Cherry Tree Update

The Cherry Tree in Tintern was an historic pub that was closed a few years ago. The policy decisions of Monmouth County Council seem a bit bizarre to say the least - I suggest you pop over to the Friends of the Cherry Tree website and read what is written there.

Save the Pub with UKIP

The United Kingdom Independence Party have recognised the problems facing British pubs and have launched a campaign to save them.
Head over to their site, to sign the petition


There is also a booklet to download which gives some British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) facts:

• A net total of 1,013 pubs shut their doors for the last time between July and December 2009,  
• 2,365 pubs closing during the whole of 2009 
• This has led to the loss of over 10,000 jobs in local communities across Britain, 
• This costs the government an additional £1.53 million a week in job seekers allowance. 
• As every pub contributes £107,000 in tax a year – 30% of turnover - pub closures in 2010,therefore cost the government more than £254 million in lost taxes, a loss that is increasing by more than £5.5m a week.
• There are still approximately 52,000 pubs across the UK.
• The average closure rate of pubs currently stands at a stupendous 28 per week.

UKIP actually come up with some useful proposals to save the pub:

• UKIP will institute a Royal Commission to investigate the pricing structures used by the breweries through pubcos, in particular; the Royal Commission will investigate the pricing structure used by breweries in their captive markets for bulk packaged wholesale goods and the cost of sales to
supermarkets. This pricing makes the cost of wholesale prices, from tied sales from a pubco or even independent wholesalers, more expensive than some retail beer prices in supermarkets. UKIP will insist on reduced differentials and a fairer balance in beer pricing between on and off-trade beer sales.

There is a Facebook Cause asking for this, please click on this link

• UKIP would cut duty and taxes on traditional draught beers such as real ale, ciders and some lagers. UKIP would also allow landlords to write off against tax promotional costs for traditional beers through pub posters, beer mats and giveaways.

Any tax cut is good for the trade theses days.

• UKIP would reduce both EU derived regulations and UK regulations /controls. Will tone down enforcement regimes, involving various licences, permits, certificates, surveys, reports, audits, contracts, procedures, assessments and policies. This would free up landlords/managers and reduce
costs. In so doing, it will allow the landlord/owner more time for the marketing of their pub/club and the organising of promotions.

A reduction in red tape is also good for the trade

• UKIP would amend the smoking ban to allow pub landlords and club managers to provide contained and ventilated 'smoking rooms' within pubs and clubs. This is in pubs and clubs where the customers desire it and the landlords or pub companies wish to invest in such a facility. This proposal also brings benefits to residents in reducing noise and intrusion from outside smoking areas, which can be uncomfortable and antisocial for users. It also removes the risk for landlords/managers of sizeable fines being levied by local councils.

Freedom to choose to smoke or not in pubs is also a good idea. 

All in all a lot of positive ideas there to help the pub trade out.

Locals' launch campaign to save historic pub

Save the Cherry Treehttp://www.cherrytreefriends.org.uk/

The Cherry Tree pub in Tintern, Monmouthshire, has been closed since just before Christmas, but the owners have just now put in planning permission for a residential conversion. Naturally the locals do not want to see this happen and have started a campaign to save the pub. I suggest popping over to their website to see why they want to keep their pub. 

Rob from Travels with Beer also visited the pub 

I've even filmed in the pub with ITV Wales in the past 

I've copied and pasted the following paragraphs from the save the pub website: 

The Cherry - a failing pub!?

Through the mid-noughties The Cherry was undeniably a thriving establishment. Unfortunately a degree of animosity has developed in recent years between the current owners and many in the village. We refuse to editorialise on these matters however it is of great significance to our case that the management have not enjoyed the support of the majority in Tintern since 2008/9.

Having said that, the extensive string of vehicles parked every Sunday along the road outside revealed the extent to which the pub's reputation still pulled in a reliable trade from outside the village to supplement the hardcore of locals who chose to focus on the venue rather than controversies concerning the hosts.

