the KFC is fab....



I thought that was Dex?  I've been in that once - it's lovely...

I want to go to a rooftop party too!


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

PieEye said:
			
		

> I thought that was Dex?  I've been in that once - it's lovely...
> 
> I want to go to a rooftop party too!



Since the revamp? http://www.dexclub.co.uk/


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

how is that link supposed to help?


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

Didn't know if you'd seen what the revamp was about...


----------



## Dubversion (Aug 17, 2007)

Dex is apparently a private members club now - £200 a year.


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Didn't know if you'd seen what the revamp was about...



ah....

I've been in the bar then - not the rooftop tho.....

there was no "you are in DEX" styling about the place though - maybe it was too long ago - was last year with that filthy little maestrocloud...


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> Dex is apparently a private members club now - £200 a year.



£100 Joining fee (payable in advance) plus £200 per annum (payable in advance) or £240 per annum (paid by Direct Debit £20 per month)


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

what does one get for all that money?


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

Why don't you read the website?


----------



## Kanda (Aug 17, 2007)

I'm too nice.. this bit in particular: http://www.dexclub.co.uk/membership.pdf


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

The website is annoying - I require a techieguru like yourself to pluck information for me


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

Kanda said:
			
		

> I'm too nice.. this bit in particular: http://www.dexclub.co.uk/membership.pdf



I've seen that - I read that fucking ages ago!  Are they still bothering with the hotel?


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Nah, they've faked the pricing and photos ont he website  to confuse patties like you


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

Patty! 

PATTY!


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)




----------



## Crispy (Aug 17, 2007)

EDIT: I was going to post that!


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 17, 2007)

ignore


----------



## Pieface (Aug 17, 2007)

I can't see it 

Is it Peppemint Patty?


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

That's the one.

Hootannay's message boards are still working btw, but they've disabled the link from their home page so they're effectively inaccessible.

Bunch of flaming cowards eh? But judging from the pub over the two days, the new owners are going to have a rocky welcome. It's amazing how little the current staff and management knew of the whole proposition - they keep hearing one thing from one of the new partners, another from the other... whilst the website (now slightly amended) said something else again.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

*Messageboards*

Nah, that link hasn't been working all week.

They have deleted all my posts, but left others up there.  Oh well, if I have to re-write my thoughts every day I will!


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 17, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> They have deleted all my posts, but left others up there.  Oh well, if I have to re-write my thoughts every day I will!




Oh good


----------



## gabi (Aug 17, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> Nah, that link hasn't been working all week.
> 
> They have deleted all my posts, but left others up there.  Oh well, if I have to re-write my thoughts every day I will!



Get over it! Change happens.. Wait and see what its like, then have a bitch. Just a suggestion like.


----------



## Blagsta (Aug 17, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/
> 
> That link again in full



My virus scanner at work just alerted me to a trojan on that page


----------



## milesy (Aug 17, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> Get over it!



yeah, get over the fact that your favourite pub is being changed into something that looks like it will be a completely and utterly crap theme pub!!


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

I have to say, though, I went into the Hob last night for a farewell pint, the first time for a few years, and it really did seem like a pub in terminal decline. The toilets were a mess, the video screen tuned to a digital radio station, a smattering of punters. It was a far cry from the Canning at its best. 

The most annoying thing was, it was a choice between the Hob and the Elm Park Tavern. We had our pint and walked home past the EPT, and it was packed and buzzing - quiz night on Thursday of course.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> Get over it! Change happens.. Wait and see what its like, then have a bitch. Just a suggestion like.



Yeah, change happens but theres a limit to how much I can take!  I don't need to wait and see what its like - I already know it won't be playing music I like, my friends probably won't go there anymore, and I won't be able to get a homemade goat curry for my dinner.  

So I'd rather stay clear of the place ta


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Yeah. Because we can't anticipate what some bagpipes and fiddles sound like, particularly when they've got sound samples, videos and a full ban list on their website. 

Give it a chance - you may grow to like Scottish music every night. And maybe the sky pixies will come, buy me a ferrari and wax me bikini line.


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

I did have one thought last night. Is it possible they'll run the Hootanany stuff only in the main room (which was closed last night), and leave the front bar as it is? So run the pub as two seperate rooms, essentially.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

> I have to say, though, I went into the Hob last night for a farewell pint, the first time for a few years, and it really did seem like a pub in terminal decline. The toilets were a mess, the video screen tuned to a digital radio station, a smattering of punters. It was a far cry from the Canning at its best.



The sad thing is that the place actually seemed to be getting better since the latest management moved in - more live music and events happening and the toilets were actually reasonably clean for a change  

But now I think they've just given up - the bar staff will be losing their jobs (and I presume their homes) in a couple of weeks.  I can see why they can't be bothered anymore.


----------



## gabi (Aug 17, 2007)

milesy said:
			
		

> yeah, get over the fact that your favourite pub is being changed into something that looks like it will be a completely and utterly crap theme pub!!



I reckon it won't be so bad... The regulars won't go away, they all live in the very near vicinity afaik (St Matts estate etc), so the only other option is mango landin'. Which i imagine is a bit too family oriented.. 

They'll continue as is and turn it back into the stinking cesspit we all know and love within no time. There'll just be a bit of tartan hanging on the walls.


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> I have to say, though, I went into the Hob last night for a farewell pint, the first time for a few years, and it really did seem like a pub in terminal decline. The toilets were a mess, the video screen tuned to a digital radio station, a smattering of punters. It was a far cry from the Canning at its best.
> 
> The most annoying thing was, it was a choice between the Hob and the Elm Park Tavern. We had our pint and walked home past the EPT, and it was packed and buzzing - quiz night on Thursday of course.



In there myself then as well. Very depressed atmosphere over the last few days and, frankly, the old staff aren't exactly rushing to maintain the place. Especially because they're not in a position to subscribe to Setanta and  grab all the football games. There's already been a shift to the White Horse and Effra as people find their new places and for the footie

It really doesn't help that, most of the time, that there are more people outside than inside the pub. Kinda helps destroy the atmosphere.


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> But now I think they've just given up - the bar staff will be losing their jobs (and I presume their homes) in a couple of weeks.  I can see why they can't be bothered anymore.




Yeah, fair point. It did have an air of a pub that had given up...


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

On the plus side, it was fantastic a couple of weekends ago for the Ukelele orchestra, with a really mixed, happy vibe in the sunshine filled beer garden. Similar applied when RDK and Sim moved Markie's rig outside and played old roots tunes - that and the Jazz Jam on Sundays are actually pulling some new punters in. Folks were peering over the walls and bringing saxophones along.

Gabi - I'd like to share your optimism, but a hefty chunk of the most familiar faces are talking darkly. Contigency plans have been drawn up and there was lots of muttering involving the words 'fuck off'. I'm with you on the inertia of most of them, but the White Horse is not far away... and bagpipes and fiddles are a great incentive to move.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> I reckon it won't be so bad... The regulars won't go away, they all live in the very near vicinity afaik (St Matts estate etc), so the only other option is mango landin'. Which i imagine is a bit too family oriented..
> 
> They'll continue as is and turn it back into the stinking cesspit we all know and love within no time. There'll just be a bit of tartan hanging on the walls.



I really hope you're right about this.  I can cope with a bit of tartan, just keep the bagpipes away from me when I'm enjoying a quiet pint  

But I have noticed recently that lot of the regulars have moved to the Mango, and a fair few seem to have migrated to the White Horse.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

LQ and Tarranau - you gonna be in the hob tonight? I'm away next weekend so tonight will be my last ever friday night in the real Hobgoblin before it gets turned into a wanky theme bar.

Not sure where I'll go for the footy in future - i've been going down the Prince of Wales (near Myatts Field Park) a bit lately, that's a nice friendly pub with a decent screen and pool table....but a bit too far from Brixton for all my mates. 

The Grosvenor is also an interesting proposition for some late night beers - could be a good late night alternative to the Hob. It was open til at least 3am last Friday when I was there. Anyone been there? 

Otherwise its the Albert and the Effra.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Since the revamp? http://www.dexclub.co.uk/


The hot tub on the roof terrace and the hotel rooms equipped with decks and mixer sounds well cool...but man does that place look wanky as fcuk.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> LQ and Tarranau - you gonna be in the hob tonight?



Afraid I'm not around tonight, but Tarannau might be... Enjoy your last hob friday!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> Afraid I'm not around tonight, but Tarannau might be... Enjoy your last hob friday!


cheers LQ, seeya soon


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Hmm. That'll be three days in a row I'll have been in there.Ok then, call it a date.

It's chef Scolly's last weekend in there, so if anyone wants to give him some support, a send off and a last meal, now's your chance. Nice geezer and a true gent - he's been a pleasure.

White Horse looks like the new Hob by default for D and that crew, but I don't know where the old Jams will head to - I think they're putting off thinking about it. There's a limit to how long they can hide in the bandstand/gazebo.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

Nice one. Last chance for some decent jamaican homecooked food then - jerk fish for me tonight then! will be there by 8pm i reckon.


----------



## malice (Aug 17, 2007)

this thread and the hootenany website has made me laugh all day (at the idea not the people on this thread).

Anyway, they've now responded to the censorship comment with the delightfully warm welcome:

"essentially, these posts are harming our future business in Brixton, which clearly has a long and successful future ahead of it. I'll remove your posts if I want, so sit down, shut up!"


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

Charming!

The messageboard is here, by the way:
http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/


----------



## clandestino (Aug 17, 2007)

hootanany messageboard said:
			
		

> Subject:	 	Re: so i heard the news
> Name:	 	William Rasta Wallace
> Date Posted:	 	Aug 17, 07 - 5:47 AM
> Message:	 	You can take our pub, but you cant take our freedom!


----------



## Dubversion (Aug 17, 2007)

> Re: Re: censorship
> Depressed Hob Veteran
> Aug 17, 07 - 6:31 AM
> If your business has such a brilliant future, I'm sure a few disparaging comments won't do much damage, eh?
> ...



ahem


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

The Hob is in the Evening Standard today:



> *Scottish dance revival in Brixton*
> 
> A little part of south London is to become Scottish, with the opening of a ceilidh-themed pub in Brixton. The Hobgoblin pub in Effra Road is to be "tartanned-up" and renamed Hootananny. It claims to be London's first ceilidh bar, and will offer Celtic traditional music and dancing, and staff will wear kilts and sporrans. Lambeth Borough has 5,000 Scottish residents.
> 
> Licensee John Davis said, "Brixton is known as a bit of a dive with problems such as gun crime and street robbery. We're hoping a bit of friendly Scottish hospitality will inject some fun and love into the area."



I made the last bit up, by the way.


----------



## Dubversion (Aug 17, 2007)

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/fetch/746315/

oops


----------



## gabi (Aug 17, 2007)

> Subject:   I wouldn't bother coming to Brixton
> Name:   Brixton Licensee
> Date Posted:   Aug 17, 07 - 5:52 AM
> Message:   Dear Hootananny
> ...



Who was this then?


----------



## tarannau (Aug 17, 2007)

Nowt to do with me. I'm just the Willam Wallace/Jam flag poster that Minnie keeps quoting. <removes cape and mask whilst laughing maniacally>

There have been a couple of the Hob's licencees that lasted precisely sod all time in recent years to be fair tho, not least that gas-faced Irish twunt.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

malice said:
			
		

> this thread and the hootenany website has made me laugh all day (at the idea not the people on this thread).
> 
> Anyway, they've now responded to the censorship comment with the delightfully warm welcome:
> 
> "essentially, these posts are harming our future business in Brixton, which clearly has a long and successful future ahead of it. I'll remove your posts if I want, so sit down, shut up!"


sounds like someone is taking the piss!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

someone on the hootananny forum said:
			
		

> O flower of Brixton
> When will we see your like again
> That smoked and drank for
> Your wee bit of effra road
> ...


----------



## colacubes (Aug 17, 2007)

This one actually made me gob tea on my keyboard:



> William Wallace, Alex Ferguson, Adam Smith, Gordon Brown, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexander Graham Bell, Jock Stein, JK Rowling, Lachlan McQuarrie, Robbie Burns, Mary Queen of Scots, Rob Roy, Alexander Fleming, John Boyd Dunlop, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles the 1st, John Logie Baird, Billy Connelly, ****ign Macbeth......your ceilidh bar is gonna take one hell of a beating!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Aug 17, 2007)

nipsla said:
			
		

> This one actually made me gob tea on my keyboard:


my apologies


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 17, 2007)

Classic!!!


----------



## Orang Utan (Aug 17, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> Is it a public party or private? Have always fancied looking on that roof...
> 
> The upstairs room above the KFC is fab....


It's a friend's birthday party, so I think it's private


----------



## twistedAM (Aug 17, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> The Hob is in the Evening Standard today:



Big colour piece on page 3 of SLP today.
New landlords look normal apart from the pigs bladder and bunch of sticks that the guy is holding in his hand.


----------



## Bob (Aug 17, 2007)

twisted said:
			
		

> New landlords look normal apart from the pigs bladder and bunch of sticks that the guy is holding in his hand.


----------



## Tank Girl (Aug 17, 2007)

it was in one of the freebies tonight as well


----------



## Donna Ferentes (Aug 17, 2007)

zoltan69 said:
			
		

> Thyyse not even showing Scotland football games - I see on the 12-9


Looks like a rugby union score.


----------



## teuchter (Aug 17, 2007)

Well. A Highland theme pub in Brixton.

Having grown up near Inverness, this is certainly the most bizarre news I've heard for a while.

I'm a bit surprised by all the negative response, to be honest, or at least the fact that it should be aimed at the new owners.

I will be sad to see the Hobgoblin go, but if it's going anyway, surely this is better than it turning into another bland gastropub, or a chinese restaurant, or dare I say it an Irish theme pub, or flats, all of which we have plenty of already. It's not as if London is overflowing with places playing traditional Scottish Music.

The one in Inverness has a pretty good reputation by the way. 

You would think that another live music venue in Brixton would be something to be welcomed.

That said, I have to say that I will be surprised if it is a big success in that location. But who knows.


----------



## gabi (Aug 17, 2007)

teuchter said:
			
		

> Well. A Highland theme pub in Brixton.
> 
> Having grown up near Inverness, this is certainly the most bizarre news I've heard for a while.
> 
> ...




^^ yup agreed.... surely this little social experiment is better than what happened to the regent up the road...

im lookin forward to it. reason i love brixton is because of the randomness of the place, and this is certainly random   scottish/thai place on brixton water lane. everyone ive told about it has laughed their arse off... thats gotta be better than a standard gastro pub refit..


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 18, 2007)

I understand what you're saying, but I think turning the place into a permanent ceilidh will remove that randomness that we all love.

If what I've heard is true (and it could just be hearsay - theres a lot of that around right now), the main pub is going to be a restaurant, with the back room as the live music venue.  So I suspect that people going for a drink will now have to pay to get in (at least in the evenings). I doubt any of the current locals will be willing to do this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the idea of a live music venue and I'm certainly not against the idea of the odd scottish night.  I just worry that the place will no longer serve its function of a local pub where people can go for a drink and a chat with mates. That makes me really sad, especially in the light of what has been happening to the pubs on dulwich road and in herne hill. 

Give it a few years and there will be nowhere left to go at this rate.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 18, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> If what I've heard is true (and it could just be hearsay - theres a lot of that around right now), the main pub is going to be a restaurant, with the back room as the live music venue.  So I suspect that people going for a drink will now have to pay to get in (at least in the evenings). I doubt any of the current locals will be willing to do this.





Well no, I'd imagine it's still going to be a pub in the daytime and therefore the real regulars will be recognised and not charged, much the same as the Windmill operates


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 18, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Nowt to do with me. I'm just the Willam Wallace/Jam flag poster that Minnie keeps quoting. <removes cape and mask whilst laughing maniacally>
> 
> There have been a couple of the Hob's licencees that lasted precisely sod all time in recent years to be fair tho, not least that gas-faced Irish twunt.




Sorry, but you made me giggle  

aaargh, what was that miserable Irish git called?  He barred quite a few of my friends - justifiably though  

FRANK?


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 18, 2007)

O flower of Brixton
When will we see your like again
That smoked and drank for
Your wee bit of effra road
And stood against Hootananny
Proud Hobgoblin army
And sent them homeward
Tae think again, innit.


----------



## Tank Girl (Aug 19, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> Sorry, but you made me giggle
> 
> aaargh, what was that miserable Irish git called?  He barred quite a few of my friends - justifiably though
> 
> FRANK?



can't remember his name, but he reminded me of daniel o'donnel


----------



## tarannau (Aug 19, 2007)

LQ Posting...




			
				Tank Girl said:
			
		

> can't remember his name, but he reminded me of daniel o'donnel



I'm not sure anyone actually knew his real name - everyone I know called him daniel


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 19, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> LQ Posting...
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure anyone actually knew his real name - everyone I know called him daniel




How long ago are you talking and how old was he?


----------



## wrysmile (Aug 19, 2007)

Initially, I thought the word Hootananny was a joke. Sorry Scots.
Actually - can someone just confirm it is a real word? And what it means? 

Yours Australianly,
Wry


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 19, 2007)

wrysmile said:
			
		

> Initially, I thought the word Hootananny was a joke. Sorry Scots.
> Actually - can someone just confirm it is a real word? And what it means?
> 
> Yours Australianly,
> Wry




according to an online dictionary

hoot·en·an·ny (htn-n)
n. pl. hoot·en·an·nies 
1. An informal performance by folk singers, typically with participation by the audience.
2. Informal An unidentified or unidentifiable gadget


----------



## Donna Ferentes (Aug 19, 2007)

It means "the pubs are full of arseholes so you'll have to watch Jools Holland again".


----------



## Loupylou (Aug 19, 2007)

teuchter said:
			
		

> Well. A Highland theme pub in Brixton.
> 
> Having grown up near Inverness, this is certainly the most bizarre news I've heard for a while.
> 
> ...



I totally agree with this. I really understand why locals of their pub are gutted it's closing - who's fault is that?

What is the point of attacking Hootenanny ?
Yes I know it's a bit 'theme pub'  but less than you think - at least it's owned by Scots - unlike the Oirish theme pubs like O' Neills etc which was Japanese. 

Just seen this on their forum-

_*Whilst I can understand fully people being upset at the demise of their local and wanting to express that, that is a different issue to having a problem with the creation of a Hootanny in London the motives of which are frankly rather suspect in the most part.* However the point in your post is rather different and likewise Im no economics expert but I find it very hard to believe that in relatively central London a venture such as this wouldnt succeed, and I would hope it would attract more than just the immediate clientele ...
Certainly personally I'm looking forward to the opening night and if the local community don't get excited by the likes of the Soar patrol they should just stay at home and watch big brother instead (no offence meant)_

Do you not give a fuck that the way you come across is prejudiced against Scots & bigotted? Would you write generalised crap about the Irish or Africans or your beloved 'Jams'......You would think it but you wouldn't dare write it and you know why. You're loving having a pop at someone cos of where they come from - let's face it. Re-read some of the things you've written on their forum and this one & replace it with stereotypes about black people. Oh. Dear. 

Whikst I think esp the 'Odes' on their forum are really funny, I'm ashamed that you're so vitriolic about this aspect of Scottish culture i.e Scottish music. English (sorry- also half-Welsh) people are suggesting that Scottish people hate their own music and don't want to hear it. 

And all those people hate Scottish music, of course. 

They're not just appealing to Scottish people in Brixton but across the capital and beyond and considering the lack of places you can hear Scottish music in England let alone the capital, and the general lack of any places dedicated to Scottish people living outside Scotland, esp compared to resources for Irish people (Irish centres etc - there's no 'Scottish centre') even tho there has been vastly more people leaving Scotland to come to London than there have been from Ireland for _years_, and the alienation a lot of Scots feel here, even if they don't want to / can't return to Scotland, I'm just more than a bit embarrassed by the reaction to this place. Esp when I think of the hospitality I've been shown in Scotland. 
By all means a bit of england / scotland banter is a larf - I do so myself even (especially !) IN SCOTLAND - how many of you are up for that & could give as good as you got with humour on their turf? (Doubt if you've got the bollox to even say it to their faces when they take over the running of your boozer despite all the big talk). I've turned a few situations around where I've had a Scot trying to slag me for me English / from London, and they've just ended up having to laugh and then we have a drink together, so don't get me wrong (_wrang_), there's definitely a place for it. But I do think there's a lack of understanding here. _It's not there fault your pub's changing hands. That doesn't legitimise prejudiced crap._

Soar Patrol sound the bollox - their drummer is into AC / DC & techno (the AC/DC /techno crossover has already been mentioned many times on U75)!! - and I for one will be there on the opening night, but anyway I fucking love Scottish music like that, as do loads of Scots. 

