In the previous edition we reported that the Cross Lances in Hounslow was ‘Closed – future uncertain’. This traditional street corner ex Fuller’s local, the last of its kind left in Hounslow, features a wood-panelled interior and an ever-changing range of guest beers. Following at least one temporary closure, it has now been taken over by the people who run the Pasa Restaurant nearby; this specialises in Nepali and Newari cuisine. Their stated aim is to run it as a hybrid ‘Pasa Pub’, with the restaurant at the front and the back bar remaining as a traditional pub with a range of beers, apparently including real ale. They add that the jukebox, darts and pool will be retained and the popular live music and open-mic nights will resume. As the print edition went to press it was still closed for refurbishment; however it has subsequently reopened! With thanks to Graham Larkbey for the update.
Local news website, the Greenwich Wire, has reported that the Duke of Greenwich in east Greenwich is closing. The pub was previously called the Duke of Edinburgh and later the Vanbrugh Tavern. It is reported that the operators, Hucknall Pubs Ltd, have not been able to agree terms with the freeholders. The pub was sold by Punch Taverns in 2013 to property developers Hamna Wakaf. Regular readers may recognise that name. It closed in March 2022 when the long standing licensee retired and was reopened by Hucknall Pubs in July 2023. The company also operate the Jolly Gardeners in Kennington. There had been a dispute in 2020 over a planning application to build on land behind the pub, which the freeholder won, but the permission was never used. Presumably, now that the pub is empty, something more ambitious may be on the cards. The Isle of Man based Hamna Wakaf, incidentally, has links to the property developer Asif Aziz. The on-line news site, The Londoner, published a very informative article on his activities on 16 August. Readers may find it worth a look.
Promising news about the Lion in Teddington. The pub, which dates from 1876 and was owned and operated by Stonegate Pub Partners, closed in December 2022. It has remained closed ever since while being marketed. Happily, it has now been sold. Originally it was reported that it had been purchased by a community group. In fact, it has been purchased by individual members of the community. Three local residents have put up most of the purchase price, with smaller investments from a dozen or so other neighbours. The pub is in need of refurbishment but the new owners hope to have it open in time for Christmas. The owners will be appointing professional managers to operate the pub and it will be free of tie, looking to support local suppliers. They also intend to offer traditional pub food for families. The pub has a large lounge/restaurant area. One of the investors said, ”We merry bunch of locals want this local to be more than a community pub, a community hub and less of a boozer!”
Developments also with the Mawbey Arms in South Lambeth. The pub, described as a ‘sole 19th century survivor’ located in the middle of a 1970s housing estate, closed some eight years ago. At one point there were plans to convert it into a school but nothing became of that. It has stood empty since. Plans have now been submitted to build a 28-bedroom hotel on the site, retaining the frontage of the existing building. It is intended that the pub will reopen and ‘would remain open to the public and would not be solely for hotel guests’. Conditional approval has been given to the plan but there remains a lot of detail to be sorted out.
When you acquire a number of pubs in one go, there is always the likelihood that some of them will not fit your plans. A case in point is the Queen of the South in Tulse Hill which Young’s acquired from the City Pub Company in 2023. After a period of uncertainty, Young’s have accepted an offer from the pub’s licensee, Clement Ogbonnaya, to buy the freehold. Mr Ogbonnaya’s Village People pub group has run the pub since May 2023 and also operates the Prince of Peckham. There had been fears that Young’s would find another buyer but they said, “At Young’s, ensuring pubs remain vibrant parts of their local communities is an important part of our ethos. Following our acquisition of City Pub Group in 2024, it was always our intention that this pub remain independent to best serve its community and we are glad to have moved closer to securing a solution that will allow it to do so.”
Mr Ogbonnaya named the pub in honour of his mother, wife and daughters. The title comes from the Bible (Matthew 12.42) and is believed to be a reference to the Queen of Sheba. It is also a perennial pub quiz question about the only football team mentioned in the Bible. Dumfries is home to the team in question, the Queen of the South being the town’s nickname, as coined by a local poet.
◊ Another Stonegate pub, the Railway Bell in Hampton is at risk. Known locally as the Dip (after the adjacent railway bridge), the pub, which dates from the 19th century, has been empty since the last publican passed away in April last year. Stonegate have put the pub on the market for £1 million. Residents have formed a group, called ‘Save the Dip’ with a view to creating a community benefit society to buy the pub. It is quite a challenge but they have begun with the solid step of having Richmond upon Thames Council list the pub as an Asset of Community Value. We wish them well.
Back in 2017, following its sale by Greene King, some regulars of the Salt House in St John’s Wood tried hard to save their local from being redeveloped. They were partly successful in that it wasn’t demolished but instead it became a shisha bar, followed by a sushi restaurant. This closed in 2023 when its premises licence was revoked following a number of incidents, including a drive-by shooting and a fire bombing. It was put on the market and acquired by Aldrich Inns who we mentioned in our previous edition. Although both the police and the St John’s Wood Society initially – and understandably – had their doubts, Westminster City Council have granted a new premises licence. The pub will revert to being called the Salt House and the new operators are promising a traditional public house with a ‘significant food offering’. The new operators have been diligent in consulting the local community in advance of the application and one member of the Licensing Sub-Committee commented, “I think it’s very constructive your engagement with local residents and your willingness to listen and I think that’s the foundation of a very healthy relationship in the area.” This remarkable redemption shows that it is always possible for a pub to come back from the dead, however bad the situation appears to be.
It is understood that the private individual freeholder of Ye Olde Swiss Cottage in Finchley Road has given notice that the site is up for sale. We have no other details at present but the pub is listed as an Asset of Community Value so the community have the first chance to submit a bid.
The Star of Greenwich in East Greenwich is under threat. Formerly the Star & Garter which closed in 2021 following a violent incident, it reopened as a community venture in June 2023. Unfortunately, it closed again in November last year following a dispute with the landlord over a rent debt. The landlord is the Greenwich Hospital charity, which is a major landowner in and around Greenwich, including the Old Royal Naval College. The building is listed as an ACV but Greenwich Hospital have given notice of their intention to sell and conversion to housing seems likely.
The Tavern on the Hill in Higham Hill, formerly operated by the Wild Card brewery, has been taken over by the East London Brewing Co and has reopened.
Sadly but predictably, the owners of the Trafalgar in South Wimbledon have appealed against Merton Council’s refusal of their planning application to demolish the current building and replace it with a block of flats with a token bar unit. To judge from the appeal document, they appear to be genuinely surprised that the local community don’t want their nice shiny new facility but prefer to keep what they have. They don’t mention that they could also be worried that they might not be able to cash in on the new flats.