The pub was by no means failing. Not providing sufficient income for its self-proclaimed 'debt-ridden' owners in a recessionary climate after losing much of its local trade? - maybe. Failing to the extent that we and future generations should be deprived of its hospitality in order to alleviate short-term financial difficulties? - definitely not!
Attempts to sell the Pub as a going-concern have been.. well ..rather lacklustre.

Sadly, pubs are generally worth more as flat-fodder than the life-enhancing centres of social cohesion that we believe them to be. Fortunately, this is recognised by local planning authorities who insist on evidence of a serious attempt to sell a 'failing' pub as a business and at a fair market price.

We have found no evidence to suggest that The Cherry has been appropriately marketed as a going concern. We know that the pub was on the market as a commercial property with a local estate agent but bizarrely seems to have been taken off the market at some time before the abandonment of the pub on 06/12/2010.

We can find no evidence that the pub has been advertised through standard trade publications such as The Morning Advertiser or The Publican. Although anecdotal, we believe it to be extremely telling the fact that another local publican, a regular reader of the trade magazines, was in December 2010 unaware that the pub had even been on the market.

Editors Note: As someone who follows the property sections of the trade magazines as well as visiting pub auctions I was not aware the pub was, or had been up for sale.

We suspect the £400,000 asking price to be excessive and are convinced that a more focussed advertising approach, together with a willingness to negotiate a realistic sale price in the current economic climate could lead to a relatively straightforward change of ownership of this famous pub.

As an aside, if you think you might be interested in buying and running the Cherry - please get in touch. We'd be delighted to hear from you and would do everything in our powers to facilitate negotiations with the current owners.
The Cherry is unique and of national importance

It is rather depressing to think that The Cherry has now lost its perennial status as a much celebrated CAMRA 'Good Beer Guide' entry. Our pub had been the only pub in Wales to have appeared in every edition of the guide since its inception in 1974 and, in 2008, was described by CAMRA as a 'superpub' being one of only 10 pubs across England and Wales to have achieved membership of this elite club.

Of course what really marks out a special local is not national recognition but something rather more intangible: its 'spirit'. The Cherry does atmosphere, history and location in spades. Surrounded by ancient woodland, next to a babbling brook in a quiet Monmouthshire valley; there is no finer place to delight in a beautifully crafter local ale or cider.

Untapped/discarded business opportunities:

A few years ago The Cherry was not a pub: it was a pub/village shop/Post Office/B&B. There probably wasn't much that could be done to save the Post Office when the unpopular 'restructuring' of the service took place a few years ago but we are not convinced that the demise of the shop and B&B business were quite so inevitable.

Officially The Cherry did not stop providing B&B facilities but a growing reluctance to accept bookings in recent years has been quite evident. The number of annual visitors drawn to Tintern by its ancient Cistercian abbey alone has been estimated at 500,000. The Cherry has four rooms available, is situated some 800 meters from the Abbey and thus ideally positioned to benefit from the provision of year round accommodation in a tourist village with surprisingly few B&B options. Few, if any, B&B bookings were accepted by The Cherry in 2010.

The permanent population of Tintern is about 750 and the transient population is far greater yet the village is without a shop selling anything other than the most basic commodities such as newspapers. Even without the financial crutch of Post Office status, it seems to us that the reopening of a carefully managed village shop in the basement of The Cherry is a viable proposition.

Tourist attractions such as the Abbey aside, The Lower Wye Valley is an extremely popular destination for outdoor pursuits enthusiasts. And we believe that a large untapped market exists to provide food/drink/accommodation to visitors drawn to Tintern by its spectacular local natural resources.

Some of the most important rock climbing destinations in Southern Britain lie within a five mile radius of Tintern, two long distance footpaths pass either through or close to the village, The River Wye is a Mecca for canoeists and thousands of Land's End/John o' Groats cyclists pass through the village every year. No attempt has been made to engage with these potential markets via targeted advertising though specialist magazines and websites.

The newly designated Lower Wireworks Car park is situated approximately 200 meters from the pub. The car park has been designed to accommodate in excess of 40 cars, is free to use and is signposted from the main A466 road passing through the village. This will surely bring more visitors into The Angiddy valley and almost to the doorstep of The Cherry. It is also worth noting that if the proposed Chepstow - Tintern shared-use path is built then the Lower Wireworks car park will be a principal access point and there is scope for the provision of tailored services (walkers/cyclists lunch deals, spare inner-tubes, lockable bike stands etc.) to encourage path users to visit the pub.