I think it's really wicked they're having open sessions, will tell some of my musician mates who play sessions. Might as well make the most of it. 
Brixton's all about music and it breaks my heart that so many pubs that used to have bands have closed down over the years, and so many other pubs. So I have to wholeheartedly support a music venue in principal even if I didn't like the music myself. 

I wish they'd taken over Brady's that'd be a larf - pipes and drums in the centre of Brixton 

I think that there may be a chance they would value the input of the locals, but not if you're going to greet them with hostility. If you just go in going 'I hate the bagpipes' that'll get you nowhere (except the pavement PDQ). Why don't you suggest comedy nights continuing or whatever ? They probably won't be interested - they've got an idea of what they want to do and are going for a geographically wide audience, but you don't ask, you don't get. 

Besides I reckon this is all a cunning plan to unite Scots (they need to be taken out of Scotland for that... )


----------



## teuchter (Aug 19, 2007)

Loupylou said:
			
		

> Do you not give a fuck that the way you come across is prejudiced against Scots & bigotted? Would you write generalised crap about the Irish or Africans or your beloved 'Jams'......You would think it but you wouldn't dare write it and you know why. You're loving having a pop at someone cos of where they come from - let's face it. Re-read some of the things you've written on their forum and this one & replace it with stereotypes about black people. Oh. Dear.



Speaking as a Scot, the "generalised crap" and unimaginative stereotyping running through this thread doesn't really bother or offend me, and I don't think it would most other Scots either. Certainly it's true what you say, that if the same approach was applied to Jamaicans or Africans it would be seen as totally unacceptable. But that is probably a marker of the fact that on the whole, Scots don't have to deal with the same amount of prejudice (by which I mean that which goes beyond "banter") that certain other groups do, and therefore aren't as sensitive about it. 

So, as far as I'm concerned, everyone feel free to make jokes of varying hilarity about Scottish stereotypes.

But it seems a bit childish to put hostile posts on the Hootenanny website, and I don't really think it's unreasonable of them to delete them. It's not their fault the Hobgoblin's gone to pot and needs to be rescued by the Scots. I don't know whose it is - a string of bad management or simply a changing market that means a place that size can't just rely on a bunch of regulars to generate enough income. If the anger should be directed at anyone, it should be those who have allowed this situation to develop, shouldn't it?

Personally, I will reserve judgment on the merits of the new place until I've seen it for myself. Like I said before, I think the one in Inverness has quite a good reputation but I've never been there because it opened since I moved away.

I will miss the randomness of the Hobgoblin, though. Went in there last new years' eve and was well impressed by the fact that everyone completely ignored midnight and continued drinking/chatting as if nothing had happened.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 20, 2007)

Loupylou said:
			
		

> Do you not give a fuck that the way you come across is prejudiced against Scots & bigotted? Would you write generalised crap about the Irish or Africans or your beloved 'Jams'......You would think it but you wouldn't dare write it and you know why. You're loving having a pop at someone cos of where they come from - let's face it. Re-read some of the things you've written on their forum and this one & replace it with stereotypes about black people. Oh. Dear.



Come off it. I've seen plenty of people on here rip the piss out of 'Oirish' pubs. I've never seen it of Jamaican or African places but I've never seen much in the way of Jamaican or African 'theme pubs' - they tend to be more places that happen to be Jamaican or African. What you've written is like suggesting that slagging off somewhere like Bandido's is anti-Mexican.

I'm half-Scottish and I've been going to Scottish music nights all my life o   at having to post that but it seems appropriate here.) I like good Scottish music and I hate twee ceilidh music, and the idea of a 'ceilidh bar' called Hootenanny's just makes me cringe.


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## Blagsta (Aug 20, 2007)

I'm sure if a Jamaican theme pub opened, people would take the piss out of it.

*insert stuff about simulacra and spectacle here*


----------



## Ol Nick (Aug 20, 2007)

Loupylou said:
			
		

> I wish they'd taken over Brady's that'd be a larf - pipes and drums in the centre of Brixton



If they'd done that you wouldn't have heard a single voice of complaint. But these people want to close down the George Canning, which is quite different to reopening Brady's.


----------



## hipipol (Aug 21, 2007)

"These people want to close down the George Canning"
That happened years ago chief, since when it has gradually been crumbling.
Its the old saying, use it or lose it - the Hob has not been making the wedge, the Hob -its already part of chain you know - in New Cross is packed most nights, dont know about the one in Forrest Hill, how its doing, but it used to do a very good trade too.
A lot of people on here are lamenting about a place they havent been in for ages Tarannau and L Queen are definate regulars I know ( I also think that secretly Ts looking forward to getting his kilt on ) - its a lovely building and a great space but it needed more cash over the bar.
This isn't just happening in Brixton, all over ever business is being driven to fuck to produce "returns", its benchmarked against alternative uses and if it aint enough its closed.
People have got out of the habit of going to the pub, even they are not specifically "going out" for the night they end up drinkling at home - the off trade, esp the supermarkets, really is killing the local.
I suspect for all the Highlander pomp of the new owners they are pragmatic types, they have a model that works in Inverness, think they'll find it hard to apply here and will change to fit
I keep thinking about that old song that refers to the Four and Twenty Virgins who come down from Inverness - I suspect these peeps are vigins to the bear pit that the Brixtonites pub loyalty, but will very soon wise up and be selling their arses on Brixton Hill for a rock and a bag of chips


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## lizardqueen (Aug 21, 2007)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> Well no, I'd imagine it's still going to be a pub in the daytime and therefore the real regulars will be recognised and not charged, much the same as the Windmill operates



I've just e-mailed hootenanny and apparently there is no door charge unless a high profile band is playing.

So thats better than I had originally thought.  Still don't think I'll be going there though


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 21, 2007)

hipipol said:
			
		

> Tarannau and L Queen are definate regulars I know ( I also think that secretly Ts looking forward to getting his kilt on )



Ha ha!  My camera is poised and ready


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## Wolveryeti (Aug 21, 2007)

I don't live in Brixton, but my heart goes out to anyone who has to put up with a tartan-themed pub called Hootananny's.


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## mwareing1 (Aug 21, 2007)

Oh my god....how funny...Is that true!! Brilliant...Well it was looking a bit of a dump from the outside........I wonder if they will do Kali nights......Its probably going to be like that Irish bar in Herne Hill.


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## lizardqueen (Aug 21, 2007)

isn't kali the hindu god of death?!   

I hope it isn't like the irish bar in herne hill....thats been shut down and turned into a gastro pub!!


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 21, 2007)

mwareing1 said:
			
		

> Its probably going to be like that Irish bar in Herne Hill.



Not too likely - it doesn't exist any more.


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## hipipol (Aug 22, 2007)

*Kilted Kali?*

Have seen many pics, statues, etc of Kali Mati with her necklace made of mens skulls, and she often has cloth round her thighs, but it looks rather more like a tucked up Dhoti, and I have never seen her sporting a Sporran
Still the idea of goats etc being slaughtered iforsacrifice in the front yard by crowds of kilted devotees conjures an image far removed form the Scottish Theme Pub terror that currently exercises the Brixtonite heart.......


Carrying that idea forward there could be brisk business to be done with a large Shiva Lingam of perhaps a Parvati Yoni out from for a bit of Milk Pouring Action

LQ Shes Goddess of Destruction and Rebirth, all that lives dying and being reborn, something old has to go for the new to replace it. Dont quite as dredful as just death


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## editor (Aug 22, 2007)

hipipol said:
			
		

> "These people want to close down the George Canning"
> That happened years ago chief, since when it has gradually been crumbling.
> Its the old saying, use it or lose it - the Hob has not been making the wedge, the Hob -its already part of chain you know - in New Cross is packed most nights, dont know about the one in Forrest Hill, how its doing, but it used to do a very good trade too.


Well, that's the bottom line. If you don't support your local you can't complain when it gets closed down or turns into a theme park boozer or part of some anonymous family-friendly chain.

I certainly do my bit for my local!


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## lizardqueen (Aug 22, 2007)

hipipol said:
			
		

> LQ Shes Goddess of Destruction and Rebirth, all that lives dying and being reborn, something old has to go for the new to replace it. Dont quite as dredful as just death



Hmmm, sadly appropriate in these circumstances then 

Although I love the idea of a sporren clad goddess.  Now that would be brixton randomness at its best


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## tarannau (Aug 22, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> Well, that's the bottom line. If you don't support your local you can't complain when it gets closed down or turns into a theme park boozer or part of some anonymous family-friendly chain.
> 
> I certainly do my bit for my local!



But we do support our local and whilst it's not as busy as it used to be, it's far from losing money as well. It still makes money by all accounts, albeit it's hardly the jewel in a troubled chain.

Sadly it's not enough to support your local and hope it doesn't turn into a theme pub. Reasonable profitability and loyal customers aren't always enough to stop someone else coming in with a 'brilliant' idea, like a Scottish theme bar for example. Ganleys was way more profitable than the Brockwell recently, with a surprisingly diverse and large clientele, but that wasn't enough to stop someone seeing it as potentially more profitable as part of an upmarket gastropub chain.

Fortunately the Albert's size, central Brixton location and the fact that it's owned by Greene King, one of the more traditional pub operators give it some protection. But even that may not be enough in the longer term - the traditional local boozer template's nearly always going to struggle in pure profitability terms against other options, gastropub or pseudo-restaurant included.


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## spanglechick (Aug 22, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Sadly it's not enough to support your local and hope it doesn't turn into a theme pub. Reasonable profitability and loyal customers aren't always enough to stop someone else coming in with a 'brilliant' idea, like a Scottish theme bar for example. Ganleys was way more profitable than the Brockwell recently, with a surprisingly diverse and large clientele, but that wasn't enough to stop someone seeing it as potentially more profitable as part of an upmarket gastropub chain.
> .


true enough - Ganleys was absolutely rammed when the football/rugby/other sports were on.  Too full to wedge in the door, sometimes. The rest of the time it was as busy as any other pub i know in the area.  It must've been turning a massive profit.


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## Brixton Hatter (Aug 23, 2007)

Loupylou said:
			
		

> I totally agree with this. I really understand why locals of their pub are gutted it's closing - who's fault is that?






			
				hipipol said:
			
		

> "These people want to close down the George Canning"
> That happened years ago chief, since when it has gradually been crumbling.
> Its the old saying, use it or lose it - the Hob has not been making the wedge...






			
				editor said:
			
		

> Well, that's the bottom line. If you don't support your local you can't complain when it gets closed down or turns into a theme park boozer or part of some anonymous family-friendly chain.
> 
> I certainly do my bit for my local!


This isn't true, it's nothing to do with the locals not using it - the Hob does make money now. Just the brewery has decided to sell a 2 year lease to Hootananny. People _have _been using the pub loads...that's why we're so annoyed its closing. It's all the brewery's fault  But I don't even know who the brewery are  (And by the way, i'm pretty it's not part of the "Hobgoblin" chain any more, tho i might be wrong...)

Anyway, a little bird told me the other day that the deal actually hasn't been signed yet, despite their website etc....

Last night tomorrow. Get yourselves down there people, it might be your last ever chance!


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## teuchter (Aug 23, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> This isn't true, it's nothing to do with the locals not using it - the Hob does make money now. Just the brewery has decided to sell a 2 year lease to Hootananny.



Presumably it can't be making very much money. Otherwise they wouldn't want to lease it to someone else, would they?


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 23, 2007)

teuchter said:
			
		

> Presumably it can't be making very much money. Otherwise they wouldn't want to lease it to someone else, would they?



What that shows is only that the people behind the new bar are prepared to commit to a more expensive lease. What it doesn't show is that the new place will actually make any more money than the Hob when it actually starts running.


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## teuchter (Aug 23, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> What that shows is only that the people behind the new bar are prepared to commit to a more expensive lease. What it doesn't show is that the new place will actually make any more money than the Hob when it actually starts running.



Well, it shows that they believe it will make more money. Enough to risk a substantial amount of their cash on it. 

They might be right or they might be wrong. Only time will tell. That's business, innit.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 23, 2007)

Well yeah, that's fairly obvious.

The point is that a pub doesn't have to be losing money, or not doing well, in order to end up having this happen. If someone turns up with the money then that's what happens. 

As has already been mentioned, Ganley's in Herne Hill is the most obvious example. There's no way it wasn't doing well but the new owners had the money.


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## teuchter (Aug 23, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> Well yeah, that's fairly obvious.
> 
> The point is that a pub doesn't have to be losing money, or not doing well, in order to end up having this happen. If someone turns up with the money then that's what happens.



OK. But it depends on your definition of doing "well" ... the pub can still be making a profit but it's all relative to what it could potentially be making. If I'm the owner of the building and I'm raking in a zillion pounds a year in rent, then that's fine, but it's not that great if I know I could be making two zillion pounds.

The only way to stop this happening (and I agree there is a case for trying to keep regular local pubs open) would be to subsidise such pubs or impose some kind of planning/license conditions on the buildings that would be very specific about the kind of use permitted. 

I don't think it's really fair to blame the owners of the building, or the new licensees. Might be something in blaming the previous licensees for running it down through incompetence, if that is what has happened, rather than simple market economics taking their toll.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Aug 23, 2007)

Yeah I agree with all of that basically.

I hate what I see happening, and have a good  moan about it on here, but there's certainly no easy way to stop it.


----------



## milesy (Aug 24, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> Last night tomorrow. Get yourselves down there people, it might be your last ever chance!



i'll be there, as will the missus. see you later!


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## wurlycurly (Aug 24, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> Well yeah, that's fairly obvious.
> 
> The point is that a pub doesn't have to be losing money, or not doing well, in order to end up having this happen. If someone turns up with the money then that's what happens.
> 
> As has already been mentioned, Ganley's in Herne Hill is the most obvious example. There's no way it wasn't doing well but the new owners had the money.





Ganley's was refurbished specifically because it wasn't making enough profit (it still isn't post-makeover).  When you went in there on a footie night it was absolutely packed, but as soon as the full-time whistle went it was tumbleweed time, and most of those watching weren't even drinking. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Scot but am against the absurd Scottish thing in the Hob and was also against the gentrification of Ganley's, but pubs of that size aren't going to keep ticking along with a few punters slowly sipping pints in the evening, patrticularly when they're largely empty during the day. The Hob is deserted in winter during the daytime, and pub attendances are bound to fall post-smoking ban when the weather's cold. If I can still get a beer in either place in two years' time I'll be more than happy regardless of whether they're gentrified, tartanised or whatever. Beats turning them into flats


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## bang (Aug 24, 2007)

I went there last Friday and it was completely dead - around 10pm, the music part was open but there can't have been more than 10 people in there..
..have some wikkid memories of post-cannabis festy misbehaviour in there but if it's regularly as dead as it was on Friday then I am not surprised it's closing..


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## lizardqueen (Aug 24, 2007)

Sadly I think everyone has given up on the place since they announced they were closing...a lot of people have already started drinking elsewhere  

Should be more lively tonight though (hopefully!)


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## tarannau (Aug 24, 2007)

Ah well. It's the Hob's official send off night tonight, before it changes hands next Thursday. Bring yourself down for the last rites of this venerable institution.  The usual assortment of characters and dribbling locals, spread from pool table to smoky beer garden, nodding to their heads to a mix of tunes. Bring yourself down and pay your last respects. We'll be holding court and raising glasses again.

And then it's down to become the scottish branded bar of ridiculous national stereotypes. Staff wearing kilts, more tartan than you can shake a stick at, bagpipes, fiddles and even some numpty dressed as a ghost giving us a rendition of some sodding poetry(Burns no doubt). You couldn't make it up. It's cutting edge apparently, rather than desperately twee.

Still, good to know that their proud Highland branding doesn't extend to the kitchen, where there'll be serving good old Scottish Thai food, which tells you all you need to do about the bankruptcy and contrived nature of this silly concept. 

Drink today. For those silly playing at Highlander fools will be us in a week or two. Until then, come and join us for a last drink in one of Brixton's most diverse boozers. All tribes welcome - just leave the tartan at home.


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## Blagsta (Aug 24, 2007)

I may come down for a couple, for old time's sake.


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## Mr Retro (Aug 24, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> Ganley's was refurbished specifically because it wasn't making enough profit (it still isn't post-makeover).



How do you know that though? Were/are you involved with the premises?


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## wurlycurly (Aug 24, 2007)

Mr Retro said:
			
		

> How do you know that though? Were/are you involved with the premises?




Ganley's was my regular for years prior to the refit. The subject was regularly discussed between punters/landlord/bar staff


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## Mr Retro (Aug 25, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> Ganley's was my regular for years prior to the refit. The subject was regularly discussed between punters/landlord/bar staff



My post looks like I was challenging you - I wasn't. Just wondering because "word" was the Irish owner sold up for no other reason than he wanted to. Miss him, he was horse racing mad.


----------



## editor (Aug 25, 2007)

Well, I was there for the send off!


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## editor (Aug 25, 2007)

You've got to love the band playing there on the 8th Sept.

Categorically_ none_ more Scottish! http://www.saorpatrol.com/


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## editor (Aug 25, 2007)

Here's my little tribute to the last night at the Hob:













http://www.urban75.org/brixton/bars/hobgoblin-farewell.html


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## Tank Girl (Aug 25, 2007)

that's my drink 

we've had fun, we've got memories and we've lost too many braincells -  farewell hobgoblin.


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## Blagsta (Aug 25, 2007)

I meant to come down but wasn't feeling too good.  I was in bed by 10.30.


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## Gixxer1000 (Aug 25, 2007)

Fosters


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## academia (Aug 25, 2007)

It was still open today. 
When is it's last actual open day?


----------



## madolesance (Aug 25, 2007)

Here is a picture of the Hobgoblin from early last night.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverfox09/1233983692/

Was in there tonight, still on the go.


----------



## editor (Aug 25, 2007)

Vintage photos from an urban Hobgoblin meet waaay back in 2002:
http://www.urban75.org/photos/party/drink04.html


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## teuchter (Aug 25, 2007)

academia said:
			
		

> It was still open today.
> When is it's last actual open day?



So...

It was all a hoax.

That makes more sense.


----------



## Mr Retro (Aug 25, 2007)

It's actual last day is Thursday.

Had a few in there this evening after the park and, when you look at it objectively, it was shit. Few people there and ot those that were there, lots  weren't even drinking. People smoking joints, eating take away and generally using it as a place to loiter in, rather than a pub to drink in. No atmosphere and generally it felt it's time was up.


----------



## bottomline74 (Aug 28, 2007)

Double Post


----------



## bottomline74 (Aug 28, 2007)

this from the message board - the co-owner of hootananny 
Sorry been 2 busy to reply to criticism but now got a free moment. yes,we
might well go bust but my motto is do what you love and **** the consequences.
we think we are going to create a fantastic venue - Scottish music and cover
bands in the bar on the left and a continuation of what already exists (ie
commiunity pub)in the bar on the right. We have franchised out the food
operation to a brilliant Thai chef because Thai food is the best pub food -
delicious, varied and cheap. It works well in our pub in Inverness so tried
and tested.
Modern Scottish ceilidh music is sensational and probably nothing like
how you imagine it. You should come along and have a look before you pass
judgement.
I must say I don't agree with the argument that Scottish music cannot work
in Brixon because so few Scots live there. There is a successful Japanese
restaurant in Brixton. One of the great things about Brixton is that it is a
cultural melting pot. That is where it gets its vitality from. We are just
adding to the brew!
Incidentally I am against censorship of the website and stopped our
website man from removing critical texts when I discovered it was going on.
Better to be talked about even if in an uncomplimentary way than to be
ignored!
Kit Fraser, co-owner


----------



## hendo (Aug 28, 2007)

You have to hand it to the guy, he's having a go at something different, good luck to him.


----------



## Kanda (Aug 28, 2007)

23 minute gap between a double post??


----------



## Gromit (Aug 28, 2007)

Its all going to end in tears. Well so long as he can afford the gamble and it sounds like he can.


----------



## lizardqueen (Aug 28, 2007)

I saw the message from the co-ownder and can't help being impressed by how level-headed and reasonable he sounds.  

Still doubt it will work though...


----------



## Dan U (Aug 28, 2007)

lets hope it gets squatted in between changing hands


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 28, 2007)

lizardqueen said:
			
		

> I saw the message from the co-ownder and can't help being impressed by how level-headed and reasonable he sounds.
> 
> Still doubt it will work though...


