A Pub No More

Former Blues Bar
@Ronrybs (21504)
London, England
March 13, 2017 11:41am CST
There used to be a pub in the middle of the picture. The last time I was actually inside was in 1976 and it was known as The Engine. With the main London - West Country rail line less than a 100 yards away, a good name. When I moved back here, some 15 years ago, the pub had been renamed The Blues Bar and seemed to be gently fading away. A couple of years back the owner got planning permission to convert it into flats, but for no obvious reason that all stopped and it continued as a pub. Until a few weeks, that is, when suddenly there it was gone and a heap of rubble stood in its place. Sadly this fate is befalling many pubs, with over 20 closing a week, in the UK. They are mainly ending up as flats or mini supermarkets.
10 people like this
10 responses
Anna
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
13 Mar 17
How sad this is. All the interesting places are disappearing, nice small pubs, bars and restaurants. It is a shame.
4 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
13 Mar 17
There are some that are doing quite well, they get a reputation for food and that is how they survive
3 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
14 Mar 17
@Ronrybs The big chain restaurants are killing the small ones, they cannot compete, because the chains get big discounts buying ingredients in large quantities.
3 people like this
Pat Z Anthony
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
13 Mar 17
Does this mean that Pubs are no so popular there these days? Hope they put something there you can appreciate.
2 people like this
Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
16 Mar 17
@Ronrybs Just as well, in the 'old days' fathers (women often not allowed either) sometimes used to leave their children to wait on the street wile they nipped in for a pint or several!
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
13 Mar 17
People's drinking habits seem to be changing and smoking was banned inside pubs, so that didn't help. Down here in the south east, housing is in short supply and many pubs seem to be destined to become apartments
2 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
13 Mar 17
@PatZAnthony Unlike when I was younger, lots of pubs these days allow young ones in
2 people like this
changjiangzhibin89
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
14 Mar 17
What a shame! The pub must have been frequented by people from all walk of life .Now they can do nothing about that but relive the happy time in the pub in their memory.
2 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
14 Mar 17
It is a bit sad to see a place close, but it had been struggling for long while.
2 people like this
Arthur Chappell
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
16 Mar 17
Always sad to see pubs disappear this way
2 people like this
Arthur Chappell
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
16 Mar 17
@Ronrybs same here and there are some great pubs surviving here too and a few new ones
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Mar 17
20 a week? That is a lot of pubs to close.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Mar 17
@Ronrybs The 'English pub' seems part of the very fabric of life there. Hopefully the exodus will slow at some point. What is going up instead? Fancy boutique bars? Hotels?
2 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
14 Mar 17
That's for the whole country, but even so won't be long before only a very few are left
2 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
15 Mar 17
@JudyEv I think it flats, the planning request should be posted on the building, but it probably went the same way as the pub!
2 people like this
John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Mar 17
Sad that a UK tradition is fading away.
2 people like this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
13 Mar 17
True, but I guess things are always changing. Not necessarily for the better
2 people like this
John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Mar 17
@Ronrybs I firmly believ change is always or nearly always for the worse.
1 person likes this
Marie
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
15 Mar 17
It always saddens me to see older structures torn down
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
15 Mar 17
That and being neglected
1 person likes this
Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
16 Mar 17
Yes, that's exactly what's happening here, they are closing right, left and centre. Of course I'm to blame as well, we rarely go to a pub except occasionally after a weekend walk or something.
Claudia Kirkland
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
14 Mar 17
wow, that's so sad! Sounds like more flats and supermarkets are needed much more. Are people drinking less?
Scott Ganschow
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
13 Mar 17
Noooo! I know your pain.
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21504)
• London, England
13 Mar 17
This wasn't a favourite of mine, I liked The Shovel, about 30 minutes walk away