My favourite bar...
..has been taken over, refurbished and handed to the chavs on a big silver plate.

There are now a lot of lost alternative types wandering around my town with nowhere to go.

Makes me cry a little every time I walk past it.

They have every bar in town, we only had one, why did they have to take it? Why?!

*uncontrollable sobbing*
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:02, 39 replies)

bummer
It's always been my dream to open a nice alternative friendly bar somewhere.
All i need is to win the lottery to fund it and I'm away! Where do you live in case I happen to get all six numbers on Saturday?
(Lucy Van Pelt embracing ginlovers, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:07, closed)

I was going to suggest
coming to Cambridge but there's been a worrying trend of decent pubs being replaced with trendy wine bars over recent years.

We've still got a few though, the chavs have one massive Wetherspoons but that's about it.

@Lucy van Pelt - that's exactly what my girlfriend says
( djtrialprice, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:07, closed)

Near to Cambridge
I'm in St Neots and we've lost our beloved 'Golden Ball' to 'The Cornerhouse'

*quiet sobbing*

Yes it happened years ago now, but the pain is still fresh...

And now we're getting a bloody Wetherspoons - at least that's cheaper beer...
( snee held his breath since, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:12, closed)

Me too
When I'm all growed up I want to own a coffeshop/bookstore/bringabooktakeabook thingy job (like Black Books only with more customers and slightly less wine) by day and bar for alternative types at night and there will be a strict no-chavs rule at all times. And people will all say "Have you been to Kitty's? It's the best, the owner is soo cool".

....sigh.

Oh yeah, and I live in Blackburn.

Stop laughing.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:13, closed)

Something similar happened here.
All the "alternative" types ended up frequenting the same nightclubs as the chavs.

It's an odd sight.
( Thinker, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:17, closed)

@Kitty
He only ever has one bottle that fella and they always split it between the three of them. I know children who couldnt get smashed on that little wine - I think he's faking.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:18, closed)

Well
Our one isn't great, full of chavs on certain night, but go in at the right time and you'll hear Behemoth followed by something like System Of A Down, followed by The Kinks (that was a weird night)

I'm sorry for your loss!
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:19, closed)

Gasp!
All my illusions of the great winesmokingcigarettedrinking heathen god are shattered!! SHATTERED!!

Probably a good thing, I don't fancy eating coasters either.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:19, closed)

@snee
What a small world, I just did the site investigation for that new wetherspoons.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:21, closed)

Simple enough to resolve.
Cozy up to the landlord and ask him if he likes having chavs in there. If he says he'd rather not have them, get him to play nothing but alternative music. When the chavs don't get their shit R&B they'll piss off elsewhere.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:24, closed)

@Al
What type of site investigations do you do?

Do you do ground investigations like me?!
(Errorist, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:26, closed)

@ al
The old post office.

Bloody town's going to the dogs - all the shops are closing, turning the High Street into a row of charity shops, building societies and card shops.

We used to be in the Guinness Book of Records for the most pubs per square mile (or summat like that...)

At least I can get pissed on £2 a pint beer :)
( snee held his breath since, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:28, closed)

@kitty
Hand him an Oxbow CD.
That'll clear the chavs. And everyone else.
Pub to yourself.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:28, closed)

djtrialprice
Did you ever used to go to The Boat Race before they turned it into a fuckin' wine bar?
( Cawl, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:29, closed)

@Errorist
well I'm an environmental consultant, so I normally do contamination ground investigations, but the company also does geotechnical investigations which I often end up doing the Site work for.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:30, closed)

We tried that Loon
The owner even joined our facebook group of "We want the old bar back!" and asked us what we wanted. We all explained that we were sick of the drum and bass and that we get told we don't belong there by people who've never been there before. He said he tries to cater for everyone and that the music sets were diverse, but he had to play what was popular on a Saturday night and what gets the punters in, which is apparently tranceydanceyhousey rubbish. He's also created an upstairs "VIP Lounge" where our snooker table used to be. How many indy/goth/metal types want to be VIPs?!
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:30, closed)

@Al
I'm an environmental consultant too. Just trying to get my head round some fucking boring RBCA modelling this afternoon. B3TA is proving to be too much of a distraction though.
(Errorist, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:35, closed)

I went on a course
on RBCA v2.0 a few weeks back. It was good, I haven't had a reason to use the model yet though. In fact, I'm not even sure we've bought it.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:37, closed)

It's all about the bottom line, isn't it?
Would you pay more for your pint if they played music you liked or would you just follow the cheapest pint trail?
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:38, closed)

That means
that the landlord isn't serious about driving out the chavs.