 

Sounds like quite a charitable chap 

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/441/Helping_Africa's_poor_trade_their_way_out_of_poverty.html

seems he likes poetry as well

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3623/Pints_and_poetry_-_an_inventive_mix.html


and he was against the smoking ban

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publican_Party


----------



## teuchter (Aug 28, 2007)

bottomline74 said:
			
		

> this from the message board - the co-owner of hootananny
> Sorry been 2 busy to reply to criticism but now got a free moment. yes,we
> might well go bust but my motto is do what you love and **** the consequences.
> we think we are going to create a fantastic venue - Scottish music and cover
> ...



I think that one of the things people are sceptical about is not just the fact that it is in Brixton but its location in Brixton - a good ten minute walk from the tube and not in amongst the various other bars, which means that it's not really going to get much "passing trade", and anyone coming from outside the immediate area is going to have to know about it and make a special trip. I guess there's an assumption that what you will be providing will be aimed largely or partially at the tourist market, and tourists - at least the kind of tourists one imagines might be attracted to seeing live Scottish music, aren't going to come all the way (Brixton is percieved as being quite a way from the centre even though it isn't really) down here and then walk through what they will percieve (again largely inaccurately) as a "dodgy area" late at night.
Your reponse to this may well be that the tourist audience is not a significant portion of your audience (unlike I presume Inverness) and if this is the case then I would feel encouraged about the type and quality of music you will be offering. Although there have been a few on here whinging about the fact that you will be offering a "monoculture" of scottish music, I for one am frequently a bit fed up that the offerings in Brixton on a weekend night seem to consist of house music, house music or house music. So I will welcome the addition of something alternative, if it is of good quality and varied and I think there is a market for this in the area. I don't know how strict you will be about bands being "Scottish" but I'm sure that some traditional music from other places now and again would go down well.
I reckon that if you do as you say, and create an atmosphere in the bar bit that means folk from around the immediate area can use it without feeling like they are living in Disneyland, then you will win over most of the grumblers on here.
Good luck anyway and the proof will be in the pudding.
By the way, perhaps a few free tickets for the opening night, or something, for Urban75 posters would be good for "community relations" (hint hint hint).


----------



## spanglechick (Aug 28, 2007)

teuchter said:
			
		

> <snip>
> By the way, perhaps a few free tickets for the opening night, or something, for Urban75 posters would be good for "community relations" (hint hint hint).


this wasn't posted by the owner - just c&p'd by an urbanite from the website...


----------



## teuchter (Aug 28, 2007)

spanglechick said:
			
		

> this wasn't posted by the owner - just c&p'd by an urbanite from the website...



well, I'd suspect he'll be having a look on here as well... I would if I was about to open a pub in Brixton...


----------



## bottomline74 (Aug 28, 2007)

free tickets ................. it's all free .......


----------



## tarannau (Aug 30, 2007)

Well that was very sad. Popped down for the very last night before the changeover to say my final farewell to the old place. And encountered shut doors and sad-faced staff packing all their worldly possessions into vans. Seems the new owners unexpectedly forced closure a day early, current staff totally unaware till this afternoon.

I kind of expected to be pressing flesh and saying a fond goodbye and thanks to the staff. Instead, I ended up milling around outside, talking to a few other bemused folks and realising just how few phone numbers I hold for many of the familiar faces. You just kind of knew you'd bump into them in the same place at some point over the week.


Seems changes are afoot too. Talking briefly to the old landlady, it seems the pub's reopening again this Saturday, largely unchanged. Apparently one of the new partners has reconsidered things and backtracked a little after some visits and feedback - the main bar's going to keep sky sports,playing more classics and cover band stuff at night. The back bar will take on that more Scottish theme, bagpipes and Celidh tackyness and all.

No idea when the major refurb will take place now. Rumours were flying around a little while back that the new owners had underestimated the cost of kitting out the new operation massively. Perhaps they're trying to recoup some cash and put some feelers out at the moment. 

Feel really sad to be honest. And a little cheated about a missing the final farewell in such strange circumstances. I felt for the staff too, all losing their homes and jobs in one fell swoop - I wish them all the best.

I'll always hold some great memories of the place. I'd like to share some positivity about the future, but the confused spectacle of a half-hearted Scottish effort on my doorstep seems strangely unenticing. Sure, Brixton's always been tolerant of diversity, but that diversity usually builds up organically, not by imposing a poor facisimile of a pub concept from Inverness unwanted on a neighbourhood.


----------



## KnickerlessCage (Aug 30, 2007)

amen


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## Mr Retro (Aug 31, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Seems changes are afoot too. Talking briefly to the old landlady, it seems the pub's reopening again this Saturday, largely unchanged. Apparently one of the nmoment.
> 
> Feel really sad to be honest. And a little cheated about a missing the final farewell in such strange circumstances.



If it's opening again on Saturday, largely unchanged, there wasn't much that you needed to say goodbye to is there?


----------



## teuchter (Aug 31, 2007)

Mr Retro said:
			
		

> If it's opening again on Saturday, largely unchanged, there wasn't much that you needed to say goodbye to is there?



Just what I was about to say.

Also




			
				Tarranau said:
			
		

> I'd like to share some positivity about the future, but the confused spectacle of a half-hearted Scottish effort on my doorstep seems strangely unenticing. Sure, Brixton's always been tolerant of diversity, but that diversity usually builds up organically, not by imposing a poor facisimile of a pub concept from Inverness unwanted on a neighbourhood.



Would it not be fair to wait till it's open and see what it's actually like before writing it off as halfhearted / poor etc?

And Brixton is only tolerant of "organic" diversity? I haven't heard that before. That sounds a bit like like the kind of small-town narrowmindedness that I live in Brixton to avoid....


----------



## Anotherfolky (Aug 31, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> If you mean a twmpath... it`s similar.. but not the same... as I understand it.  To be fair I wasn`t way out West though.. and by your reasoning a barn dance is an English ceilidh.. in fact I`m just heading off to a Japanese ceilidh now...
> 
> eta... I guess barn dances, ceilidhs, twmpaths etc etc are all similar type affairs..
> 
> except this one will be a Chinese ceilidh!



Sorry to interrupt but yes a Barn Dance is actually more often referred to as an English Ceilidh these days..


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## tarannau (Aug 31, 2007)

You'll have to excuse me for not exactly whooping it up at the prospect of someone opening up a half-hearted incarnation of a theme pub on my doorstep. You don't have to be Nostradamus to predict what a night of classic pop and rock covers will be like. It'll be better than the bagpipes next door I suppose.

Frankly I'm more deflated by the cack handled way it all ended than anything else. You've had a good few weeks of sad faced staff letting the place run down, not knowing what's going to happen - it's fair to say that most of us on this website know more about the future plans than the folks did behind the bar. All the staff, some of whom have survived a few changes of managers, were turfed out at short notice, even losing their homes and jobs a day earlier than expected. A little communication would have gone a long way. They even had to employ a bouncer to tell people it was shut last night after it got a little too much for the departing staff.

Things needed to change, but there's a better way than this. You've now got the awkward situation of a pub in flux, with a good few of the regulars already moved on and the vast majority unaware of what the bleeding hell's going on. There's been a little bit of ,ahem, a bad smell lingering around the pub at the moment (see the broken windows) that's led to some people I'm fond of leaving already leaving already. Without any of the old staff at all, I'd strongly expect a good few weeks of unpleasantness as things settle down again and some unsavoury characters chance their luck.

And for what? More of the same without the old faces and the super, smashing great prospect of a kilts and bagpipes themeworld developing next door if the strangely reclusive management haven't changed course.  I'm not jumping for joy if I'm honest.


----------



## tarannau (Aug 31, 2007)

teuchter said:
			
		

> And Brixton is only tolerant of "organic" diversity? I haven't heard that before. That sounds a bit like like the kind of small-town narrowmindedness that I live in Brixton to avoid....



Thanks for the strawman and associated routine 'narrowminded' jibes. Where did I say anything approaching 'only'?

By that I simply meant that most organisations, even the most corporate affairs, have tended to tailor their operations to, and be shaped by, the local market. Even blando Wetherspoons made an exception with The Beehive, sticking up witty signs and some new toilet layouts. What was remarkable about Hootananny's initial spin was the unrepentent way they intended to transfer the Inverness operation pretty much lock, stock and barrel to Brixton unchanged, complete with the same bands, food and approach. And all that clearly ridiculous gumph about 'cutting edge celidh' was the worst kind of unsustainable marketing bollocks that I'd loathe from the most corporate of brands. 

To be fair, this Kit guy sounds more reasonable. And it sounds as if he's been mitigating the worst excesses of PR bumph in the background with a more realistic approach. A RnB/soul singer was added to the official opening night line-up on Hoot's website a little while back for example. Not sure if that's what needed, nor that it fits in with an already watered down concept, but it's a start.

Wait and see I guess, but I'm not remarkably hopeful.


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## editor (Sep 2, 2007)

FYI, this was just emailed me to:





> Hootananny Inverness is owned by Earnpark ltd Its Accounts show a loss of £280,000 in
> the last year .It has never made a profit.


Anyone able to check this?


----------



## lang rabbie (Sep 2, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> FYI, this was just emailed me to:Anyone able to check this?



Earnpark's name has certainly appeared on the licensing applications to Highlands Council for the Inverness venue.

BUT.... It strikes me as a bit odd  that somebody would send you that on a Sunday morning when the Companies House website is on its weekly shutdown so noone can pay £2 (of whatever it now is) to verify/disprove it  -why wouldn't your informant send you a copy of the actual Companies Act return. 

Edited to add:  and the fact that a company is losing money doesn't mean that the Inverness pub is operating at a loss -e.g. interest on a mortgage/loan to buy the freehold would be chargeable to the profit and loss account.


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## tarannau (Sep 2, 2007)

Well, strangely enough, the pub-that-was-the-Hob didn't open yesterday as suggested. Not sure of the reasons why, nor why the outgoing staff were told that it was going to reopen so swiftly.

Lots of scaffolding and builders active on site today, so Earnpark's clearly not on its arse entirely yet. Not sure of the relevancy of the companies house info tbh - as Lang says, it's largely meaningless without more context. The only thing I've vaguely heard - reservations about Brixton gossip in mind - that they've got far from limitless pockets when it comes to the renovation, which is fair enough really.


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## Donna Ferentes (Sep 2, 2007)

Perhaps they could turn it into Ernpark.

It'd save going all the way to Trans-Dniester.


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## Brixton Hatter (Sep 4, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Well, strangely enough, the pub-that-was-the-Hob didn't open yesterday as suggested. Not sure of the reasons why, nor why the outgoing staff were told that it was going to reopen so swiftly.


Went past last night, the pub is totally closed and the inside is a mess of ripped up wood and rubbish. Looks like they're doing more work on the back bar (music room) than the main front bar.

regulars will be well aware of that lad who came into the pub garden daily to pick up old fag butts.....well he's still doing it even though there hasn't been any customers smoking in the garden for days! Bless...


----------



## tarannau (Sep 4, 2007)

Whatever crew they've brought in are certainly working hard. They were started first thing on Sunday morning and were still hard at work past 10 pm. I'm guessing they're aiming for a grand opening this coming Friday now, at least based on their website.


----------



## editor (Sep 4, 2007)

I've had another email:



> It does not matter what you think .We in the
> Highlands in Inverness are well aware of
> Earnpark/Hootanannny.Kit Fraser is not
> Scottish -he is from Ipswich and any poor
> ...


----------



## tarannau (Sep 4, 2007)

Very cryptic. Oh well, we'll see what happens now then I guess. 

One of the partners, Kit's wife I assume, is apparently from near Brixton. Be interesting to see how it pans out, but if they're expecting a burgeoning welcome crowd on Friday's opening night they'll be sadly disappointed/ Perhaps they're bussing people in, but otherwise (unless they're web literate saddos like us) there's no notification of the opening date on the pubs or surrounds as yet.


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## ska invita (Sep 4, 2007)

RubyToogood said:
			
		

> It's an, er, brave venture.
> 
> I wonder what made them think "Hey, this formula works in Inverness, it's bound to work in Brixton!"


I was up at the  INverness one last christmas - had a nice Thai meal in there.

This is nuts - but maybe all the poor lost Scots in the whole of London will decend here everyday of the week. 

Never happen.

I give it till spring.


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## gabi (Sep 4, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> I've had another email:




Is it fair to post those up unless you can verify their authenticity? Whos sending them?


----------



## editor (Sep 4, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> Is it fair to post those up unless you can verify their authenticity? Whos sending them?


The last one came from an btinternet address and I've invited him/her to post here.


----------



## tarannau (Sep 4, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> Went past last night, the pub is totally closed and the inside is a mess of ripped up wood and rubbish. Looks like they're doing more work on the back bar (music room) than the main front bar.
> 
> regulars will be well aware of that lad who came into the pub garden daily to pick up old fag butts.....well he's still doing it even though there hasn't been any customers smoking in the garden for days! Bless...



Heh. Saw the Trickychickenkid doing his fag run in the beer garden on the way home tonight. He's not quite the harmless figure he's made out to be - he's a habit of leaving steaming brown presents at times for the staff apparently, which makes Merv's anger towards him more understandable. And a load of the old Jam crew were in the park, playing dominos. It's  been quite strange bumping into the old faces displaced in different places and pubs over the past few days.

The pub seems to have turned a strange shade of plum, which I'm hoping is undercoat. The floors have been ripped up in the main bar and the pool table is gone. Hopefully it'll return - it's the last one in the area really. The toilets, the worst part of the pub and the one area in most need of a major refurb, look entirely unchanged.

Their best hope for drilling up a little custom will be if they show the football and become a bit of a sporting pub in the daytime. I've seen no sign that anyone's going to stay around, or pay for the privelege, of bagpipe/fiddle/beardy celidh action, certainly not more than once in a blue moon.


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## playghirl (Sep 6, 2007)

Interesting... very interesting.


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## Brixton Hatter (Sep 7, 2007)

The HootaHobCanning opens tonight. They are giving out flyers offering you one free drink...though I havent actually seen them myself. I will no doubt go past and stick my head round the door tonight but I don't think i'll be able to bring myself to go in....I'd feel like a traitor!


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## zoltan (Sep 7, 2007)

The Scotland game is def. being shown tomorrow at the Ex Hobgoblin

looks like its got live music til 3 tonight


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## Brainaddict (Sep 7, 2007)

Just found this thread. I feeled like I've stumbled into some alternative Universe. Possibly not far from the Brentford Triangle* 



*Robert Rankin reference


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## tarannau (Sep 7, 2007)

Ah fuck it, I'd take their free drink and then move on.

I'm afraid that I'll be missing the grand re-opening, as I'm seeing my Celtic cousins in Wales over the weekend. I may educate the locals there on my plan for a 'cutting edge' Morris Dancing bar, complete with staff dancing round a May Pole and serving that traditional English favourite of Nachos ('because that's what works') but I fear that may slip into the realm of ridiculous national stereotypes and silly marketing bollocks.

But still, if anyone does goes down to see Davy the Ghost's poetry recital down Hootananny tonight, followed by fiddles, bagpipes and staff wearing kilts, please report back. They're even doing a mean genuine-article Scottish Thai meal I hear....


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Sep 7, 2007)

Brixton Hatter said:
			
		

> The HootaHobCanning opens tonight. They are giving out flyers offering you one free drink...though I havent actually seen them myself. I will no doubt go past and stick my head round the door tonight but I don't think i'll be able to bring myself to go in....I'd feel like a traitor!


 

That feeling won't last long


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## lang rabbie (Sep 7, 2007)

As the mystery informant hasn't provided more info, I've paid £3 (of my own money from my home PC, not my employer's    )for the company records.

From the most recently filed set of accounts for Earnpark Ltd at Companies House (the 2006 books need to be filed by the end of October 2007).,

Someone with more experience of the pub trade may have a better idea than me how this compares with the industry norm.

E&OE - I haven't checked whether my retyped figures add up!



			
				Earnpark Company Return said:
			
		

> Profit and Loss Account
> year to 31 December  2005
> ...........................................2005.................2004
> ...........................................____.................____
> ...



On first glance, the balance sheet doesn't look particularly healthy - with net current liabilities of £368,000.  But the company has property valued at £1,012,000 and bank loans only come to £370,000.   So it is quite possible that they had recently had a brewery loan to finance a refurbishment which could  be paid off out of hopefully enhanced turnover.   

I'm more puzzled by the scale of the brought forward losses.

75,000 out of the 395,000 shares of the company were owned by people with Lambeth addresses.


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## Ol Nick (Sep 7, 2007)

Trust you all caught the bagpipe band playing outside the tube at half eight tonight. Scotland the Brave indeed.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2007)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> As the mystery informant hasn't provided more info, I've paid £3 (of my own money from my home PC, not my employer's    )for the company records.


Cheers for that.


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## brixtonvilla (Sep 8, 2007)

I went past about 10 and they were still playing bagpipes. Is this going to be a regular thing? I legged it in the opposite direction pdq...


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## ivebeenhigh (Sep 8, 2007)

popped in there for a pint last night.

the have made teh bar area all one level, the pool table is gone and its looks considreably brigther.

next door is the same colour as the new outside, a dark red.  it looks unfinished.

there were men in kilts, they are getting tennants in on draft.

the had a soul cover band lpaying when i got there, the sound was dreadful.

it was really busy though every table was full outside at 1am.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 8, 2007)

Popped in on the way home to have a look.Like I'vebeenhigh says, it looks a bit half finished, especially the big back room. The soul covers band I'd describe more as a cheesy acid jazz type thing. They were really terrible. Overall it was a bit weird really, didn't seem to know what it was trying to do.

Are they seriously getting Tennants in? We were joking about that last night, it's truly horrible stuff.


----------



## brixtonvilla (Sep 8, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> Are they seriously getting Tennants in? We were joking about that last night, it's truly horrible stuff.



Scots can't brew beer. This is a fact.


----------



## ivebeenhigh (Sep 8, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> Popped in on the way home to have a look.Like I'vebeenhigh says, it looks a bit half finished, especially the big back room. The soul covers band I'd describe more as a cheesy acid jazz type thing. They were really terrible. Overall it was a bit weird really, didn't seem to know what it was trying to do.
> 
> Are they seriously getting Tennants in? We were joking about that last night, it's truly horrible stuff.



yes they are the delivery was late.

and the band were beyond awful


----------



## ska invita (Sep 8, 2007)

ivebeenhigh said:
			
		

> the sound was dreadful.


which was exactly the problem with its previous incarnation.


----------



## bottomline74 (Sep 8, 2007)

Hi
I'm Ian and do the web site for Hootananny, I've posted a couple of times on behalf of Kit, I'd like to post with no association to the pub.
I've been lurking a few weeks and obviously interested in folks views. 
Firstly thanks for the reasoned responce to the personal stuff posted here
about Kit, it could have gone bonkers, I appreciated it. It's not all true, but it's for him to sort. To me he's a good enough guy trying to do good things, hard to deal with at times and contrary as feck but his hearts in the right place I've found.
      Inverness is a good wee venue, gives lots of local bands a gig and works as a mixing place for bands, promotors, punters. I'ts healthy and they put regular money into the pot to float it a bit by creating gigs. There is a big variety in the bands we get up here. You can have an input, just talk to Davy (a pal of Alabama 3 & Corinne Billy Rae as I'm sure he'll tell you.......... and the text from Quincy Jones  .............
Hope they get the Lithuania game on and up loud today and we get an early goal to settle the nerves. 
I believe it's a hired pa for a week or so untill the orderd stuff turns up, we'll see after that, the cheap messageboard is an extra to the site and I'm no paying for it myself as would happen. 
Anyway there we go.
Cheers, all the best
Ian
been to Brixton once, a Neil Young convention weekend in the Canterbury, from a wee Highland village to the heart of Brixton .... mind blowing ..... but brilliant !
mibby do it again some day.


----------



## lang rabbie (Sep 8, 2007)

I have some time for anyone was willing to stand as a candidate (for the Publican Party) against the nanny state of the Scottish Executive when they introduced the smoking ban.


----------



## corporate whore (Sep 8, 2007)

brixtonvilla said:
			
		

> Scots can't brew beer. This is a fact.



 What a thing to say..  echoing earlier comments, the bad were risible and a few men in kilts does not a Scottish pub make!


----------



## brixtonvilla (Sep 8, 2007)

corporate whore said:
			
		

> What a thing to say..  echoing earlier comments, the bad were risible and a few men in kilts does not a Scottish pub make!




But I'm right. Scots make shit beer. McEwans, 80 Bob, Tennents... you name it. All shit. They are getting the hang of whisky, though, I'll give them that.