The issue of signage in Tintern has been somewhat contentious over the years. For those interested in some of the ugly details - Google is your friend. Being rather tucked away and slightly off the beaten tourist path, a well considered sign on the main road alerting passing trade to the existence of a lovely little pub a few hundred yards up the Angiddy valley would no doubt give The Cherry a great boost. In 2005 planning permission was sought for such a sign (MCC planning application M11879). It seems that on 27/8/09 a decision on this application had still not been reached and its current status is not known. However it seems reasonable to assume that reopened negotiations with the council on the matter could result in a solution to the satisfaction of all.

Editor's Note: the signage that was removed from the main road by Monmouthshire County Council featured the Hancock's Toastmaster and was well over 40 years old, the trademark being used up to the late 1960s when Hancocks were taken over by Bass.

 According to a civil engineer I know if the sign was up before 1st April 1974 then it has deemed consent under the Town & Country Planning Act (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 Class 13. Monmouthshire council clearly acted illegally in removing that sign.
 

What to do:

1.Send an email to Monmouthshire County Council Planning department informing them of your feelings on the proposals: planning@Monmouthshire.gov.uk. Quote reference DC/2011/00356.

To see the plans before commenting on them visit UK Planning, click 'Search Applications' and enter application number DC/2011/00356

2.Tell your friends to do the same! Post on Facebook. Spread the word.

We've lost enough good pubs in Monmouthshire, it's time to say no to pub closures!

 

What Can We do now (Save the British Pub)

 Found this on the web the other day. The singer Bob James was born in the UK but now lives in the USA.
From his blog:  
"I am trying to help save the Great British pubs from closing down.

I have teemed up with Inez Ward, CEO of Justice for Licensees & founder of Pub Week.

Inez has been battling to bring to everyone's attention the plight of the great British pub. Inez asked if I would write and record a song to help, which I along with my studio engineer / co-writer Tim Bushong (Lovewar & The Channelsurfers) did so.

The song "What Can We Do Now" is available on CD Baby & I-Tunes, 79p in U.K. and .99c here in the U.S. not only are landlords and pub licensees losing their homes, but they are also losing their livelihoods, and we are losing a heritage that should be around forever.

Wether you are a musician, tourist, local, who ever, we are all losing out.

More than 40,000 pubs have closed in the U.K. which is disturbing, if it can happen in the U.K. it can happen any where.

As far as the entertainment industry is concerned, 40,000 equates to more than 40,000,000 (Fourty Million), in lost revenue and royalties for ASCAP, SESAC, PRS, MCPS, BMI, and song writers / musicians.

Less venues for musicians / artists / bands to play, yet not too much is heard about it, not too much is done about it, but be assured when it is too late, everyone will be whining and wondering what on earth happened, IT WILL BE TOO LATE !!!"

 

Well worth giving a plug to this artist:

Bob James MySpace site
Bob James on Twitter
Bob James Blog
Bob James website

Curse of Jonah Brown hits the Vulcan

Labour Party takes the piss to follow the “Save the Pub” bandwagon.

Above: The unique urinals of the Vulcan

Euro Election leaflets are dropping through the letter boxes of voters throughout the UK at the moment, but voters in Cardiff may be a bit surprised to see the spring edition of the Cardiff Mail, the local Labour Party rag, with a “Please support OUR campaign”caption, to Save the Vulcan. Hang on a bit, Brew Wales regularly drinks in the Vulcan and attended a public meeting to try and save the pub and this is the first time he has heard of widespread support for the Campaign from the Labour Party. Now the Save the Vulcan campaign is non-political, attracting a broad spectrum of political views, though the Chair of the Campaign to Save the Vulcan does work for the Liberal Democrats. Nothing wrong with that, Brew Wales has often been known to have the odd jar of ale with Lord Dholakia or the Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire. What is annoying though is that when the original plans for the demolition of the Vulcan were passed by the Cardiff Council, it was being run by the Labour Party and not a word of disquiet was heard from those Labour Councillors on the Planning Committee. Suddenly, the Labour activists can see a popular Campaign to save a successful pub is winning public support and decide they are going to attempt to claim the Save the Vulcan Campaign as their own.