Personally I'd be willing to pay a little more to have a chav-free environment. But then, I'm over here and can't help you...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:39, closed)

I so need to go on that course
its doing my head in.
(Errorist, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:42, closed)

@TRL
me too, yeah, but most of your 'alternative' types tend to be young and skint and nursing a pint all night or pissed up when they arrive from knacker drinking. 'Alternative' types 'of a certain age' with a little bit of budget behind them are few and far between.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:49, closed)

True dat
I suppose it's because I don't have the student mentality of going out every night and trying to only spend £2.47, whereas it's the chavs with all their questionably earned money that can afford to go in. I haven't been in since they started charging on the door as I begrudge paying before I've been in to play Count The Chav.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:56, closed)

ask the bouncer?
How many chavs are there? I'm not going in until I know how many chavs there are so if you want my hard-earned, you get your giant monkey arse in there and count the inbred fuckers NOW!

You're guaranteed to succeed with a peremptory attitude like that :)
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 15:59, closed)

@baz
I would love to try that one day.

one day when I'm really fucking hard and scary
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:04, closed)

@al
or if you're a girl - girls get away with murder, especially where bouncers are concerned.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:05, closed)

Giggles at Baz
I would love to try that. Can bouncers count? They always remind me of the big stupid mobster out of Bugs Bunny cartoons, Mugsy was it?
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:07, closed)

@kitty
well they can measure out grams of cocaine pretty well so presumably basic mathematics has become mandatory in 'bouncer skool'.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:10, closed)

Crouch End
We've got plenty of old gin palaces and bohemian bars - not a chav in sight. Mind you, they are full of actors and wannabees.
(Deskbound You insignificant speck of dust, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:16, closed)

Gin Palaces
For some reason I'm picturing fountains of gin and people all dancing in unison with G&Ts and stuff.

I need some sleep.

Where's Crouch End? Geography is not my forte, my dad gets mad when I refer to map directions as 'up' and 'down'.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:19, closed)

Crouch End
is in North London, to the north of Islington and to the south of Muswell Hill. Has an excellent comedy night on satudays at a pub whose name I have forgotten.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:22, closed)

a quick google reveals
www.downstairsatthekingshead.com/
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:25, closed)

spot on Baz
that's what I was thinking of.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:27, closed)

Crotch End
You could cast a whole series of Holby City just by asking in the Kings Head. The Harringey Arms is the place to be though.
(Pickettywitchfinder General, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:33, closed)

It's pronounced 'Croosh Awned' daaarling
The Queens is the worst, regular spotting of Eastenders and My Family cast members.

I actually prefer the Old Dairy or perhaps the Three Compasses.

Sorry, enough London talk...
(Deskbound You insignificant speck of dust, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 16:40, closed)

I'm disappointed
That people continue to group themselves as such. Can't you see we're all individuals. I'm proud to say I've never been any "type". You can see how racism starts with that sort of attitude.
(Cuthbert Annihilator, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 18:59, closed)

I was thinking..."I wonder if she lives in Blackburn?"
You do!

The Cellar was playing Craig David last time I was in. A little part of me died...

I want the old wooden seats, the lack of lighting, the toilets with inches of 'something' on the floor, and the pool table back!

Ed. - The occasional barbecue things in the courtyard can stay though.
( Mr.Ons knows you can hear him, Earthmen., Wed 2 Jul 2008, 22:16, closed)

Alternative types?
Totally fucking Mexico, yeah?


Christ.
( Spunk Murphy Tchaikovsky is a synonym for fanny, apparently, Wed 2 Jul 2008, 23:07, closed)

Kaol
I shed a tear for the loss of the Boat race, it was a happy home from home for a few years (pre venue years as well) and now it's a wine bar! I used to frequent the Cambridge Arms whilst underage (along with everyone else who was under 18)and that is now a wine bar too. The only pub in Cambridge that refuses to change seems to be the Run, I walked in there after a a few years away and even found the same people in there!
(cmouse is pondering about life in other jobs, Thu 3 Jul 2008, 9:08, closed)