----------



## lang rabbie (Sep 8, 2007)

brixtonvilla said:
			
		

> But I'm right. Scots make shit beer.



Some bloody awful lagers, I'd agree, and some indifferent pints of heavy from the big boys- but Scottish independents and microbreweries are producing some of the best real ales now on the market.

I'm pretty sure that Flying Firkin are supplying several south London pubs with great beer from the Arran, Caledonian, Harviestoun, Heather Ale, Hebridean, Houston, Inveralmond, Orkney, Skye and Valhalla breweries.

I don't know what sort of beer supply contract the managers of Hootananny are tied to, but I dearly hope that they're going to have something more imaginative than Tennants as their "guest"


----------



## netbob (Sep 9, 2007)

with promises like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/memespring/1349863761/ they cant loose.


----------



## clandestino (Sep 9, 2007)

I was handed a flyer for the HootaCanning at the Green Fair today. Very tastefully done - a young lady, holding a set of bagpipes, with a beckoning smile for the weary traveller. One hundred per cent class, and not at all tacky, sexist or sad.


----------



## bottomline74 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Led Zep of Folk *




			
				memespring said:
			
		

> with promises like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/memespring/1349863761/ they cant loose.


On the back of the second Blazin' Fiddles CD they use a quote
"The Led Zeppiln of Folk Music" ....... there is no hope, 
like Zepplin ever had 4 too many fiddles in the line up 
Ian


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Sep 10, 2007)

ivebeenhigh said:
			
		

> popped in there for a pint last night....it was really busy though every table was full outside at 1am.


Maybe it's just because it's new (beginner's luck)...or maybe they bussed people in for the opening night...but where the fcuk do all these people come from?

I've noticed a few times recently, particularly when the Commercial and the Prince Regent were revamped and trendied up, that virtually overnight a whole new scene of people seem to mysteriously appear. One minute the Regent was a usual boozer with a mix of old timers, loyal locals, pool players and young people with kids.... and the next it's jammed full of trendy 30 somethings, fashion-conscious lads with gelled hair & shiny new t-shirts, and posh kids out for lunch with mummy and daddy. I'm not necessarily against this...clearly those pubs are doing something that people want...but where the fcuk did all those people go before? Where did they drink before? I'd never seen any of them before. Are they locals?  Why didn't they come to the pub beforehand? 

Perhaps they never used to go out for a drink before - maybe the pubs were slightly ropey looking establishments and you couldnt see inside, maybe a fear that the local working classes would abuse them, or shout out obscenities during the football. Or perhaps all you need is a lick of pale green paint, some laminate flooring and meals costing over £10 to entice the new generation of young affluent professionals into your (ex) boozer. Is it really that simple? Maybe you're one of these people and you can explain it to me!

I'm not saying this will happen with the HootaHob, but it wouldn't surprise me if this mysterious new clientele group suddenly appeared at the HootaHob, now that it's been sanitised. I just don't understand it


----------



## clandestino (Sep 10, 2007)

I went into the Prince Regent for the first time this year, and I've been back three times since. I didn't go into it before it was done up because it wasn't near to where I lived - no need when there were perfectly decent boozers closer to me. I only go there now because I've got a little boy, and it's a very child-friendly place to have lunch on either Saturday or Sundy, so it's worth travelling to. More so before the smoking ban, because it had a big no smoking area with high ceilings that you felt fine taking a baby into. 

Probably doesn't help much, but thought I'd chunk in my tuppence. Regarding the HootaCanning, opening nights are always popular. Wait and see how it all works out...


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 10, 2007)

Yep. I thought when the Florence opened that either it, or the other two identikit pubs in the area (Commercial and Prince Regent) would really struggle. They seem to me to be aiming for exactly the same customers. And yet suddenly there's a load more people turning up.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 10, 2007)

Having said that though I don't think the Hootenanny in its current state is likely to attract those people. 

It didn't surprise me that there were lots of people there on Saturday. It was the first night after all, and if I was curious then other people would have been. I think the challenge for a place like that is always going to be getting people in on midweek nights, especially if they've alienated the locals. It's a bit out on a limb for a lot of people I think.


----------



## editor (Sep 10, 2007)

Meet the new boss...


----------



## lemontop (Sep 10, 2007)

I'm going on Saturday.  I shall be sure to make notes.  

bah!  this is tommers, not lemontop.

altho she's going too.  but probably not making notes.


----------



## top_biller (Sep 12, 2007)

Walked past last night and garden was pretty busy with all the usual faces, I didn't see any overt kilt wearing or reeling. Just the traditional drinking and nattering. I do prefer the red look though I have to say.


----------



## EffraReD (Sep 12, 2007)

£3.10 a pint...


----------



## DeadManWalking (Sep 13, 2007)

Do they do Tennants Super on tap?


----------



## tarannau (Sep 14, 2007)

top_biller said:
			
		

> Walked past last night and garden was pretty busy with all the usual faces, I didn't see any overt kilt wearing or reeling. Just the traditional drinking and nattering. I do prefer the red look though I have to say.



I visited there for the first time on Weds night and it was pretty quiet really - some of the old faces, but not as many by any means. Didn’t note many new faces either.

Strangely though, all the old regulars (myself included) now seemed to have taken up position on the far wall, as far away from the pub and music as you could get. Inside it was empty, bar a couple of folks indulging in Thai food and a couple of barhangs.

All in all the verdict from the three tables of the usual crew was that it was more of the same, only worse. On sunny nights like last night, folks will still meet up in the beer garden, but people are already mocking and being forced out by the music, which doesn't bode well for winter nights. I suspect that the early evenings will be ok, and people will trek back for big sporting games, but it'll struggle through the cooler months otherwise on present evidence. 

All in all it's a pretty shoddy half-cut job. It's the same with crudely repainted surfaces, some cheap looking check/tartan curtains, some strange looking lampshades and newspapers pasted to the wall in the style of a 70s/80s student pub. The old main bar has now become a pseudo-restaurant, closed until late in the evening and lacking the pool table. The barn like back bar has now become the main bar and only opens up at 4pm now – FWIW I’d rather have it open earlier, preferably without the three surplus staff and a bouncer. In all it’s a bit of a Changing Rooms job – quick cosmetic paint over bubbling undercoat and little else, bar the levelling of the floor in the old main bar. A perfect example is the toilets – the drainage is still fucked, and whilst the door frames have been crudely painted, the same broken loo seats in place. A couple of the staff, the younger ones, were in unfetching kilts and sporran numbers, but were well outnumbered by the management and assorted hangers who weren’t. Similarly, if you’re expecting a a Scottish home from home when you walk in you’re likely to be disappointed – apart from the cheesy curtain. I had to endure a soundtrack of that notable highlander Sheryl Crow, the Welsh playing football and a deserted inner bar with only a couple of people eating Thai food. It’s a clearly half-baked, half followed through concept to be fair. 

Plus points? The staff were friendly, if a little personality free and inept – three behind the bar when they opened late and still they failed to put sparklers on the pumps and ready the beers. They even managed to cock up the first three rounds that I witnessed, albeit all in the customers favour. Bargain! And the Thai food looks pretty good too – they’ve got a comprehensive menu in place, taken directly from a restaurant and still bearing Inverness address details, and a Thai family in the kitchen. Sod all to do with Scotland perhaps, but I like Thai food.

Not sure how it’ll pan out in the long run, but there are few signs that many will stay around for the live music. The cold snap will bring the real test.


----------



## wurlycurly (Sep 14, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> I visited there for the first time on Weds night and it was pretty quiet really - some of the old faces, but not as many by any means. Didn’t note many new faces either.
> 
> Strangely though, all the old regulars (myself included) now seemed to have taken up position on the far wall, as far away from the pub and music as you could get. Inside it was empty, bar a couple of folks indulging in Thai food and a couple of barhangs.
> 
> ...




Give it a sodding rest for Christ's sake. I've been in there four or five nights and it's vastly improved IMO. Cleaner, busier, plenty of friendly faces, a bouncer to clear the begging crack-heads away (possibly unfair comment but I've seen two being turfed out).  Just get over your worrying anti-Scottishness and everything will be fine. Trust me. Either that or get laid or something. It really ain't that important


----------



## gaijingirl (Sep 14, 2007)

We popped in tonight.   The band - bagpipes and rock music - seemed really good, but it was half empty and for some reason everyone seemed really miserable.  Those who were there appeared to be sitting around with their heads in their hands.  Such a shame.  I felt really bad for the band who were really giving it their all and really looked quite good - I could have imagined them being popular at Offline, for example.  We didn't stay.     We'll probably give it another go some other time.  I wouldn't wish failure on anyone.. but I do think this could be a tough nut to crack.


----------



## tommers (Sep 15, 2007)

oh god.  my birthday is going to be such a fucking disaster.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 15, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> Give it a sodding rest for Christ's sake. I've been in there four or five nights and it's vastly improved IMO. Cleaner, busier, plenty of friendly faces, a bouncer to clear the begging crack-heads away (possibly unfair comment but I've seen two being turfed out).  Just get over your worrying anti-Scottishness and everything will be fine. Trust me. Either that or get laid or something. It really ain't that important



You can't seriously say his post has anything to do with being anti-Scottish?


----------



## gabi (Sep 15, 2007)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
			
		

> You can't seriously say his post has anything to do with being anti-Scottish?



Read the thread!

Popped in the other day with an old school hob reg and we both had a wicked time. i can understand the fear of upheaval of your local - the only place i really considered to be my local in nz got knocked down to make way for a motorway.  this is far less extreme... its pretty much unchanged, bitta cheap deco and cheap musos. guinness seems better too.... 

had a chat to the lads behind the bar on the w/e and they seemed ok to me? i did overhear the sound of piped bagpipes as i went past last night mind u. ha! fuck it.... i reckon its a laugh.


----------



## gaijingirl (Sep 15, 2007)

tommers said:
			
		

> oh god.  my birthday is going to be such a fucking disaster.



It'll be great I'm sure... it was more that there wasn't a very up for it crowd in there last night - punters were a bit thin on the ground and most were outside.  It did seem unusually gloomy for some reason but actually we were out elsewhere beforehand which was also quiet and the owners thought that maybe everywhere was like that because of rugby and various other TV sporting events...??

Anyway, it's about who you go with - or is that the worry??


----------



## tarannau (Sep 15, 2007)

You missed more fun earlier in the evening then. The pub actually had a fair few people in to watch the rugby, which they were showing in the smaller bar. The only problem being that that they've disconnected all the speakers bar two that seem to have been pinched from a teenager's phone on the bus. All you could really hear was the sound of the band doing the soundcheck next door.Numerous bods complained- fairplay to the hassled looking staff in doing their polite best, but it was pretty hopeless. Teething problems maybe, but it'd have helped it they had followed the first law of refurbishment: don't disconnect all the existing kit until you've adequate or better replacement in place.

I suspect the shitty atmosphere arose because you had the main music bar nearly empty ( a few mothers and dancing toddlers excepted) and everyone huddled away from the music in the beer garden and in the other bar, pissed off with the leaking guitar sounds. Dub would have loved them - a predictably routine pubrock bunch strutting around dressed like extras from Sgt Pepper. And then when they finished, long promised by the management to the rugby-watching bar, the whole place was swamped by the sounds of what sounded like a 2-unlimited style techno beat overlaid by bagpipes. There was quite a Dunkirk spirit in the bar by that stage, but they managed to piss off the remaining rugby watchers and a fair few new faces with that. 

Thai food still looks good, people are genuinely giving it a go. But the music's driving people away rather than drawing them in. And it's an increasingly weird hotch potch of an offering - Liza and the Jazz sessions are back on Sunday for example - with the original plans for live Scottish music every night becoming more of a millstone than an attraction.


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## CharlieAddict (Sep 15, 2007)

tarannau - i think we sat behind you last night.
i should have said 'hi' but wasn't sure if it was you cos your hair seems 'darker' and i was stoned. 

the pub itself is shit.
and i nearly had an argument with the kid behind the bar cos he wouldn't give me the food menu! 

"just find a thai person and ask them. it's their job not mine."

WTF!!!

then the older bloke (landlord perhaps?) overheard the nonsense, ran to the other room and passed me the menu.

jesus christ.

anyways, i went there for the asian food.
and the food is of very good quality.
(from the taste of the satay sauce, there's a malay influence. odd).

two course meal for 17 squid.

we will defo go to this place again.
but only if the rugby/footie is not on.

shame about the bar itself though cos i hope this little thai thing survive the first 12 months...


----------



## tarannau (Sep 15, 2007)

Shame I somehow managed to miss you CA - would have been good to say hi. Were you sat with the (OCB) kiwis behind me? 

Still, good to hear the Thai food tastes as fine as it looked. I can't really begrudge them any success - they look like they've brought a fair chunk of a whole Inverness Thai restaurant with them, comprehensive menu included - but it's not exactly a seamless match. If the rugby hadn't been playing then you'd have still been eating in much emptier room, accompanied to sounds of dadrock guitar tuning up and soundchecks from next door. Not perfect. And shit that there's already tension between the bar and Thai franchise. I'm guessing it was the public schoolboy in a kilt who was brief with you - to be fair he was copping a lot of stick about the lack of rugby sound and the novelty of his tartan skirt was definitely wearing thin with him.

Thai food and the sport are two potential bright spots for this place, but the music side's a bit of unpopular shambles at the moment. The garden's warm enough to sit in for now, but for how long.


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## CharlieAddict (Sep 15, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Were you sat with the (OCB) kiwis behind me?



nope. 
we sat near the corner.
we left pretty much after you.
will say 'hi' next time.

you mean the public schoolboy who was chewing the straw and flicking his hair to the ladies all night? yeah him! lol!

i never went to the hob much - except for liverpool games etc - so i can't say if the place has lost it's atmosphere. 

but as a pub - this excludes the thai folks - the hootananny have targeted the wrong audience. 
the management should have researched what works in brixton. 
what kind of people live here (is there a scottish community i not know about?).
at the moment, it's all too gimmicky and old fashioned.
and i hate pubs with kids. 
hate feeling guilty cos i said the 'fuck' or 'cunt' word.
and christ you're right, the music is shite.


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## mwareing1 (Sep 19, 2007)

Oh my god get over your selfs some of you. I went late on Sat night for the first time and actualy thought it was a shame that there wasnt more people. The live band was fantastic. Never herd anything like it before. They gave it their all. O.k i agree its not the standard of the pubs say on Dulwich road, but at least its had a lick of paint and the plants dont look half dead and uncared for like some of the people that used to go.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 19, 2007)

If only it was up to the standard of 'the pubs on Dulwich Road.'


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## quimcunx (Sep 20, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> what kind of people live here (is there a scottish community i not know about?).



According to the 2001 census, about 2000 of us scots in the brixton ward.

Apparently there are more Scots than Irish in London, though you wouldn't think so.


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## Yossarian (Sep 20, 2007)

Even if there's a lot of Scottish people somewhere, is it going to follow that there's going to be a lot of demand for a ceilidh bar? How many of them are there in Glasgow?


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## tommers (Sep 20, 2007)

mwareing1 said:
			
		

> Oh my god get over your selfs some of you. I went late on Sat night for the first time and actualy thought it was a shame that there wasnt more people. The live band was fantastic. Never herd anything like it before. They gave it their all. O.k i agree its not the standard of the pubs say on Dulwich road, but at least its had a lick of paint and the plants dont look half dead and uncared for like some of the people that used to go.



this is the right answer.

although I was a teensy bit drunk.

and I'm not sure about the dulwich road bit.


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## Blagsta (Sep 20, 2007)

The pubs on Dulwich Road are shit.


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## tarannau (Sep 20, 2007)

They're not that bad, they're now just more family-friendly eating venues than pubs. Was in the Regent only last night in fact - all very nice, but a little anodyne and with everyone sealed off on their own little tables and social groups. 

The HobaHootinninny was actually pretty full last night, albeit for the Arsenal game, after which time people cleared out rapidly at the sound of music from next door

Depressingly for the management, only about 10 people made the trip down to watch the Celtic game the night before. And the Rangers game last night proved so unpopular that they flicked over to the Man U game half way through. If this is a home away from home from the Scots, then some must be looking elsewhere for a better abode.

I'm been a fair few times now. The bouncers are the same, the toilets are just as bad, the pub's quieter and duller than it was before in the main, and this is in the opening weeks. The staff and management are nice enough, but it's just flat and less popular late on. 

I can't really understand their logic in swapping over the bars either. The barn-like back room lacks atmosphere; a big rectangle of a room where everyone lines up in rows and watches the screen. It's dark in the corners, uninviting and breezy. Maybe it's fine for the music, but the smaller bar's more sociable and conducive to conversation.... and it's got the fire too. Not sure why they want to lock the Water Lane entance either - that's where a lot of the passing trade would enter from - having a chained door there with no signs seems a mistake


----------



## poster342002 (Sep 20, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> I'm been a fair few times now.


For someone who moans and moans about the place, you just can't stay away can you?


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## tarannau (Sep 20, 2007)

I know that. 

 

Truth be told, there aren't many decent alternatives nearby - like others I'm making the last of the sunny beer garden at the moment before the cold and music make it unbearable. Found out where others are drinking and popping in less to be fair.

It's an unedifying choice really. There's a kind of dominant view amongst many there that's it's more of the same, only with shitter music. And the presumption that it'll fail within months, with many outlasting the umpteenth new management team. Change it from within I keep hearing, and I suppose the Jazz and other developments indicate there's some truth in that view. 

I'm not sure if I'm honest - I get the feeling the pub's approaching last chance saloon. And it'd be a shame to see a once fine pub end up luxury apartments because someone tried to foist a tacky business plan onto an unimpressed neighbourhood.


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## Giles (Sep 20, 2007)

If it looks like closing down, maybe this is a chance for a group of concerned locals to get together and buy the lease, then employ someone good and tell that person exactly what kind of pub you want.....

Giles..


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## mwareing1 (Sep 20, 2007)

Blagsta said:
			
		

> The pubs on Dulwich Road are shit.


Hello!!!!!! Shit are you having a laugh........They are well kept, good beer (even a Brewery in one) Food is top class!!! Where the hell do you drink. Please dont say Weatherspoons. I would really like to know your definition of 'shit'


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## christonabike (Sep 20, 2007)

Regent - full of kids at the weekend, and you can no longer get a reefer together and sit outside and smoke it, and the bar staff are worse than shit

Florence - they had you your change on a silver plate, I hate that, and it's full of kids at the weekend

Commercial - no atmosphere, full of broadsheet readers at the weekend

No football in anywhere they all had it on at one point

All over-priced, (beer and food) and a lack of regulars

Just my gripes and I realise that they won't be the same for everybody


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## mccliche (Sep 20, 2007)

^^^
the lack of pubs that play football on tv in Brixton & Herne Hill is astonishing

why can't they just realise it is what pubs are suppsoed to show????


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## christonabike (Sep 20, 2007)

Luckily, the pub down my road is proper


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## tarannau (Sep 20, 2007)

They aren't pubs now though, they're _gastropubs_

Worse still is the decline of the pool tables in the area, traditionally a place you'd meet and bond with others. It's all about sitting on your individual, carefully numbered tables now, alongside your salt and pepper condiments.


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## Blagsta (Sep 20, 2007)

mwareing1 said:
			
		

> Hello!!!!!! Shit are you having a laugh........They are well kept, good beer (even a Brewery in one) Food is top class!!! Where the hell do you drink. Please dont say Weatherspoons. I would really like to know your definition of 'shit'



Poncey overpriced gastropubs full of wankers mostly.


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## LDR (Sep 20, 2007)

Blagsta said:
			
		

> Poncey overpriced gastropubs full of wankers mostly.


Yep!  I hate it when I get chicken in my beer.


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## twistedAM (Sep 20, 2007)

LD Rudeboy said:
			
		

> Yep!  I hate it when I get chicken in my beer.



do you mean choked chicken??


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## Blagsta (Sep 20, 2007)

LD Rudeboy said:
			
		

> Yep!  I hate it when I get chicken in my beer.



All together now...

"There's chicken in my beer, in my beer!"


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## Winot (Sep 20, 2007)

It seems that people want different things from pubs.  If only they could invent a system in which the popularity of a business was somehow converted into commercial success so that pubs had an economic incentive to give the punters what they wanted.


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## mwareing1 (Sep 21, 2007)

Blagsta said:
			
		

> Poncey overpriced gastropubs full of wankers mostly.


So are you saying the people in Brixton are poncey wankers.....If it was Clapham and Balham maybe. I think its great we have a choice now. It is good for the area. If the Gastros are in the area is on the up!!!!!! More Chicken in beer i say!


