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Time to fight for the future of British pubs

Feb 12 2012 by Michael Brown, Sunday Sun

EVERY week 16 pubs in Britain close their doors never to reopen.

To some people that is seen as a positive – at least it’s not the 25 lost each week in 2010.

But scores more are on the market, with Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns and business estate agent Christie and Co alone offering up more than 100 pubs in the North East between them.

And such cold logic is hardly comfort to the thousands of people who see the heart ripped out of their communities.

Among the latest area to be affected by the curse of the closing pub is the Northumberland town of Alnwick, which last week lost The Hairy Lemon and could soon see it followed by both the Alnwick Gate and Alnwick Arms.

Father of two Stephen Keir, 38, who is currently campaigning to save the Victoria and Albert in Seaton Delaval from being turned into a Tesco, said more needs to be done to stop pubs “being squeezed to the point of no return”.

“Local pubs have been a fabric of village life for an eternity, as they are a warm welcoming place for all walks of life to gather, share stories or meet up for a bite to eat over a good pint,” he said.

“In many instances they are the only place groups of families and friends get to gather at the end of a long week, and for those who have served society and are in retirement they offer somewhere to fill in their days discussing the state of the nation.