Now on another site, Guido has written about the “Curse of Jonah Brown”, where the Prime Mentalist has often come out supporting some cause or sports team which then go on to fail. Last week as issues of the Liebour-published Cardiff Mail were dropping onto the carpeted hallways of Cardiff voters, it was announced in the South Wales Echo that the Vulcan would be closing on the 25^th June. So the Curse of Jonah Brown has now been extended to any cause to which his failing party attempts to support.

Meanwhile, the Culture Minister of the Welsh Assembly, Alun Ffred (so good they gave him 2 Fs) Jones, seems unable to come to a decision on whether to save the pub or not. No Doubt he is too busy window-licking at the view of Cardiff Bay and Penarth from his office, rather than trying to save an important part of Welsh cultural life.

Even failed UK politician and professional Euro gravy-train milker Lord Kinnock of Bedwetting has come out in support of the Vulcan. Mind you he once said that his favourite pub was the Fountain in Troedrhiwgwair, South of Tredegar, a pub which made the toilets facilities in the Vulcan seem the height of modernity.

Brew Wales does not often do politics any longer, despite, in a previous life, once working for a London MP, however the cynical, bandwagon-following attitude of the Cardiff Labour Party is something that deserves to be treated with contempt and hopefully on June 4^th the voters will know where to put their X on the ballot paper.

Brew Wales will not be voting for the party that has a teetotal Scottish Presbyterian, pub-hatting, nail chewing, cyclopean, snot-gobbling, unelected, trouser-pissing, bisexual (References: Lords Mandelson and Levy), incompetent, bunker-dwelling troglodyte from the tundra beyond Hadrian's wall as a leader. Indeed any other party, with the exception of the BNP, who could not even make a Hornby train set run on time, would be worth voting for other than the disastrous Labour Party and their Son of the Manse.

With 6 pub closures a day now occurring, it's time for change, so let's all give Gordon the message on Thursday and don't vote Labour.

Save the Vulcan – Bar Trek

Drink Long and Prosper

From Brew Wales

To celebrate the launch of the new Star Trek film, where better than to have a fancy dress party than at the Vulcan in Cardiff, a pub threatened with assimilation into a car park in the next few months? Now I don't think that Frosted Bajoran Ale, Synthahol or Klingon Blood Wine will be making an appearance alongside the excellent Brains Bitter and SA or that gach would appear on the menu instead of the filling rolls, but the bar of the Vulcan is more welcoming than Ten-Forward and the range of customers would not be out of place at Quark's.

Will the enterprising Save the Vulcan campaign be able to put up a strong defiance against the dominating developers who are already preparing their quantum torpedoes to level the site?

Will Liz be dressing up as Guinan for the night?

Will Brian make an appearance as Quark?

Will Yamok sauce make it as far as the kebab shops on Caroline Street?

To be continued.................

So lets not see the Vulcan disappear into the wormhole forever and support the Save the Vulcan campaign by dressing up as your favourite Star Trek character and coming along to the pub to celebrate the launch of the film. Prize for the best fancy dress outfit.

Kahplah!

Vulcan Bar Trek fancy dress party 08.05.09. 2000 hrs

How old is the Guinness Advert?

Above: The east wall of the Vulcan

There have been a few comments on Facebook on the age of the Guinness advert painted onto the side of the Vulcan pub in Cardiff, after my posting yesterday on Brew Wales.

Well thanks to the Book of Guinness Adevertising I may be able to put a date on it.

The Guinness is Good for You slogan ran from 1928 until the 1960s. Similar fonts have been used in posters from 1932 until at least 1956, on advertising material designed by the artist John Gilroy. Is it too much to hope that we have a Gilroy Original painted on the side of the pub?