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## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

Where's the choice in having all the boozers turn into gastropubs though? All the pubs in the Herne Hill area - Regent to Florence to Commercial to Half Moon - have all being made gastro in some way, leaving little variety. I'd never thought I'd see the day when The Half Moon would remove the pool table, stop showing football (wrong sort apparently) and start waffling about stonebaked pizza options. 

It's a sad reality that pubs can make higher profits by serving pseudo-restaurant food to a smaller section of the community than a traditional booze-led local can. I certainly don't see the foodification of an area's pubs as signs of a community 'on the up' in any sense, unless you mean in gentified property price terms.


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## tommers (Sep 21, 2007)

There isn't a choice though is there?  They are all the same.

Anyway - back to Hootananny.  I also don't know why they don't open up the smaller bar.  As soon as the band started up, as good as they were, we all went outside cos we wanted to chat - hadn't seen each other for ages etc etc.  If the small bar had been open then we would have gone in there.

And the other thing that occurred to me....  why not make it a place for local bands to get their start?  Apart from the Academy (which is too big) are there many other places where they can play?   Bands bring their own fans with them, it gets people into the place and before long a reputation for decent music starts to grow.  At the moment this obsession with "Scottish bands" is really hamstringing the place.


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## Yossarian (Sep 21, 2007)

mwareing1 said:
			
		

> So are you saying the people in Brixton are poncey wankers.....


 
Yes, 'coz by slagging off a couple of crappy Herne Hill pubs and their clientele, the smear clearly extends to every single person in Brixton...

Those Dulwich Road pubs are rubbish, I'm not surprised that the Hobtenanny is still the best option around, in the unlikely event it's still there next time I pass through town I'm going to have to take a look at the place...


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## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

tommers said:
			
		

> There isn't a choice though is there?  They are all the same.
> 
> Anyway - back to Hootananny.  I also don't know why they don't open up the smaller bar.  As soon as the band started up, as good as they were, we all went outside cos we wanted to chat - hadn't seen each other for ages etc etc.  If the small bar had been open then we would have gone in there.
> 
> And the other thing that occurred to me....  why not make it a place for local bands to get their start?  Apart from the Academy (which is too big) are there many other places where they can play?   Bands bring their own fans with them, it gets people into the place and before long a reputation for decent music starts to grow.  At the moment this obsession with "Scottish bands" is really hamstringing the place.



The small bar thing is annoying and foolish isn't it? I miss the pool too - they just seem to have added more empty, sad looking tables into its place. 

They seem to be shipping in the same bands in who play in the Inverness operation, putting them on over a couple of nights and letting them stay above the pub. Maybe they'll encourage more local talent a little later on, but they've got this idea they want 'classic' sounding music - think trad rock and soul rather than anything troubled with bleeps or seen as too progressive.


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## Crispy (Sep 21, 2007)

A decent small venue for gigs in central brixton is sorely needed. Getting brady's back on its feet would be ideal, but the hob could work too.


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## clandestino (Sep 21, 2007)

tommers said:
			
		

> Apart from the Academy (which is too big) are there many other places where they can play?



The Windmill
Jamm
The Grosvenor

...to name just three. Brixton is very well served for live music venues.


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## Blagsta (Sep 21, 2007)

mwareing1 said:
			
		

> So are you saying the people in Brixton are poncey wankers.....



No.  Read my post again.


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## snowy_again (Sep 21, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> The Windmill
> Jamm
> The Grosvenor
> 
> ...to name just three. Brixton is very well served for live music venues.



And the Half Moon _seems _to be struggling to pull any decent acts on a regular basis, judging by the posters it has up, which is a shame given its pedigree. Just too far away from East London for the scenesters.


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## wurlycurly (Sep 21, 2007)

christonabike said:
			
		

> Regent - full of kids at the weekend, and you can no longer get a reefer together and sit outside and smoke it, and the bar staff are worse than shit
> 
> Florence - they had you your change on a silver plate, I hate that, and it's full of kids at the weekend
> 
> ...




This pretty succinctly sums up my view of the pubs in Herne Hill now, although you've missed out mentioning the demise of Escape Bar, which is now full of aggressive psychos late on Fridays/Saturdays  (not sure how to post up links but Herne Hill Forum has details of large running battles three of the last four weekends, I wtnessed one of them). It's also partly why I think a lot of the anti-Hootenanny crap is misguided on here. It's still (largely) open to all but if it was to close then it's a traipse into the centre of Brixton for a quiet pint for tons of folk in that neck of the woods. Also the food is reasonably priced and they go easy on the chillies if you ask them.


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## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

What anti-hootenanny crap? I've been into to the pub 5-6 times, talked to the management, the regulars, some of the bands. It's exactly how I, and many others, see it. Judging from the not-so busy pub, it's not exactly drawing the crowds in, 

And for the last time, it's not about being anti-Scottish. It's about being anti-stereotypes and down with forced branding. 

If you don't want people to take the piss out of kilts, bagpipes and bearded men playing fiddles, then stop making them such a central part of your marketing bollocks. There's more to Scotland than that. Just as there's more to Scottish music beyond some archaic belief in something called cutting-edge celidh. The people who run it are ok - I just wish they'd stop with all the bollocks.


----------



## CharlieAddict (Sep 21, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> Also the food is reasonably priced and they go easy on the chillies if you ask them.



that thai food is one of the best we've tasted in london.
certainly better tasting than blue elephant and a third of the price too.

and it isn't that hot!  

it's spicey but no way is it hot!!!
proper thai foods never is!!!!!


----------



## wurlycurly (Sep 21, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> that thai food is one of the best we've tasted in london.
> certainly better tasting than blue elephant and a third of the price too.
> 
> and it isn't that hot!
> ...




I specifically said it WASN'T too hot! The menu says you can ask for as much or as little chilli as you fancy in each dish. I was praising the food, not damning it. Sometimes you just can't win on this site


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## Crispy (Sep 21, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> Sometimes you just can't win on this site


It's not a competition


----------



## CharlieAddict (Sep 21, 2007)

wurlycurly said:
			
		

> I specifically said it WASN'T too hot! The menu says you can ask for as much or as little chilli as you fancy in each dish. I was praising the food, not damning it. Sometimes you just can't win on this site



okay but for some odd reason which i cannot explain,
i've somehow grown attached to that thai kitchen.

and i've only been in there once...


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## wurlycurly (Sep 21, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> okay but for some odd reason which i cannot explain,
> i've somehow grown attached to that thai kitchen.
> 
> and i've only been in there once...




That'll be the needlessly maligned monosodium glutamate. Delicious stuff. Mmmmmmmmonosodium glutamate IMO


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## gabi (Sep 21, 2007)

Went in on the weekend only to be driven outside due to the horrendously loud, tinny sounding band playing. 

Left shortly after as it was fucking freezing out there, went to mango landin which was almost entirely populated by children. they have a sign on the wall proclaiming themselves to be the 'Breastfeeding Bar of the Year'.

We left sharply and retreated to the albert. That end of town does now suck. Gave hooters a shot and it sucked. Bring back the filthy old hob.


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## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

And you were a lot more supportive earlier too Gabi. Sadly that's my experience of the weekends as well.

I liked the Thai food. I wouldn't quite go as far as CA, but it was decent stuff for the money - my £6 jungle curry (rice included) was full of beef and fresh vegetables. Not top notch and a little underpowered (certainly not a true jungle curry) but you couldn't quibble with the value. However, probably best to avoid the seafood if you're hungry - a prawn green curry came with all of 4 prawns, and you should have heard the loud opinions of one certain big windies gentleman who got served with a measly four piece portion of squid.

Certainly better than Oriental Cottage though. Worth a try when the bagpipes aren't on.


----------



## wurlycurly (Sep 21, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> And you were a lot more supportive earlier too Gabi. Sadly that's my experience of the weekends as well.
> 
> I liked the Thai food. I wouldn't quite go as far as CA, but it was decent stuff for the money - my £6 jungle curry (rice included) was full of beef and fresh vegetables. Not top notch and a little underpowered (certainly not a true jungle curry) but you couldn't quibble with the value. However, probably best to avoid the seafood if you're hungry - a prawn green curry came with all of 4 prawns, and you should have heard the loud opinions of one certain big windies gentleman who got served with a measly four piece portion of squid.
> 
> Certainly better than Oriental Cottage though. Worth a try when the bagpipes aren't on.




Possibly a bad sign because my meal also had four or five prawns at most. Not ideal when you've already had four or five pints


----------



## CharlieAddict (Sep 21, 2007)

bloody hell trannau - how much do you eat?

BTW -
last week, we went to that mango something bar after the after hootgranny - very nathan barley-ish...has it always been like this?


----------



## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> bloody hell trannau - how much do you eat?
> 
> BTW -
> last week, we went to that mango something bar after the after hootgranny - very nathan barley-ish...has it always been like this?



Hey, I didn't eat all those options myself - I had a partner in eating crime. FWIW gannets, the jungle curries come in bigger bowls than the green curries for some reason. Decent, but I was  little disappointed by the lack of kick and authentic feel, especially after spotting all those reassuringly hot chilli icons on the menu. Better than the average pub Thai and it certainly fills a gap in the Brixton market anyway. The Blue Elephant is ludicrously overrated of course - problem a symptom of being in the Sloane distortion zone, where food tends to be of the comfort variety.

Mango Landing used to be a bit more hippy-like before, but it's getting bloody expensive now.

Edited to add:what is it with Mango and laptops? Every time I pass there and there's one whapped out on a table, someone diligently staring into space over it. It does actually look a quite pleasant place to work, but still...


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## gabi (Sep 21, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> And you were a lot more supportive earlier too Gabi. Sadly that's my experience of the weekends as well.



Well at least I gave it a try before writing it off!  

Thai food looked good and staff were friendly, my main gripes are the same as yours tho. The music, and wtf is with closing off the main bar? That's the best bit. I never even really used to go into the bit they've now made the main bar. Doesn't feel right.

Oh and the church pew seats they've got inside. Unless you've got military posture theres no way you could ever make yourself comfy on those.


----------



## tarannau (Sep 21, 2007)

Well, I did say you didn't have to be Nostradamus to work out how it'd turn out...

 

Still, they've not quite failed to amaze me in their diligent application of the annoying theme. After pissing off a hefty chunk of the rugby-watching pub with inane soundchecks, they compounded the insult with a bagpipe burst straight afterwards despite promises of quiet. Another recent quiet drink and they forced out us out with bagpipes. And guess what, another time and they hit us with bagp...

I'm not Scottish and I've no beef with North of the Border. In fact I feel a kind of sadness. If they'd took my heritage and made a ludicrous theme out of it I'd almost certainly experience the same sinking feeling. A cutting edge twmpath bar, with barstaff wearing funny tall hats, festooned with daffodils and leeks, accompanied by parps of harp? Or a bar of superannuated soca played by overearnest heritage types, staff wearing banana headresses and acting like the lilt ladies, encouraging punters to limbo into the 21st century? 

Yep, they're winning ideas alright. Only I'd show a genunine, deep commitment to my cultural heritage by cutting out that nasty native food muck and serving good old spanish tapas to punters, _because that's what works_...


----------



## Sweet FA (Sep 25, 2007)

gabi said:
			
		

> 'Breastfeeding Bar of the Year'...That end of town does now suck. Gave hooters a shot and it sucked


<snigger>


----------



## twistedAM (Sep 25, 2007)

Sweet FA said:
			
		

> <snigger>



yeah iwas thinking that Hooters had openede a branch in Brixton...you know that American beer and burger chain where the waitresses all have orange skin and very effective bras?


----------



## Sunray (Sep 26, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> that thai food is one of the best we've tasted in london.
> certainly better tasting than blue elephant and a third of the price too.
> 
> and it isn't that hot!
> ...



Eh?  Proper Thai food is some of the hottest food I've eaten.  Go to Thailand Eat a decent SomTam and then tell me that proper Thai food isn't hot!


----------



## tarannau (Sep 26, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> Eh?  Proper Thai food is some of the hottest food I've eaten.  Go to Thailand Eat a decent SomTam and then tell me that proper Thai food isn't hot!



Thai food can be obscenely hot, and I say that as someone who loves pepper. 

I've got some genuine article Thai curry recipes and I wouldn't dare to attempt to follow them to the letter, even if I did want to inflict pain on my friends. For a green curry it works out at something daft like 6 birds eye chillies per person, plus added garnish. No amount of coconut milk and palm sugar is going to take away that heat. And you don't even want to start on jungle curries or their ridiculously hot pickles.

I popped my head into Hootaanny last night on the way home. Absolutely dead inside, with just a few hardy familiar souls huddled outside - it was so miserable that I just turned around and left again. Quite sad really - we went to the Effra instead, where it was far busier despite being a squit of the size.

Tried a little more Thai food in there the other day mind. I can thoroughly recommend the red curry on that evidence - honestly one of the best red curries I've had over here. Hotter than the green and jungle curries for some strange reason.


----------



## CharlieAddict (Sep 26, 2007)

i not tried a really hot thai curry!
think i'm missing out on something there.

if the hootagranny is that empty and no-one is blasting out 'em bagpipes, we may go in for a cheap curry tonight.


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## tarannau (Sep 26, 2007)

Go early is my advice. If you're lucky they may be playing other Scottish favourites, like that Sheryl Crow woman or (bizarrely) Blue Boy's 'Remember Me' instead of bagpipes. It's like Heart FM until the bagpipes start. Whoopee

I don't think you'll have any problems getting a chair - the one thing which attracts a few customers is the sport and I think it's only comparatively unpopular Carling cup stuff tonight.


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## CONDEX (Sep 28, 2007)

Its only open over a month but this place has got a pummelling
in this thread like no other new venue, give the place/people a chance, 
I'm sure if they're not getting people for Scottish music they'll adjust 
to local tastes...

What was there before the Hoots was nothing much to shout about
except for maybe watching a football match and even then the Brockwell 
was a lot better. The big room was barely ever used, at least
now we have some live music...


----------



## CharlieAddict (Sep 28, 2007)

on wednesday night i went straight into the big bar and ordered a drink.
overheard a few locals asking if it was possible to switch the game to the carling cup.
the answer was 'no, this is a scottish pub and the scottish footie is on. but next week we will show more english football.'

ummm...not sure if that was the right attitude.
by the time i left the big bar, only three or four guys were hanging in there. 
the rest had buggered off.

the thai red curry was delicious!
the jungle curry i'm not sure.
good food. no bagpipes thank god.

my only rant was the bloke sitting opposite me with his gf.
he was so up his own arse.
one of those guys that'd start every sentence and every phrase with 'I' or 'me.'
and he was boring the bollocks off his woman.
we all have bad days mate! no need to whinge that loud! 
for fuck sakes...

anyway, where was i? yeah the little bar, it was pleasant apart from that twat.
they dimmed the lights, no shit music etc.
and guess what? it was 60% full!!!


----------



## tarannau (Sep 28, 2007)

The people who run the place are fine and to be fair I think, as you'll probably gather from the repeated visits, people have given it a few chances. That said, the whole business plan and gimmicky branding is seemingly pushing the place down the swannee. 

Unless I'm missing something and they're getting exceptionally busy late weekend evenings, they really can't be doing that well. The usual faces pop in more rarely and for shorter periods, whilst there aren't exactly people queuing up to replace them. And this is in the first month- the occasional new faces I see in there aren't seen often again either. On top of that they're employing considerably more staff (at least an extra one or two bar staff, 2-3 more in the kitchen than Scolly's one man show)  bringing musicians/bands in every night and a host of new AV/Audio equipment. 

Unless I'm missing something, it's hard to see how the sums add up - I doubt that 30p extra on each pint's enough to compensate.  With the summer and the attraction of the beer garden waning, along with initial curiosity and friends ofthe mgmt ebbing away, it's tough to see a miraculous recovery. Christmas and New Year perhaps, but there's little loyalty atm.

The Thai food's good and probably the main thing attracting people, the management nice enough, but it's sad to see a certain decline already. The pub badly needed a change, but a lot of the improvements have been cosmetic and marketing led - critical improvements on things like the minging toilets haven't been made. It's the same to a large extent, with friendlier management and music far more likely to repel people. The ideal of it becoming a destination pub seems far away for the moment, and it's not exactly pulling up trees locally either.


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## tarannau (Sep 28, 2007)

CharlieAddict said:
			
		

> the thai red curry was delicious!
> the jungle curry i'm not sure.
> good food. no bagpipes thank god.
> !



Glad you enjoyed the Red curry - the one I had was really, really good. Stir fries, seafood and the jungle curries may be a little disappointing in there, but that dish alone is fanastic and reason enough to visit. 

You're right about the little bar though - it's nearly always busier in there when it's open. It's a better, more atmospheric room for sure - but it alsio speaks volumes that the Thai restaurant bit, away from the live music and Scottish bar, is far more popular.


----------



## han (Sep 28, 2007)

tarannau said:
			
		

> Tried a little more Thai food in there the other day mind. I can thoroughly recommend the red curry on that evidence - honestly one of the best red curries I've had over here. Hotter than the green and jungle curries for some strange reason.



God really?! Hmmmmm, might pop in there, just for curiosity value (and a red curry).


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## isvicthere? (Sep 30, 2007)

Their website says they want to create a "home from home" for Scots in London. Unless they realise that this premise, given the location and numerous other considerations, is utterly absurd and adapt their policy, the "Hootananny" will IMO be shortlived.


----------



## Donna Ferentes (Oct 4, 2007)

Tasteful and modest external redecoration, I thought.


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## Not a Vet (Oct 4, 2007)

Having never entered the old Hobber, I have been to the Hoots twice in a week. It's ok, nothing spectacular, the beer's a bit pricey, i.e. £2.90 for a Carling which is the same price as the Prince Regent. What is strange though is that the Brixton Water Lane entrance is closed and internally they close the doors between the main room and that bar. This means that there is hardly any atmosphere especially if a band is playing.


----------



## zora (Oct 10, 2007)

**gergl posting**

zora went for a pint in the hootawotsit with Blind Lemon the other night. Apparently when she described the decor he said "oh man, sometimes I'm really glad to be blind"


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## Ol Nick (Oct 11, 2007)

I've had an idea. I'll buy the Hootananny, put on a couple of real ales, 2 or 3 decent lagers, and maybe a few decent bottles. The bar staff will be plentiful and polite. There'll be food, but nothing special, just sarnies and microwave stuff. I'll have football in the small bar unless it's big night in which case I'll wheel it in to one side of the main bar. I'll get the bogs cleaned every couple of hours and I'll make sure kids are welcome outside and in one half of the bar but also keep a grown up side without 'em. And no dogs. And there'll be 50s to noughties juke box. Maybe pool at the back.

Why aren't I going to make a fortune? I've even got a name for it

The Castlereagh!


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## han (Oct 13, 2007)

zora said:
			
		

> zora went for a pint in the hootawotsit with Blind Lemon the other night. Apparently when she described the decor he said "oh man, sometimes I'm really glad to be blind"


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## playghirl (Oct 14, 2007)

I was there last night.... the bar staff ....ffs. Asked bor vodka lime and soda....it took 10 mins for him to bring me vodka lime and cider!!!!!!
ffs
I like the place don't get me wrong. But you need to have fast good bar staff who know how to do their job.


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## Fenian (Oct 18, 2007)

Hey playghirl on line now?  So you're fancying a drink Friday night are ye?


----------



## Fenian (Oct 18, 2007)

playghirl said:
			
		

> I was there last night.... the bar staff ....ffs. Asked bor vodka lime and soda....it took 10 mins for him to bring me vodka lime and cider!!!!!!
> ffs
> I like the place don't get me wrong. But you need to have fast good bar staff who know how to do their job.


He was probably diaaapproving of mixing the vodka with syrup


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## Brixton Hatter (Oct 19, 2007)

Ol Nick said:
			
		

> I've had an idea. I'll buy the Hootananny, put on a couple of real ales, 2 or 3 decent lagers, and maybe a few decent bottles. The bar staff will be plentiful and polite. There'll be food, but nothing special, just sarnies and microwave stuff. I'll have football in the small bar unless it's big night in which case I'll wheel it in to one side of the main bar. I'll get the bogs cleaned every couple of hours and I'll make sure kids are welcome outside and in one half of the bar but also keep a grown up side without 'em. And no dogs. And there'll be 50s to noughties juke box. Maybe pool at the back.


if only......


----------



## playghirl (Oct 24, 2007)

Fenian said:
			
		

> Hey playghirl on line now?  So you're fancying a drink Friday night are ye?


Missed you mate. Lets catch up soon.


