I'm currently working on a project documenting the decline of the Great British Pub.
Last orders at the bar....
If we all had a pound for every
time we've heard that phrase we'd be rich, some of us would be well on
the way to being millionaires, but at the very least everyone would
have enough money to buy the next round. But are we soon going to be
hearing the end of that timeworn phrase. The british pub industry is
clearly in decline, with many saying the condition is terminal. Is this
really the case, or have these scaremongers had one too many?
The traditional british boozer
had its heyday in the seventies, a time when men were men, and men
did one thing better than all others...drink. Most would think it natural
to be in the pub for their lunch hour, for an after work pint and then
again after tea to finish of the night. Most pubs were a very different
sight than today. Firstly, it was difficult to see through the plumes
of tobacco smoke, and if you could see the bar through all the smoke,
there was quite possibly a large jar of pickled eggs standing on it
looking like it hadn't been touched for years. Pint pots had handles
of course and any man drinking anything other than pints of bitter,
mild or lager would have been laughed off the premises.
So what has changed then? Something
definitely has, the figure of 57 pubs a week closing is as unarguable
as it is depressing. It is too easy to simply blame this decline on the
recent credit crunch and ignore the other factors at work, the change
in society for a start. The pub used to be the bastion of the working
man, a place to get away from the wife and put the world to right with
mates over a few pints, even drown your sorrows if necessary. It no
longer seems to have that draw. People socialise differently these days.
The internet and social networking sites keep people in touch and up
to date with their friends daily news and gossip in a way that used
to be served by socialising in the pub night after night. People's drinking
habits have changed also. Cheap supermarket alcohol keeps many people
drinking at home, that's if they're drinking at all. The negative health
effects are so drummed into us all these days that even the hardened
drinkers amongst us will have cut back a little. The government hasn't
helped either. The smoking ban, drink driving laws and the increase
of alcohol tax have all been nails in the coffin of the licensing industry.
So are things really that bad?
Is the glass half empty or half full? Not all licensed premises are
faring so badly. Pubs that have diversified into offering food are able
to buck the trend, being able to act more like restaurants with the
added social aspect a pub brings. City centre bars seem to be prospering
too, as are the ubiquitous chain pubs for obvious economic reasons.
Theme and chain pubs numbers are actually increasing, adding to the
homogenous look of the british high street. It is clear then that the
british pub industry is in a transitional stage, shedding many of the
traditional boozers. Many are remnants of a by-gone age, consigned to
the history books like this. Never to return, they're made into houses,
flats, offices or simply knocked down completely. Up to one third of
pubs that close permanently are demolished, while the rest are converted
for other uses. Are we losing our heritage and communities? Pubs have
been around in britain since roman times, and much of the pub architecture
that is demolished is from the 19th and early 20th century.
These photos highlight the
fall of the once mighty pub industry. Hidden amongst the demolition
and dereliction are some architectural gems albeit ravaged by the twenty
first century. Remember, just because something is broken doesn't mean
it isn't beautiful. These photos are not an obituary for the british
public house but a petition against their decline written with an homage
to their lost charm. Who knows, squint slightly while looking at this
book and you may just see these gems in their former glory.
The pub is a symbol of britain,
giving us pride, a sense of community and best of all a place to enjoy
a pint in great surroundings with great people. So lets hope they don't
all go.
Now less talk....it's your round.
Exhibitions:
16th January to 30th January 2010
The Surface Gallery Nottingham.
www.surfacegallery.org
20th March to April 10th 2010
Bend in the River, Gainsborough.
www.bendintheriver.co.uk
May 1st to May 16th 2010
The Royal Oak, Snitterby, Lincolnshire, DN21 4TP
9th July to 16th July 2010
Red Gate Gallery London.
www.redgategallerylondon.co.uk
Book: TBC
If you know of any pubs in your area that are closed and you think would be useful for this project please email at chrisetchells@fsmail.net
If you want to be kept up to date with the project and informed of future exhibitions and a book release then email me at chrisetchells@fsmail.net and include in your subject headline 'Decline of the Great British Pub mailing list'.