The font is similar to this 1938 poster - no hook on the 'G', angle on the beginning of 'S'. I'm not an expert on fonts but there is a chance this wall advert is pre-World War Two?

The sign was covered by a building for many years and is on the left hand wall of the Vulcan pub. The above image was taken in May/June 2000 before the demolition of the adjoining buildings. And before a certain RAT who hates his photo being taken could move out of shot!
Save the Vulcan blogspot

Ken Clarke MP joins campaign to Save the Vulcan

Save the Vulcan – update

From Brew Wales

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, former Home Secretary and Campaign for Real Ale member, Ken Clarke MP has lent his support to the Save the Vulcan campaign. After a trip to Brains Brewery, Ken popped into the threatened pub with the South Wales Echo and said, “I like traditional pubs, as do most other people living in Britain. It is always very sad to see them go......It would be very sad if it [the Vulcan] was to be flattened to be replaced by a car park. If the campaign is successful I'll definitely come back and have another pint!”

Full interview is on the Wales Online website here.

Ken Clarke MP is just one of a long list of politicians who have put their name to the Save the Vulcan Campaign. Others include:

Lord Kinnock

Jenny Willott MP (Cardiff Central)

Kevin Brennan MP (Cardiff West)

Kim Howells MP (Pontypridd)

Jenny Randerson AM

Chris Franks AM

David Melding AM

Nick Bourne AM

Leanne Wood AM

Andrew RT Davies AM

As well as 5000 other people including Rhys Ifans and James Dean Bradfield.

The Vulcan was built in 1853 and has many noteworthy architectural features including:

the glazed tile frontage

part stained glass and frosted front windows

cast glazed brown terracotta urinals, which are outside the pub

www.save-the-vulcan.blogspot.com

Vulcan pub timeline

1853 The Vulcan pub was built. Named after the Roman god of fire, the name referred to the nearby iron works.

1914 Vulcan was altered by Cardiff architect Fred Veall, who is normally associated with the Ebbw Vale steelworks general offices

1956 The Vulcan was purchased by Cardiff brewers SA Brain, from wine merchants Greenwood & Brown, together with 4 other pubs for around £100,000. The other pubs were the York Hotel on Canal Wharf (Still standing but has been closed for 20 years and is awaiting demolition), Model Inn (still open), Ship Hotel (closed), Cross Inn on Newport Road, Rumney (still open)

1957 It was around this time that a refurbishment occurred, with the pub attaining its present layout. The lounge to the rear was created by converting the landlords' private accomodation.

1967 Nearby pubs such as The Crichton Arms, the Cambridge and The Duke of Edinburgh were demolished as the Little Ireland area of Newtown was 'improved'.

1997 The Vulcan is awarded 'Pub of the Year' by the Cardiff Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

2005 A Compulsory Purchase Order was made by the Welsh Development Agency on behalf of St Davids 2 (Land Securities).

2007 According to the South Wales Echo, the Vulcan ends up in the hands of a property development company, Rapport (Marcol Asset Management) run by Derek Ivor Rapport for just over £500,000.

2008 CADW rejects calls for the pub to be listed, stating that it was not as special as other city pubs.

2009 January. Over 150 people attend a public meeting at the Atrium to try and Save the Vulcan.

2009 February. 5000 name petition to Save the Vulcan is handed to the Welsh Assembly Government.

2009 March. The Vulcan is awarded 'Pub of the Year' by the Cardiff Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

2009 March. CADW is once again urged to give the building statuary protective status due to the historical worth the Vulcan offers to the City of Cardiff.

Marcus Binney says in 'Time Gentleman Please', “Pubs are undoubtedly the most visited and the most popular of all Britain's historic buildings”. Yet in Wales, CADW, the body responsible for protecting old buildings through listing them has constantly let down the Welsh nation with their refusal to protect historic pubs.

One notable example of this was in the demolition of the Green Meadow at Waterloo, Near Machen, Caerphilly. Despite overwhelming evidence, found by research by historians, that this was the undisputed birthplace of Chartist and cremation pioneer Dr William Price, the pub was demolished in 1998 to make way for housing.