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## CONDEX (Oct 28, 2007)

Was in the hoot last night, the price of a pint of Blanc
is now £3.60 up from £3.15(I think) 

Now thats a bit of a hike!!!


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## editor (Nov 17, 2007)

I heard the pub was closed down for a short time this week in the same move that saw the Living Bah boarded up. Tax non-payment, apparently.


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## lang rabbie (Nov 17, 2007)

editor said:
			
		

> I heard the pub was closed down for a short time this week in the same move that saw the Living Bah boarded up. Tax non-payment, apparently.


 

Never known Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs get places open for as short a time as Hootananny for income tax/VAT issues.   Did this story come from the same source as the earlier e-mails about the proprietors?


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## mark dodds (Nov 18, 2007)

*Pubs closing down*

Do you know about tied pubs? Do you know that most (the vast majority) of pubs in the UK are run by individuals on leases from PubCos who oblige them to buy beer from the freeholder's nominated supplier at outrageously high wholesale prices (such as £1.20 a bottle of Becks - yes the same Becks you can get in a an offie or supermarket on offer for .49p).

That's why so many pubs go out of business. Pure and complicated.


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## mark dodds (Nov 18, 2007)

*Ol Nick n' HOOT*

By the way. That's why beer's so expensive - and the publicans still don't make enough profit on it to earn a crust - or to be able to pay tax -. I forgot to mention RENT which invariably increases way above inflation. Many rent reviews on full repairing insuring leases (where the lessee has total responsibility for every last bit of brick, mortar, timbers, wiring plumbing tom cobbly and all, maintenance and repair) see rises in excess of 50% at review. None of it is sutainable. In effect most pubs selling a pint for less than £4.00 is using beer as a loss leader to get customers in to buy other stuff which is not necessarily tied. There are, however, some leases where even the bleach and sausages have to be bought from the Freeholders' suppliers. None of this practice is legal in Europe, the States or most other sensible countries. It was supposedto end here in 1998 but our Pub industry got block exemption from European law on the grounds that if the tie wer to end, thousands of pubs would shut down. Not wuite. If teh tie wer to end. Millions of pounds of profit would come back from the Freeholders and into the pockets of the lessees, beer prices would drop and lessees would end up spending their profits on improving their businesses.

So, to Ol Nick above:

DO NOT BUY the Hoot. You will lose your shirt.


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## mark dodds (Nov 18, 2007)

If any of you are facebook users there's a new cause - Individual Pub Landlords vs the Giant PubCo's - there that's growing at about five recruits a day slowly but surely: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/32953?h=plw&recruiter_id=3435535


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## teuchter (Nov 18, 2007)

mark dodds said:
			
		

> Not wuite. If teh tie wer to end. Millions of pounds of profit would come back from the Freeholders and into the pockets of the lessees, beer prices would drop and lessees would end up spending their profits on improving their businesses.



Surely if all that profit stopped coming the Freeholders' way, they would simply seek to get it other ways? Such as increasing the rent, thereby forcing the lessee to put his beer prices back up to reflect this?


----------



## editor (Feb 10, 2008)

I went there last night and it was great - way better than I expected. The front bar was closed  so we were with the  friendly, mixed crowd in the main room.

There was a black soul/funk band playing who were providing the backing to several singing acts. The music wasn't really my kind of thing, but the standard was high - I got talking to some of the players later on and they were all established musos. 

The bar staff were very friendly too, there were two real ales on tap, the vibe was good, the live sound excellent, the decor welcoming and there wasn't a babbling bagpipe to be heard.  Compared to how dark and grimy the DJ nights were in the old Hob*, they've done a pretty good job of making the place more welcoming - and the more live music going on in Brixton the better as far as I'm concerned. Nice  one!

(*I didn't mind that myself of course!).


----------



## clandestino (Feb 10, 2008)

So basically they've thought "we have to adapt or die" and adapted to suit Brixton? Good for them.


----------



## hendo (Feb 10, 2008)

Maybe we should retitle the thread so people don't get the idea the place has shut.


----------



## editor (Feb 10, 2008)

Thread renamed!


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Feb 10, 2008)

ianw said:


> So basically they've thought "we have to adapt or die" and adapted to suit Brixton? Good for them.



Sounds like the obvous next step would be to drop the Scottish thing altogether.


----------



## colacubes (Feb 10, 2008)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> Sounds like the obvous next step would be to drop the Scottish thing altogether.



Well the posters of the moderately attractive Scottish girl with a mini-kilt and bagpipes that was adorning the tube station appears to have gone so there's hope...


----------



## tarannau (Feb 10, 2008)

ianw said:


> So basically they've thought "we have to adapt or die" and adapted to suit Brixton? Good for them.



Yep, the initial live scottish music every night policy was dropped fairly swiftly. Now it's got to the stage where there's always a funk or reggae act on at the 10 of after slot on Fridays. Recently Dawn Penn was down there, as was Levi Roots, complete with his barbecue and bottles of sauce to sell.

Sadly it's ailing for most of the week, and for most of the weekends unless they've a decent sporting game. In which case it's still a good place to watch the sport. Bar for a few hours at the weekends, when the bands can draw a few, it's pretty quiet.

Worryingly desperate signs too. The Thai place is now serving an English Menu, complete with a £5 hotdog and they've stupidly somehow lost the busy and excellent Brixton Comedy Club to the Dogstar, trying to start their own alternative at the same time to mixed success. Bar staff are changing over rapidly and often for the worst. A recent leaflet drop, offering a free drink token along side the band listing, seems to have backfired rather than attracting new customers. Dropping wedges of leaflets into the communal halls of local estate blocks wasn't perhaps the best move,  not judging by the happily pissed old faces brandishing flyers in abundance.

Mixed report really - something needed to be done, but it's a strangely watered down failing concept. Better to judge it in summer really - they've got  a real chance with that beer garden and a warm summer.


----------



## editor (Feb 10, 2008)

tarannau said:


> A recent leaflet drop, offering a free drink token along side the band listing, seems to have backfired rather than attracting new customers. Dropping wedges of leaflets into the communal halls of local estate blocks wasn't perhaps the best move,  not judging by the happily pissed old faces brandishing flyers in abundance..


You're quick to criticise, but having a go at them for trying to publicise their nights with flyers seems a little harsh.

I went there yesterday expecting absolutely nothing but it was certainly more lively and more welcoming than the last couple of times I'd been to the Hob (closing night excluded).

They've spent money on the place, they're putting on live music, the bar is no longer a mess overflowing with empty glasses, the staff were friendlier and they had a laid back, mixed Brixton crowd in.

It may not be exactly to your (or my) tastes, but if they hadn't tried something new and a bit different - even if it did go off at half cock - you might be looking at a closed pub by now. At least it's still open and it looks like the owners are investing time and money trying to get it right.

So why are you so almost always negative?  What do you think they should do?


----------



## hendo (Feb 10, 2008)

editor said:


> Thread renamed!


----------



## lang rabbie (Feb 10, 2008)

The Thai food remains excellent and they serve a decent pint of Deuchars.   The gents is considerably less unpleasant than it has been for a decade.

But ... the Scottish food on Burns night was several leagues below what the Thai kitchen turns out (it would be facing relegation from the Irn Bru Third Division).    Tatties and neeps were lukewarm and the haggis was distinctly second rate.


----------



## clandestino (Feb 11, 2008)

Dawn Penn! Blimey!


----------



## teuchter (Feb 11, 2008)

I paid a brief visit to the Inverness branch just before Christmas.

Not much funk or reggae going on there. The decor is virtually identical, however.


----------



## teuchter (Feb 11, 2008)

http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/Hootsbrixtonceilidhbarwhatson.htm

Yup, the Scottish music seems to be confined to Monday-Thursday nights now.

Presumably even that's not enough to keep the old grumps like Tarannau happy....


----------



## editor (Feb 11, 2008)

teuchter said:


> http://www.musicisthebest.org/hoots/Hootsbrixtonceilidhbarwhatson.htm
> 
> Yup, the Scottish music seems to be confined to Monday-Thursday nights now.
> 
> Presumably even that's not enough to keep the old grumps like Tarannau happy....


Certainly a curious blend of 'hoots mon meets black music' going on!



> Thursday 14 Feb - Valentines Day with romantic Scottish fiddles
> Friday 15 Feb - Distant Cousins, African music without limitation meets London
> Saturday 16 Feb - Bombscare, top 10 piece Ska band
> Sunday 17 Feb - Ike Leo + one, an evening of cool live Jazz
> ...


----------



## co-op (Feb 11, 2008)

lang rabbie said:


> But ... the Scottish food on Burns night was several leagues below what the Thai kitchen turns out (it would be facing relegation from the Irn Bru Third Division).    Tatties and neeps were lukewarm and the haggis was distinctly second rate.



Scottish food, don't get me started....believe me this sounds a notch or two above the standard Burn's Night meal in an actual Scottish pub.


----------



## billythefish (Feb 11, 2008)

I was very pleasantly surprised when I dropped by in the lead up to Christmas... there was an excellent singer on stage with a violinist and bass player (sorry I forget her name), followed by a local soul duo.
It was so good I summoned a few more friends on the phone.
Although the bar was fairly empty, it was very friendly, well serviced, beer good and a great atmosphere, and it did mean we could get a seat easily and hear ourselves think. 
The only thing lacking was a roaring fire and a view of the mountains out of the window... it was rather surreal leaving the pub afterwards, back to the bowels of Brixton Water Lane ;-)


----------



## Sunray (Feb 12, 2008)

With all these things, it takes time and effort to transform a place.  You 1st have to get it right and be consistent then word of mouth will slowly help you.  Nowhere can expect to have instant results.


----------



## tarannau (Feb 12, 2008)

True, but word of mouth seems to be negative about this place if anything. Apart from sport the custom's stable or declining.\

To be fair to them they've taken steps to reverse the decline. Dropping the Scottish music policy and reducing the number of parping midweek players to avoid forcing people out has helped a little, but some of the damage was done. Events such as the Open Mic sessions have been humiliatingly bad, the new comedy night's failing, they even had to drop their prices for New Years Eve at the last minute to try and drag up some custom - that's a time when they should have capitalised on the whole Hootenanny/Scottish thing.

I still drink in there a fair bit, but it's quieter than it was on many an occasion. Staff are nice enough, but it's still halfway house in there. Shame really - it feels a little desperate in there a lot of the time. There's not the consistency or belief in what they're doing (see new Thai/English menu and bizarre Celidh/Reggae nights) and it shows.


----------



## gabi (Feb 12, 2008)

Have they opened up the old main bar yet?


----------



## tarannau (Feb 12, 2008)

editor said:


> You're quick to criticise, but having a go at them for trying to publicise their nights with flyers seems a little harsh.
> 
> ...So why are you so almost always negative?  What do you think they should do?




Actually that wasn't meant to be particularly harsh. It was more an indication that the management seem to be gettting a little desperate and dont seem to be thinking things through adequately. Printing all those flyers without terms and conditions was simply daft, a schoolboy error.

The management are nice enough, but they've some unusual thoughts when you talk to them. They seem to think that they're in competition with Wetherspoons, the Goose and even the Academy rather than other local pubs and the sofa at home. To be fair to them they're trying after a dodgy start, but it's been a hard lesson for them.

My recommendations? Open the smaller bar up so that people walking down busier Brixton Water Lane can pop in. Bring back the pool table to encourage some daytime custom - it's so deathly in there of late that people often look in and then turn around again during the day. Drop the idea that Scottish sport should be prioritised whatever - having more than a bar's worth watching Arsenal on a small screen and less than 2 people watching Rangers in the massive room. Retain staff for longer and employ better (there's one lady in there who's painfully slow) stop reserving the best of too few tables for their mates on prime nights. Get a better variety of acts on, particularly during the week - it's the same old faces again and again. Don't send free drinks tokens out - that'll encourage the same faces in - but consider combined drinks and food deals to boost trade in quieter times. Sort the toilets out once and for all - the sewage smell still lingers. 

And sort the beer garden out in readiness for summer - that's their best chance. Sunshine will bring new faces. They stand a chance with their more inclusive feel, but reverting back to the customer-repelling two men and their mandolin/bagpipe combo stereotype approach would be a mistake.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Feb 12, 2008)

tarannau said:


> And sort the beer garden out in readiness for summer - that's their best chance. Sunshine will bring new faces.



Definitely agree with that - the big beer garden is a great asset and there aren't too many others around. A little bit of work to make it seem less like a car park with tables in and they'd do very well IMO.


----------



## editor (Feb 12, 2008)

They've strung some pretty lights over the beer garden and that's already a bit of an improvement. And they've got some nice looking gates too.


----------



## dogmatique (Feb 12, 2008)

ianw said:


> Dawn Penn! Blimey!



Aye, If they have acts of that quality (or even Ms Penn again) I'll be keeping my eye out!  Shame I missed her.


----------



## CONDEX (Feb 12, 2008)

I drop in fairly regularly for the food and a pint..

I quite like the place, but they'd need to get rid of those drug dealers 
who range between the Hoots and Mango Landin, otherwise they'll bring 
the wrong sort of people to the place...


----------



## tarannau (Feb 25, 2008)

Ach, even when they've got the punters in they're managing to fuck things up.

Arsenal vs Milan during the week and one there's a packed pub. How many staff on at kick off? A mighty one, with all the managers and hangers around disappearing suddenly. I felt sorry for the gal.

Skip to this Sunday and the Carling Cup Final on Sky. A few more staff in this time, but they decided to show the football in the smaller bar. Which,of course, was unpleasantly rammed, grating when the whole barn-like next door was empty apart from the manageress and family eating sunday dinner on one table, and one other group of 4 dining. Now I thought the logic was to the smaller bar as a kind of pseudo restaurant with the main bar being the music room. Instead they're shovelling all the football crowd into the small room, whilst the dining room effectively was a big empty space playing Girls Aloud at breakneck volumes. I'm not a great fan of the Scottish theme, but this seemed just plain daft and good for no one.

To be fair to them, the reason why became a little apparent later on - they'd chose to start the spamtastic Brixton Brunch night (with DJ RelaxSingh) - a kind of world music, easy listening mash up starting at about 3pm.  Daft scheduling to say the least.

I appreciate their efforts to become a little more inclusive, but the planning and day to day management are terrible at the mo. A quick glance at a sporting guide abd a bit of forethought would stand them in good stead. They may have a better chance of retaining customers - as soon as the footie finishes the whole clientele drains away quickly.


----------



## colacubes (Mar 2, 2008)

Heads up for people - walked passed the Hootagoblin this morning and saw that Chas'n'Dave are playing there on 23rd May


----------



## Tank Girl (Mar 2, 2008)

cool, but bugger, we'll be on holiday then!


----------



## Tank Girl (Mar 2, 2008)

oh, and apparently it's £18 to get in, sod that!


----------



## colacubes (Mar 2, 2008)

Tank Girl said:


> oh, and apparently it's £18 to get in, sod that!



It's not cheap I'll grant you but it's Chas'n'fuckingDave 

rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit etc.


----------



## gaijingirl (Mar 2, 2008)

bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny rabbit...


----------



## Aitch (Mar 7, 2008)

If anyone hasn't given up on this place yet..... our very own DJ Bigga will be spinning some sweet reggae tunes down here tonight.  Be good to see any familiar faces!


----------



## tarannau (Mar 7, 2008)

Aitch said:


> If anyone hasn't given up on this place yet..... our very own DJ Bigga will be spinning some sweet reggae tunes down here tonight.  Be good to see any familiar faces!



What time is he spinning? Sadly a ffrir few of the faces will be down the Hope & Anchor for someone's B'day, but that's not till a little later on....


----------



## Aitch (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm not sure on times yet I'll know more a bit later and keep you posted


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## tarannau (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm not coming unless he's playing Scottish Reggae*




* I've got a really bad calypso version of Maggie May he can have. No really, take it.


----------



## DJ Bigga (Mar 7, 2008)

tarannau said:


> I'm not coming unless he's playing Scottish Reggae*
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hey it can't be as bad as the reggae remake of Amarillo!


----------



## editor (Mar 7, 2008)

So that's a full suite of urban DJs doing their stuff tonight in Brixton: DJ Bigga @ Hootenanny, ianw @ Canterbury and me and Niplsa @ Albert.

We rock!


----------



## DJ Bigga (Mar 7, 2008)

editor said:


> So that's a full suite of urban DJs doing their stuff tonight in Brixton: DJ Bigga @ Hootenanny, ianw @ Canterbury and me and Niplsa @ Albert.
> 
> We rock!



I believe the kids would say we got the town on lockdown! U75 run de road!


----------



## colacubes (Mar 7, 2008)

DJ Bigga said:


> I believe the kids would say we got the town on lockdown! U75 run de road!



If we act quickly I'm sure we can take The Dogstar, The Prince and The Trinity


----------



## clandestino (Mar 9, 2008)

editor said:


> So that's a full suite of urban DJs doing their stuff tonight in Brixton: DJ Bigga @ Hootenanny, ianw @ Canterbury and me and Niplsa @ Albert.
> 
> We rock!




Just seen this! Fantastic!


----------



## tarannau (Mar 10, 2008)

DJ Bigga said:


> I believe the kids would say we got the town on lockdown! U75 run de road!



How did you get on fella? Popped down after work, 'bout 7ish, to find only about 10 people in the while place. Sure it got busier later on mind.


----------



## clandestino (Oct 2, 2008)

Went out for a bite to eat at Fujiyama tonight and felt like having a pint after. Lounge was pretty full, but fancied a pub. Dogstar was showing some football or other on the main screen, and was almost completely empty. There was possibly two, maybe three people in there. Didn't feel like the Albert, there seemed to be life in the Prince but didn't feel like that either...decided to give the Hoot a go, our first visit since the dying days of the Hob. And...

I liked it. There was twenty people at the most in there, no footy being shown (a plus for me), no jukebox, just a couple of guys sitting at a table playing an acoustic guitar and an accordion ever so often, like the old days of the Duke Of Edinburgh where people would hang out and have a session. I'm sure they were employed to do so, but still. The atmosphere was very chilled, lots of chat, people tucking into their Thai food, like, as Adrienne said "an old man's pub", or one of the pubs she used to drink in in Edinburgh. It was a bit like pubs used to be, back before it became the norm for sport to be shown everywhere, a little bit like the Landor before it was given the nautical makeover, or the Duke Of Edinburgh, before the footy screen took over the inside room. 

Judging by the posters, it looks like there's a lot of ska and reggae stuff coming up, alongside the salsa and, erm, an Elvis impersonator. Didn't see much Scottish music advertised. So, ironically, has the Hootananny, by trying and failing to be a Scottish enclave and having to rethink its game becoming slightly more random and ramshackle in the process, become more like a Brixton pub of yore? It certainly felt like more of one than The White Horse or the Prince or the Dogstar. 

It smelt a bit weird though.


----------



## ringo (Oct 3, 2008)

Any details of the ska and reggae coming up soon?


----------



## teuchter (Oct 3, 2008)

ringo said:


> Any details of the ska and reggae coming up soon?



http://www.hootanannybrixton.co.uk/brixton-live-music.html




(I like the fact that if you google "hootenanny brixton" this thread comes up higher in the rankings than their own website...)



E2A: Good to see they've got a proper website sorted out now though. The old one was well ropey.


----------



## nick (Oct 3, 2008)

Top Cats are there tonight.  Anyone going?


----------



## CONDEX (Oct 3, 2008)

nick said:


> Top Cats are there tonight.  Anyone going?



Yup I'll be there  I expect it to be packed....


----------



## tarannau (Oct 4, 2008)

And packed it was. Therein lies the issue with the new Hootenanny. 

The Scottish theme which they persisted with for the first 6 months draws 20 people or less, mainly old fucks like me as IanW observed, whilst the old time reggae can pack the place out. And in those months of determined bagpiping they manage to drive out a fair chunk of the regular clientele and pissed off others

Truth is, it's largely the same as it was before. Gigs can be very busy if the right act is on, but the majority of bookings are fairly anodyne and don't attract customers. It's probably quieter most of the time, with the occasional big boost for a big name band, and rarely free then. And they've lost busy regular nights, like the Sunday reggae sessions and the massively popular comedy club to the Dogstar - they tried their own alternative and it bombed.

They've managed to fuck up the football crowd a little too, shovelling a pull down screen in the middle of the little bar for some reason and then panic buying not 1 but 3 pool tables to respond to customer demand, only after they made a big thing of levelling the pool area and removing the one table at first.

In short, it's the same really, give or take a little. Something needed to happen and the place is largely better cared for than it has been for some time, since the last 'near permanent' manager (S) unsurprisingly. The Scottish theme has failed to a huge extent, but it's nice to have another gig venue - it's more a destination pub as a result, but can feel less homely and consistent.  And that big beer garden and sunshine are still the biggest draws when the weather's good. Yesterday was a fine old night mind - loads of old faces and people drawn back again, along with new people. Long may it continue.


----------



## editor (Oct 4, 2008)

I think it's great that there's another decent live venue in Brixton - especially if they're putting on free shows with the likes of the Top Cats.

I feared that my own night was going to be empty last night (seeing as Eme and I would have been up like a shot to see the Top Cats) but the Albert was well busy too so it's a win all round for Brixtonites who are getting some fucking great nights offered for free.


----------



## clandestino (Oct 4, 2008)

editor said:


> I feared that my own night was going to be empty last night (seeing as Eme and I would have been up like a shot to see the Top Cats) but the Albert was well busy too so it's a win all round for Brixtonites who are getting some fucking great nights offered for free.



We were busy too! A good night in Brixton last night.


----------



## clandestino (Oct 4, 2008)

tarannau said:


> old fucks like me as IanW observed



And me. An old man's pub is a compliment in my world.


----------



## clandestino (Oct 4, 2008)

So we're going out again next Friday and are thinking of heading to Hootananny. I think it's just a random ska night rather than any big name.


----------



## Maggot (Oct 4, 2008)

nipsla said:


> Heads up for people - walked passed the Hootagoblin this morning and saw that Chas'n'Dave are playing there on 23rd May





Tank Girl said:


> oh, and apparently it's £18 to get in, sod that!


I saw them for free at the Lewisham Festival a few weeks ago.


----------



## tarannau (Oct 4, 2008)

ianw said:


> So we're going out again next Friday and are thinking of heading to Hootananny. I think it's just a random ska night rather than any big name.



One warning. Their definition of ska is, ahem, a little broad. I think they wanted to capitalise on the success of the Top Cats last time around and settled upon the idea of ska fridays. Which led to slightly bizarre and good natured chants of 'this ain't ska' from a bemused crowd a week or two later. The next week and the band even apologised for the lack of skaness.


The bands are usually alright nonetheless, but I wouldn't go out dressed up in your best formal ska wear in expectation.


----------



## clandestino (Oct 4, 2008)

tarannau said:


> One warning. Their definition of ska is, ahem, a little broad. I think they wanted to capitalise on the success of the Top Cats last time around and settled upon the idea of ska fridays. Which led to slightly bizarre and good natured chants of 'this ain't ska' from a bemused crowd a week or two later. The next week and the band even apologised for the lack of skaness.
> 
> 
> The bands are usually alright nonetheless, but I wouldn't go out dressed up in your best formal ska wear in expectation.



That's fine by me. I'm no ska afficionado anyway, so I probably wouldn't notice...


----------



## editor (Nov 6, 2008)

They've got Wanda Jackson playing there soon! It's great that the old boozer's becoming a really good live venue with loads of free stuff.

It was (not surprisingly) hugely busy last night after the fireworks, but it's a bit pricey - £3.10 for a basic IPA!


----------



## boohoo (Nov 6, 2008)

The free salsa class is good!


----------



## tarannau (Nov 6, 2008)

editor said:


> They've got Wanda Jackson playing there soon! It's great that the old boozer's becoming a really good live venue with loads of free stuff.
> 
> It was (not surprisingly) hugely busy last night after the fireworks, but it's a bit pricey - £3.10 for a basic IPA!



Yep, it's £3.20 a pint and up in the main - up there with the Effra in the most unexpectedly expensive pubs in the area.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Nov 6, 2008)

tarannau said:


> Yep, it's £3.20 a pint and up in the main - up there with the Effra in the most unexpectedly expensive pubs in the area.



The Half Moon must win that prize - I think it's the most expensive pub in Herne Hill now, which is some going given the competition.


----------



## dodgepot (Nov 6, 2008)

editor said:


> They've got Wanda Jackson playing there soon!



yes they have - i've got my ticket. saw her play at the luminaire last year, very good indeed


----------



## dogmatique (Nov 6, 2008)

And Max Romeo at the end of the month...!


----------



## coccinelle (Nov 7, 2008)

dogmatique said:


> And Max Romeo at the end of the month...!



He's brilliant on stage!  Worth seeing.


----------



## clandestino (Nov 7, 2008)

editor said:


> They've got Wanda Jackson playing there soon! It's great that the old boozer's becoming a really good live venue with loads of free stuff.



Really? Fucking hell - when??


----------



## editor (Nov 7, 2008)

ianw said:


> Really? Fucking hell - when??


Same bastard night as I'm doing Offline. It's Fri 21st Nov. £15 on door.


----------



## El Jefe (Nov 7, 2008)

dodgepot said:


> yes they have - i've got my ticket. ..



and ours


----------



## dodgepot (Nov 7, 2008)

editor said:


> Same bastard night as I'm doing Offline. It's Fri 21st Nov. £15 on door.



or £10 in advance.

and yes i have jefe.

couldn't remember if i was supposed to get one for PieEye though, so i didn't bother


----------



## Tank Girl (Nov 7, 2008)

don't listen to him jeff


----------



## clandestino (Nov 23, 2008)

How was Wanda Jackson then?


----------



## dodgepot (Nov 23, 2008)

brilliant 

the band started off a bit too plodding and session-like i think, but they loosened up after a while and were rockin' (i think the volume got gradually turned up too, which helped). wanda can still belt 'em out.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 24, 2008)

Glad to hear it. Was going to come down and catch up with y'all, but was running too late.

Went the next day and bumped into some stressed looked Cuban Brothers. The  silly tarts were all in a precious tizzy because the pub hadn't followed their rider and had carpet on the stage, not so perfect for that chinese burn breakdance action. I saw an equally flustered owner running off to the big red carpet warehouse for some lino just before I left too.


----------



## Bob (Nov 25, 2008)

tarannau said:


> Glad to hear it. Was going to come down and catch up with y'all, but was running too late.
> 
> Went the next day and bumped into some stressed looked Cuban Brothers. The  silly tarts were all in a precious tizzy because the pub hadn't followed their rider and had carpet on the stage, not so perfect for that chinese burn breakdance action. I saw an equally flustered owner running off to the big red carpet warehouse for some lino just before I left too.



OT but if anyone sees a tall very skinny bloke playing pool at the Hootenany then say hello to him - he's my flatmate. A very nice guy.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

I'll keep an eye out Bob, albeit I'm not there as often as I used to be, but you just got to realise that he's not going to stick out around the Hootahob's pool table with a simple, near nondescript description like that. We've already got the Gucci kid, shoeless J, Pub Marley and the one arm bandit (amongst others) to contend with.


----------



## Pieface (Nov 26, 2008)

I really like it in there now you know?  It was ace at Wanda and with a crowd in had a dead good atmosphere.  By the end of the night I was going to send them messages of support and stuff


----------



## Bob (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> I'll keep an eye out Bob, albeit I'm not there as often as I used to be, but you just got to realise that he's not going to stick out around the Hootahob's pool table with a simple, near nondescript description like that. We've already got the Gucci kid, shoeless J, Pub Marley and the one arm bandit (amongst others) to contend with.



Skinny Graham will do then.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

PieEye said:


> I really like it in there now you know?  It was ace at Wanda and with a crowd in had a dead good atmosphere.  By the end of the night I was going to send them messages of support and stuff



The band nights in there can be really good, although they're fairly driven by the fans of the bands unsurprisingly. Chas and Dave brought their flat capped Eastenders types, the Dub Pistols a younger crew and ss on.The exceptions being the reggae nights and the free ska evenings perhaps. 

The downside is that it's a bit of a soulless barn at times when there's not something on, but it's not a terrible balance all in all. They've compromised on the worst excesses of the Scottish theme - Wanda Jackson, The Congos and Max Romeo are a far step away from live Scottish music every night and staff wearing kilts, thank gawd. 

Strangely they're not even resorting to a strong Celtic Hogmanay theme for NYE either, despite it being the one time of the year when it should make most sense. It's a kind of allsorts mashup featuring the Raison D'Etre crew behind the Wanda Jackson crew. More fitting somehow.


----------



## clandestino (Nov 26, 2008)

Actually I thought it had a lovely atmosphere on the non-band night I popped in. It wasn't packed at all - maybe 20-30 in the place - but it had a nice, laid back, low key feel to it. 

Put me down as a fan too.


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

this is a classic forum thread and shows the pointlessness of it all.

oh no the hobgoblin is closing down! It's going to be terrible - a scottish themed pub - wtf?! omg!! - I really hope it fails etc

oh - err, actually it's really rather good isn't it. Yeh - go hooternanny.


----------



## corporate whore (Nov 26, 2008)

I'm a fan too - wanda jackson/dub pistols nights were fantastic, though I'm unlikely to head down there unless there's a band on.

Good to see some pool tables, mind.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

Ach, I've still misty eyed memories of M&S's time there, with the fire on in the cosier smaller bar, which felt more welcoming than than the larger room. Sadly, since the restaurant room idea fell by the wayside, that room's become a bit of a dumping ground for pool tables and sporting screens.

Hell of a lot more cared for than it has been of late though. Decent balance all in all.


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

I used to like the hobgoblin but don't go down to brixton anymore really...


----------



## teuchter (Nov 26, 2008)

chegrimandi said:


> this is a classic forum thread and shows the pointlessness of it all.
> 
> oh no the hobgoblin is closing down! It's going to be terrible - a scottish themed pub - wtf?! omg!! - I really hope it fails etc
> 
> oh - err, actually it's really rather good isn't it. Yeh - go hooternanny.



Well, who knows, maybe the management read some of the comments on here and maybe that played some part in influencing how things developed.

Anyway I was saying from the beginning that it could work out to be an improvement.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

chegrimandi said:


> this is a classic forum thread and shows the pointlessness of it all.
> 
> oh no the hobgoblin is closing down! It's going to be terrible - a scottish themed pub - wtf?! omg!! - I really hope it fails etc
> 
> oh - err, actually it's really rather good isn't it. Yeh - go hooternanny.



Nice retell Cheggers. The cynicism of the Scottish theme was well warranted imo - you can even trace the chain of people saying give it a go and then commenting on it negatively afterwards. But the pub's changed massively since they came out all bagpipes and insisting on staff wearing kilts - there's music other than the celtic heritage stuff for a start, along with restated football and the pool table(s) brought back by popular demand. They've even built a dj booth after insisting that none of that electronic music would be played, followed by the Dub Pistols and Cuban Brothers.

Hell, they've even (slightly cynically) stuck up Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea flags outside, perhaps realising that a room with a few fans watching a Celtic game every week or so wasn't quite as profitable. 

It's a good tale of flexibility and modifications to a misguided master plan coming good. It's become a bit of a ramshackle weird blend of music and sporting events, not a standard bearer for Scottish music in the capital, and it's no worse for that.


----------



## clandestino (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> Ach, I've still misty eyed memories of M&S's time there.



They were fantastic. I loved some of Martyn's crazy schemes, especially the ones that never saw the night of day. I wish he'd been able to get a snow machine and fill the beer garden with fake snow one Christmas, like he'd wanted. I have very happy memories of the nights we put on there, and the NYE we did for M&S.


----------



## clandestino (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> It's a good tale of flexibility and modifications to a misguided master plan coming good. It's become a bit of a ramshackle weird blend of music and sporting events, not a standard bearer for Scottish music in the capital, and it's no worse for that.



Exactly.


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> Nice retell Cheggers. The cynicism of the Scottish theme was well warranted imo - you can even trace the chain of people saying give it a go and then commenting on it negatively afterwards. But the pub's changed massively since they came out all bagpipes and insisting on staff wearing kilts - there's music other than the celtic heritage stuff for a start, along with restated football and the pool table(s) brought back by popular demand. They've even built a dj booth after insisting that none of that electronic music would be played, followed by the Dub Pistols and Cuban Brothers.
> 
> Hell, they've even (slightly cynically) stuck up Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea flags outside, perhaps realising that a room with a few fans watching a Celtic game every week or so wasn't quite as profitable.
> 
> It's a good tale of flexibility and modifications to a misguided master plan coming good. It's become a bit of a ramshackle weird blend of music and sporting events, not a standard bearer for Scottish music in the capital, and it's no worse for that.









it was a load of nimbyism and moaning son and you know it. Now you're trying to rewrite history to claim it as a victory for urban75.



Mr Irving *would* be proud.


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> Needless to say I'm gutted for the pub. I can't see this lasting more than a few months.





but also  for tarannau

if you like tarannau I can trawl the thread for everyone's nimby quotes and doom and gloom moaning for a new venture - would you like me to do that for you?


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

tarannau said:


> I'll always hold some great memories of the place. I'd like to share some positivity about the future, but the confused spectacle of a half-hearted Scottish effort on my doorstep seems strangely unenticing. Sure, Brixton's always been tolerant of diversity, but that diversity usually builds up organically, not by imposing a poor facisimile of a pub concept from Inverness unwanted on a neighbourhood.



oh go on then I will - but I have to do more work in five minutes so might not be able to fully hand you your arse on a plate...


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

Dj TAB said:


> ...can't say I'd be upset to see this venture fail IMHO....
> 
> Sort of culture for the disney masses who like a bit of gloss!



etc etc


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

lizardqueen said:


> This is my biggest worry.
> 
> The hob could be a great pub if the money could be found to rectify the problems that currently put off potential punters.  I know the loos put a lot of people off, the garden could do with a clean up and I'm sure a new pool table and a lick of paint in the back room would encourage more people to go there.
> 
> ...



I could go on but I'm bored now.


----------



## Pieface (Nov 26, 2008)

You're terrible


----------



## RaverDrew (Nov 26, 2008)

It's still an overpriced, gentrified, shithole compared to the hob/canning days imo.


----------



## dodgepot (Nov 26, 2008)

what's your point, cheg?

the pub was going to be turned into a scottish themed pub, people said it would be rubbish and wouldn'twork. the scottish theme pub opened, didn't exactly have a roaring success, and is moving more and more away from that venture to something which the punters prefer more. and people are happy about that, cos it's a pub they loved going to and still want to enjoy going to.


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

chegrimandi said:


> oh go on then I will - but I have to do more work in five minutes so might not be able to fully hand you your arse on a plate...



Ooh, competitive selective quoting now. I'm quaking now Cheggers.


Still, nothing that I'd disagree with in that quote that you selected - I hated the idea of a whole pub concept being imported direct from Inverness in prospect, and I did in reality too. However, it's changed a hell of a lot since then - see post above - with the management making numerous changes to the concept. It's come a long way since they boasted 'Saor Patrol' as their biggest band (four beardies with drums), and a no reggae or electronic music policy. Good on them for taking steps to change.

Here's what I said on the second page of this long thread. I'll stick by that. Something did give and the place is benefiting as a result



tarannau said:


> Maybe, as I've said in an earlier post, there'll be more of a compromise than the website suggests. Maybe the Scottish soundtrack and schtick willbe less than relentless and the bands will be shipped out to a deserted and soundproofed back room, letting the old guard sup their pints unmolested by bagpipes and fiddles. Maybe there'll be more a variety and the place will attempt to be more inclusive and inkeeping with its surrounds. But - judging from their website and proud Scottish branding - something's got to give before that happens.


----------



## lizardqueen (Nov 26, 2008)

chegrimandi said:


> I could go on but I'm bored now.



I think the point is that eveyone was up in arms about turning the pub into a traditional scottish music venue.  Not about it changing management as such. 

I was told by the new manager from the outset that there would be no reggae music, no dance music, that they would only show scottish football etc etc...and this is what pissed me and other regulars off.  It was a ridiculous idea that everyone thought would fail - and it did!


The pleasant surprise is that the management seem to have realised what a silly idea it was in the first place, and changed the pub into something much more suited to the people who go in there.  Now I'm happy to see it full of people, with good live music and the much missed pool tables back in place.  It just took a while to get there...


----------



## chegrimandi (Nov 26, 2008)

dodgepot said:


> what's your point, cheg?
> 
> the pub was going to be turned into a scottish themed pub, people said it would be rubbish and wouldn'twork. the scottish theme pub opened, didn't exactly have a roaring success, and is moving more and more away from that venture to something which the punters prefer more. and people are happy about that, cos it's a pub they loved going to and still want to enjoy going to.



that there was much ado about nothing. ooo no a scottish pub! how terrible. people's willigness towards fear and panic and think the worst and engage in nonsense.

Oh shit we really like it. Still - at least I had a highly speculative moan on the internet about it!

re run to - ooo look urban75 has made it like that!

lol.

bullshiiiiiitttttttttttttt

Like I said in my original post - it just made me laugh at how typical it was in forums - the pointlessness of it.

It's an even better thread now tarannaus trying to claim it as a victory for people power and U75!


----------



## lizardqueen (Nov 26, 2008)

chegrimandi said:


> It's an even better thread now tarannaus trying to claim it as a victory for people power and U75!



Where does he do this?


----------



## tarannau (Nov 26, 2008)

Do you have a problem with your spacebar Cheggers? All these funny one line paragraphs make you look all jumpy.


Don't think anyone's suggesting that urban 75's made it change, but the pub has taken steps to become more inclusive. I'd suggest it's more the regulars who've helped push things along, a fair few of whom I know well.

FWIW, here's what I said on this thread over a year ago:



tarannau said:


> My recommendations? Open the smaller bar up so that people walking down busier Brixton Water Lane can pop in. Bring back the pool table to encourage some daytime custom - it's so deathly in there of late that people often look in and then turn around again during the day. Drop the idea that Scottish sport should be prioritised whatever - having more than a bar's worth watching Arsenal on a small screen and less than 2 people watching Rangers in the massive room. Retain staff for longer and employ better (there's one lady in there who's painfully slow) stop reserving the best of too few tables for their mates on prime nights. Get a better variety of acts on, particularly during the week - it's the same old faces again and again. Don't send free drinks tokens out - that'll encourage the same faces in - but consider combined drinks and food deals to boost trade in quieter times. Sort the toilets out once and for all - the sewage smell still lingers.
> 
> And sort the beer garden out in readiness for summer - that's their best chance. Sunshine will bring new faces. They stand a chance with their more inclusive feel, but reverting back to the customer-repelling two men and their mandolin/bagpipe combo stereotype approach would be a mistake.



No trumpets need to be blown - a lot's common sense after all -  but that's pretty much exactly what's happened. They've even reopened the Water Lane entrance and put a new gate on in the last few months.


----------



## gaijingirl (Nov 26, 2008)

Here's what I think happened...

pub changed ownership
policy to play fucking shed loads of bagpipes
no one liked it
managers started to put something other than bagpipes on
people liked it
managers put more bands and other stuff on
people liked it even more...

 easy 

...to be honest, when it first changed, I'd go past every day with gaijinboy and we'd giggle 'cos all we could ever hear was bagpipes.  It was ridiculous and off-putting and we never wanted to go in.  Now there's some good bands and a whole variety of stuff going on.  Which is good!  So we've changed our minds.  Which is pretty much what has happened on this thread!

What is a shame though is that they lost the comedy club to The Dogstar just as the bloody smoking ban kicked in (the smoke in that room used to really put me off). I also mourn the loss of the Mexican food (although the Thai food is nice too).


----------



## liberty (Nov 26, 2008)

A few months ago Big Hand were playing there is was brilliant...

The bar staff though are very very rude


----------



## mccliche (Dec 1, 2008)

wicked night in there saturday, good music, good atmosphere,
vybz'd


----------



## tarannau (Dec 1, 2008)

Very full, wasn't it.

Max Romeo seemed to go down well, as did the Brixton based mc and mates afterwards. Changed since those early bagpipe nights it certainly has.


----------



## hipipol (Dec 1, 2008)

4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
To open up a Scotish pub
They tried thier very best
With Tatty Kilts,
nae underpants
an Rab Nesbitts auld string vest
But when it didnae work fae them
The plan had tae be revised
Suddenly were back tae fun
They had been Brixtonized!!!!!!!

They seemed, these wild highlanders, to have been tamed!!!!

Huff sed, Y'ken?


----------



## lang rabbie (Dec 1, 2008)

hipipol said:


> 4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
> To open up a Scotish pub
> They tried thier very best
> With Tatty Kilts,
> ...



Rascist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## quimcunx (Dec 1, 2008)

hipipol said:


> 4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
> To open up a Scotish pub
> They tried thier very best
> With Tatty Kilts,
> ...



4 and 20?  Are you sure?  4 maybe.


----------



## teuchter (Dec 1, 2008)

I'd just like to point out that Rab C Nesbitt was not a Highlander. Thank you.