From Brew Wales

Vulcan - Welsh Assembly response

The historic Vulcan pub in Cardiff is threatened with demolition and even the Welsh Assembly is trying to save the pub with a Statement of Opinion (roughly equivalent to a Parliamentary EDM) which I reproduce below. Well done to those AMs who have signed this

OPIN-2008- 0088 - Save the Vulcan!

Raised By:

Jenny Randerson

Subscribers:

Leanne Wood 12/11/2008

Peter Black 12/11/2008

Nick Ramsay 12/11/2008

Dai Lloyd 13/11/2008

Bethan Jenkins 13/11/2008

Nerys Evans 13/11/2008

Gareth Jones 13/11/2008

Rhodri Glyn Thomas 13/11/2008

Chris Franks 13/11/2008

Mohammad Asghar 13/11/2008

Leanne Wood 13/11/2008

Helen Mary Jones 13/11/2008

Mick Bates 18/11/2008

Michael German 18/11/2008

David Melding 18/11/2008

Christine Chapman 20/11/2008

Kirsty Williams 24/11/2008

Andrew RT Davies 26/01/2008

Eleanor Burnham 30/01/2009

Save the Vulcan!

This Assembly:

Opposes the proposed demolition of The Vulcan Hotel in Adamsdown, Cardiff and calls on the developers to re-consider their proposals with a view to saving this historic pub.

Believes that it will be a great loss to Cardiff and Wales if, in 2009, this pub pulls its last pint.

It's not surprising so many AMs have registered their disgust at the demolition of part of Cardiff's past, nor that very few Labour AMs have signed this motion. After all we have a teetotal Prime Minister ruining this country and the Labour Assembly Members hardly want to be seen supporting a pub that their bible-bashing-beer-hating-one-eyed-leader wants to demolish to satisfy his associates in the temperance movement.

Vulcan, Cardiff

An excellent drinking establishment serving Brains Bitter and SA but unfortunately threatend with demolishion to make way for a car park. The Vulcan has been serving excellent beer for over 150 years and attacts a wide clientele. It's attracting a lot of students recently due to the fact that the university building opposite does not have a bar! This 2 bar pub - unique in Cardiff if you don't count chav palaces, offers good beer and is decorated with old photos of Cardiff and its maritime past. Settles around the wall provide seating and a trip to the gents to see the Original brown porcelin urinals is a must. Surely a case must be made for listing this tilled pub with its Brains brewery windows and Guiness is good for you hoarding on the side. The Vulcan has previously been Cardiff CAMRA branch pub of the year and has appeared in the Good Beer Guide and the Rough Pub Guide. Loosing the Vulcan would be a loss not just to Cardiff but to the country as a whole. It's a proper pub for real people, not a concept, theme or chav-palace superpub. Save the Vulcan

Axe the Beer Tax

The British Beer & Pub Association together with CAMRA have got together to Save the Pub and oppose plans to increase beer duty.
As you know, the British beer and pub industry is under severe and sustained pressure. Sales of beer in pubs are now at their lowest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and 36 pubs are closing every week. More than 44,000 jobs were lost from the industry between 2000 and 2005 – and further redundancies are inevitable.

The situation is being made worse by the impact of the wider economic slowdown, and the Chancellor's announcement of yet another increase in duty this week - on top of plans to increase the tax on beer above inflation next year and for the next three years.

With tax already taking up a third of the price of a pint of beer, further hikes can only accelerate the decline of the pub and hit the pockets of ordinary hard working people.

We think its time to stand up for a Great British tradition and save the pub.

The “Axe The Beer Tax” campaign aims to give a voice to ordinary British pub-goers and consumers, and send a strong message to Whitehall and Westminster that we've had enough.

Please join our campaign. Go to www.axethebeertax.com and sign up as a supporter.

The campaign is being promoted by both industry and consumers - the British Beer and Pub Association represents the pub and brewing industry and CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, champions consumer rights.

There's also a You Tube site for Axe the Beer Tax

Write to your MP from the Save the Pub website - hope you have better luck than I did - I had an out-of-office reply from her, no doubt Jessie is still off on maternity leave and all her staff have bunked off!