----------



## quimcunx (Dec 1, 2008)

teuchter said:


> I'd just like to point out that Rab C Nesbitt was not a Highlander. Thank you.



In fairness it doesn't suggest he is, merely that these 4 and 20 Highlandish virgins were in possession of his vest when they alighted on Brixton. 

Questions should be asked, however, as to how they came into possession of such an article, which leads me back to my suspicions about the veracity of his virginity claims.


----------



## hipipol (Dec 2, 2008)

Ahm nae fuckin racist

As I was born in Perth with family in Fife, Perthshire and Ballater in Aberdeen, you see, Highland and softy lowlander blood in the veins, so I am ideally placed tae tak the pish

Specially of you, Countrychappie!!!


----------



## hipipol (Dec 2, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> 4 and 20?  Are you sure?  4 maybe.



I think the ratio is about 5 support staff to one in the field for these Commando operations!!!


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## pboi (Dec 4, 2008)

dancing Santa outside.

that is all


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## teuchter (Dec 4, 2008)

hipipol said:


> Ahm nae fuckin racist
> 
> As I was born in Perth with family in Fife, Perthshire and Ballater in Aberdeen, you see, Highland and softy lowlander blood in the veins, so I am ideally placed tae tak the pish
> 
> Specially of you, Countrychappie!!!



I think your claims to Highland blood are somewhat controversial.


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## quimcunx (Dec 4, 2008)

hipipol said:


> Ahm nae fuckin racist
> 
> As I was born in Perth with family in Fife, Perthshire and Ballater in Aberdeen, you see, Highland and softy lowlander blood in the veins, so I am ideally placed tae tak the pish
> 
> Specially of you, Countrychappie!!!



Self-hater. 





pboi said:


> dancing Santa outside.
> 
> that is all



Excellent.


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## tarannau (Dec 4, 2008)

pboi said:


> dancing Santa outside.
> 
> that is all



Really? I knew I missed out by not going for a quick pint tonight.

I wonder if they've persuaded the poor sandwich-board man to take on a new dancing role, or it could just be a pissed local knowing the hob.


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## pboi (Dec 4, 2008)

its a mofokin robot dancing santa!! even better!! he thrusts all night for no pay


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## tarannau (Dec 5, 2008)

Fucking technology win! I'll check that out tonight.


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## clandestino (Dec 7, 2008)

pboi said:


> dancing Santa outside.
> 
> that is all



I went past in a cab the other night and didn't see anything. Has it gone already?

Latest gig news: Back To The Planet are at Hootananny this Thursday! Tickets four quid.


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## teuchter (Dec 7, 2008)

I saw the dancing santa yesterday evening.


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## tarannau (Dec 8, 2008)

I was disappointed by the dancing santa. It manages to be a bit creepy and crap in a low budget way.

I got all my hopes up as well. Santa dreams shattered again.


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## ringo (Dec 8, 2008)

I got a tree there on Saturday but the Santa wasn't dancing. I managed to get a £2 discount.


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## clandestino (Dec 10, 2008)

Finally saw the mechanical Santa today. My little boy was a bit scared of it. I gave Santa a tickle and jiggled his glasses to show that he wasn't a threat, but my boy wasn't convinced.


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## hipipol (Dec 11, 2008)

Mechanical Santas - one step away from Horror Movie status


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## Nanker Phelge (Dec 14, 2008)

bloomin' 'eck - Bad Manners and Neville Staple are playing the hootananny next year!


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## teuchter (Aug 3, 2010)

I was in the Hootananny at the weekend and they proudly announced that they have been awarded Best Music Pub in London. In the Great British Pub Awards, whatever they are.

http://www.greatbritishpubawards.co.uk/


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## strung out (Aug 3, 2010)

good on them


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## teuchter (Aug 3, 2010)

It's not exactly what it was first launched as - but I think you have to take your hat off to them for what they've done with the place. To fill a fairly big place like that, consistently, and a lot of the time no entrance charge, and (varied) live music pretty much every night is quite an achievement I'd say. And the back bar has maintained a bit of the seediness that was good about the Hobgoblin. Whatever anyone says, the Hobgoblin was dying before these folk took it over and it certainly ain't dying now.


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## tarannau (Aug 3, 2010)

Whilst I'm in that pub more than most and like it Teuchter, I think you may be guilty of swallowing their marketing gumph a little too fully. There hasn't been anything like Live Music every night for the best part of 2 or 3 years now, the only regular weeknight sessions being the Reggae Thursdays (often djs only) and the occasional big band karaoke/dj session on every few Wednesdays.

It's very full on certain gigs - Thursdays have a good crowd, albeit with one of Brixton's most established reggae promoters on board that could be expected - but it's not consistently full by any means. In fact it's probably quieter a lot of the time than it was in, say M&S's spell as landlords. When it's sunny it's a hugely popular pub mind, and this has been a good summer for everyone.

Glad it's doing alright for itself though, with it returning to much of its form since the Scottish music (no reggae or electronic) only policy was dropped and football and pool given more prominence. What made a real difference is care and investment in the place - it only really struggled notably when the brewery had it on drip feed and a rotating assortment of (weak) relief managers with no scope for anything other than firefighting. That said, growing a new gig reputation was a wise move and great achievement, albeit they've thrown it open to the same group of promoters and local faces that they studiously tried to exclude at first. I keep hoping they'll make amends with the Brixton Comedy Club and bring it back home from the Dogstar - it's never been the same since they burnt bridges and it moved it up there. El Panzon made the trip back after all...


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## teuchter (Aug 3, 2010)

When I said consistently full I meant weekend nights - but I did get the impression that there was music most nights of the week so fair enough if that's not really true.


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## ska invita (Nov 3, 2012)

BUMP! Supposedly the Hoot is in a little trouble:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/hootananny/
The Petition

Licensing Restrictions are stopping entry into Hootananny after 11pm. 

We will be shut down if we allow anyone in after this time. 

We are campaigning to change this, but in the meantime please get here before 11pm!!!

Please sign this online petition to reverse this decision and get our 2am final entrance time back.


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## Rushy (Nov 3, 2012)

ska invita said:


> BUMP! Supposedly the Hoot is in a little trouble:
> 
> http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/hootananny/
> The Petition
> ...


 
Sounds rough. What was the reason?


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 3, 2012)

Rushy said:


> Sounds rough. What was the reason?


Bar staff were extremely tight lipped on the issue when I was in last night. I asked every single person working and none of them would tell me. (I think they know.) Most of the locals were talking about noise issues....the pub has been having an ongoing battle with residents on Brixton Water Lane about noise late at night. Some of you might remember one of them came on here a while back and caused a shitstorm complaining about noise. But if that was the case, the licence conditions would tell them to close the garden completely after a certain time (like the Duke of Ed) or install a new limiter on the soundsystem inside.

As mentioned on another thread, the police have done a sweep of Lambeth licensed premises recently, resulting in various arrests and new licence conditions. They will almost certainly have been in the Hob. 

So what could be other reasons be? The pub has had a problem with people bringing in their own drink. The garden often seems overcrowded. Underage drinkers perhaps? Late night hassle/trouble? New signs were up yesterday on the toilet doors saying "drugs will not be tolerated" etc.

They were passing a petition around the pub saying "SAVE THE HOOTANANNY"....but it's a bit hard to sign something when you don't know what the reason is. She makes most of her money after 11pm I think so it's a major fucker for the pub.


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## DJWrongspeed (Nov 3, 2012)

Seems a bit harsh. I'm all for freeing up licensing so long as councils feel they can curtail things when it's problem. Perhaps this is an occasion when Lambeth are being accountable to their electorate.


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## Chilavert (Nov 3, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> ...but it's a bit hard to sign something when you don't know what the reason is.


Exactly this. I'll need some more info before signing the petition.


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## Rushy (Nov 5, 2012)

Did anyone find out anymore about this?


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## editor (Nov 5, 2012)

I heard a bit, but only second hand. It seems that the locals are thoroughly pissed off with the growing noise - both from the music and shouty pissed punters - and all the other associated activity that's been going on around the pub - including ad hoc food sellers. Not sure how much of that is true, but that's what I heard from a fairly informed source.


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## Rushy (Nov 5, 2012)

Looks like the Hoot has been a bit of a victim of its own success and management being unable to cope.


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## Manter (Nov 5, 2012)

editor said:


> I heard a bit, but only second hand. It seems that the locals are thoroughly pissed off with the growing noise - both from the music and shouty pissed punters - and all the other associated activity that's been going on around the pub - including ad hoc food sellers. Not sure how much of that is true, but that's what I heard from a fairly informed source.


I can believe that... It looks fun whenever you past, but we are glad we live further down. (Or, um, up...). There were people sat on walls (or pissing on them/puking over them) quite a way down the lane and on Tulse hill the other night- and pretty loud music.


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## gabi (Nov 5, 2012)

I love the Hoot in summertime, the garden's excellent.. probably wouldn't want to live next to it though.


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## Badgers (Nov 5, 2012)

Oddly when we lived right by it (just by Khans) it never bothered us at all, even with single glazing.


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## Manter (Nov 5, 2012)

Badgers said:


> Oddly when we lived right by it (just by Khans) it never bothered us at all, even with single glazing.


it seems to be much busier now that it used to be though- and loads of food stalls both in the garden and starting to spill down the street- a few weeks ago there was a jerk chicken place halfway down the road in someone's front garden, too.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 5, 2012)

Rushy said:


> Looks like the Hoot has been a bit of a victim of its own success and management being unable to cope.


I don't think it's the management being unable to cope - it's the management not actually giving a fuck about the pub. From what I can see, all she cares about is getting loads of punters through the doors late at night. She's rarely shown any gratitude towards the regulars and daily drinkers who've been drinking there for years and years - and even banned some of the ones she didn't like for a while. The toilets are often a complete state - the mens was a couple of inches deep in water for a time over the summer, but it took them over two weeks to bother to fix it. Prices have gone up and up. Drinks are often poorly kept with the gas malfunctioning on occasion. Bizarrely, despite all the things that need to be done inside the pub, she's invested in loads of new planters for the garden (?) and a big new sign over the function room door proclaiming their 'best live music pub' award. The bar staff are mainly very young but do their best in difficult circumstances.  



Manter said:


> it seems to be much busier now that it used to be though- and loads of food stalls both in the garden and starting to spill down the street- a few weeks ago there was a jerk chicken place halfway down the road in someone's front garden, too.


The additional jerk chicken guy has been there nearly every week since the summer - usually in the front garden of the Conservative Club, where that new Antic pub is going to be. I think a bit of competition for the Hob will be good.


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## Manter (Nov 5, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The additional jerk chicken guy has been there nearly every week since the summer - usually in the front garden of the Conservative Club, where that new Antic pub is going to be. I think a bit of competition for the Hob will be good.


The Northerner says it is v good chicken...!


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## Orang Utan (Nov 5, 2012)

New Antic pub? What?


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## Crispy (Nov 5, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> New Antic pub? What?


http://www.urban75.net/forums/threa...open-new-venue-next-to-the-hootananny.300073/


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## zenie (Nov 5, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The additional jerk chicken guy has been there nearly every week since the summer - usually in the front garden of the Conservative Club, where that new Antic pub is going to be. I think a bit of competition for the Hob will be good.



Is he nothing to do with the hob then?! 

I've heard a few things, and I'd hate to live near there. Always seems a bit shady late at night, though summer days are nice.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 5, 2012)

zenie said:


> Is he nothing to do with the hob then?!


The hob have their own jerk guy in the garden - I think the guy outside is just taking his opportunity. Nothing to suggest he's not legit either.


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## editor (Nov 6, 2012)

Here's the petition set up by Hootannany. Sadly this is they don;t go into any detail about the reasons for the restriction, which makes it rather hard to sign, much as I want the place to stay open:


> The Petition
> Licensing Restrictions are stopping entry into Hootananny after 11pm.
> 
> We will be shut down if we allow anyone in after this time.
> ...


http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/hootananny/


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## ringo (Nov 7, 2012)

Christ, if they shut the Hob all the Hoota-rotters will spill back into the other brixton pubs  It has to stay open, quarantine must be maintained


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## editor (Nov 7, 2012)

ringo said:


> Christ, if they shut the Hob all the Hoota-rotters will spill back into the other brixton pubs  It has to stay open, quarantine must be maintained


That's a point. There was a fair few likely exiled Hoot suspects at the Albert on Friday and I didn't like the cut of their jib at all.


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## wemakeyousoundb (Nov 7, 2012)

editor said:


> That's a point. There was a fair few likely exiled Hoot suspects at the Albert on Friday and I didn't like the cut of their jib at all.


install pavement mounted directions signs to mango landing and the white horse outside the hoot?


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 13, 2012)

By the way, the reason the Hob has had its licence restricted is due to a misunderstanding/disagreement between the Council, the police and the pub.

They still use the same licence from the Hobgoblin days!! 

Even though M + S retired down to Torquay nearly 10 years ago, it seems the same licence is still in use. 

So either the Council and police have fucked up and allowed the pub to let people in late (up to 2am) for nearly 10 years, or the pub has blatantly breached the rules for nearly 10 years and the council & police have turned a blind eye. It seems that noise complaints from neighbours have caused them to have another look at the licence....

Also it turns out the Hootahob is a tied pub - which means I fear for its future.

They're gonna charge £3 from 9pm from now on...


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## RaverDrew (Nov 13, 2012)

Fucking hell  bit of a major oversight that


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## leanderman (Nov 13, 2012)

You got to love a place that lets punters watch Sky Sports without insisting they buy a drink


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> By the way, the reason the Hob has had its licence restricted is due to a misunderstanding/disagreement between the Council, the police and the pub.
> 
> They still use the same licence from the Hobgoblin days!!
> 
> ...


Not sure where the misunderstanding is. Conditions on pre2005 legislation licences were carried over onto the new style licences. The new licences are handed down from owner to owner - conditions and all. That is the way it works. When Mass went bust the licence was transferred to the landlords and then on to Antic.

Hoot cannot have been unaware of their conditions. They are rarely more than a page or two of bullet points attached to the licence. They not generally written in impenetrable gobbledegook. If they had wanted a licence for something different to what they inherited they would have to apply for it and there would be a public consultation. Any vaguely competent landlord in charge of a venue would know this.

Hoot has ignored their licence. Lambeth has let them get away with it for a while in spite of local complaints as they have done for loads of venues locally. Hoot management are either being disingenuous about this being an error or do not have the required skills to run a busy inner city venue.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

Rushy said:


> Hoot cannot have been unaware of their conditions.


Well, quite. Looks like pub has taken the piss, and Council/police have let them. It's no surprise the pub has bent the rules....loads do it.

I'm very surprised though, that this has only come up now. There were loads of problems with the police & drugs etc around 8 years ago after M&S retired, but the issue of the licence never came up, despite the police being all over the pub. Ignorance and/or incompetence on behalf of the police? We used to run a monthly night in there for years and people could always wander in (for free) at any time until it closed at 3am.



Rushy said:


> Any vaguely competent landlord in charge of a venue would know this....Hoot management are either being disingenuous about this being an error or do not have the required skills to run a busy inner city venue.


Well I would suspect the former, in which case it looks like they've been running things by the seat of their pants. Their current business model doesn't appear sustainable without late entry and the fact the pub is tied (I didn't know this before yesterday) makes the think that the nails are being hammered into the coffin of the pub as we speak....


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Well, quite. Looks like pub has taken the piss, and Council/police have let them. It's no surprise the pub has bent the rules....loads do it.
> 
> I'm very surprised though, that this has only come up now. There were loads of problems with the police & drugs etc around 8 years ago after M&S retired, but the issue of the licence never came up, despite the police being all over the pub. Ignorance and/or incompetence on behalf of the police? We used to run a monthly night in there for years and people could always wander in (for free) at any time until it closed at 3am.


A friend of mine works in the met in IT. He mentioned that the new police commissioner felt that clamping down on general nuisance was important as, left unabated, it led to other problems and also had a massive effect on local residents' standard of living. I think that is what has prompted the change. That and councillors beginning to become aware that residents expect the council to control licences more proactively. There have been quite a few meetings this year on how to monitor venues effectively, I think.

I don't think it should be a nail in the coffin of the pub - it will just need to reign itself in a bit. That might require new management though.


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## Badgers (Nov 14, 2012)

The pubs in town have been a lot busier the last two weekends.


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

[Deleted accidentally self quoted post]


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

Rushy said:


> A friend of mine works in the met in IT. He mentioned that the new police commissioner felt that clamping down on general nuisance was important as, left unabated, it led to other problems and also had a massive effect on local residents' standard of living. I think that is what has prompted the change. That and councillors beginning to become aware that residents expect the council to control licences more proactively. There have been quite a few meetings this year on how to monitor venues effectively, I think.
> 
> I don't think it should be a nail in the coffin of the pub - it will just need to reign itself in a bit. That might require new management though.


Yes I agree with your first bit - it does seem there has been a clampdown in Lambeth. In fact I read an article (in the SLP?) recently which suggested just that. Lambeth have been doing something similar in Clapham for the past year or so too.

On the future of the pub, unless they can get a licence extension (and it doesn't seem likely, given the ongoing problems with noise and disturbance to nearby residents) I think they will start charging for most nights to being with. After that, who knows....

I doubt new management would solve it. If the rent is as high as they say it is, together with the fact that the pub is tied, they might struggle. If they do make lots of money, the building owners will put the rent up and up......


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## Crispy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> the building owners will put the rent up and up......


And it's got all those rooms upstairs... They must be able to be put to.... more profitable use


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## editor (Nov 14, 2012)

From talking to quite a few landlords, it seems that the licensing terms dictated by the council can be woefully confusing and/or out of date, and their officers have something of a reputation for getting things spectacularly wrong.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

Crispy said:


> And it's got all those rooms upstairs... They must be able to be put to.... more profitable use


Yep. The building must be worth millions. Add an extension on the back and you could fit a load of flats in there.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

editor said:


> From talking to quite a few landlords, it seems that the licensing terms dictated by the council can be woefully confusing and/or out of date, and their officers have something of a reputation for getting things spectacularly wrong.


Interesting. The Hootahob claim they have a letter from the police which enabled them to extend the last entry times from 11pm (which is on the licence) to 2am (which is _apparently_ in the letter.)


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Interesting. The Hootahob claim they have a letter from the police which enabled them to extend the last entry times from 11pm (which is on the licence) to 2am (which is _apparently_ in the letter.)


The police cannot extend the licence. They can only not object to or support an application by the pub to the council to change licence conditions.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

Rushy said:


> The police cannot extend the licence. They can only not object to or support an application by the pub to the council to change licence conditions.


Yes, which is why they are in the shit. Landlord/owner Sophia: We were under the false impression that we could extend our entrance policy until 2am  because of a letter that we received from the Police


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Interesting. The Hootahob claim they have a letter from the police which enabled them to extend the last entry times from 11pm (which is on the licence) to 2am (which is _apparently_ in the letter.)


Some conditions are out of date but it is up to the venue to apply for changes if they think this is the case. Licensing cannot instigate those changes.


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## Rushy (Nov 14, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Yes, which is why they are in the shit. Landlord/owner Sophia: We were under the false impression that we could extend our entrance policy until 2am  because of a letter that we received from the Police


Mate. I don't know, but sounds sus to me. And a publican should understand licensing procedure.


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## Onket (Nov 14, 2012)

Crispy said:


> And it's got all those rooms upstairs... They must be able to be put to.... more profitable use


 
What is upstairs? Landlords living area? Function rooms?


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## Crispy (Nov 14, 2012)

Onket said:


> What is upstairs? Landlords living area? Function rooms?


It's a hostel right now. No idea of the layout.


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## editor (Nov 14, 2012)

Crispy said:


> It's a hostel right now.


A cheap'n'cheerful one at that.


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## Brixton Hatter (Nov 14, 2012)

Yeah you can get rooms for like £8 or £9 a night if you're lucky. There's loads of rooms up there (two more storeys)...plus a terrace/balcony running around the pub...and a garden at the back.


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## lefteri (Nov 14, 2012)

Rushy said:


> And a publican should understand licensing procedure.


 
exactly, the whole campaign smells like smoke & mirrors to me - and they'll have known about the competition from antic for a while as well


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 9, 2013)

ID and £2 membership to the "Hootananny Music Lover's Club" is now required if you want to get into the pub after 11pm 

The pub has been hemmorhaging regulars to the Albert over the past couple of months too.


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## teuchter (Aug 11, 2015)

.


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## Ol Nick (Aug 11, 2015)

What *would* Lord Castlereagh say??


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