The tragic story of a local pub that appears to be in its death throes continues today. It marks the final day of tenure for current landlords Paul and Debbie who have tried to make a go of the business for the past 18 months - quite long by recent standards. The skip to the left of the photo is evidence of their imminent departure.For they are the tenth set of landlords to have taken on the business this century and the tenth lot to leave. Yet prior to that John and Dot Kirk ran the local hostelry very profitably for nigh on 20 years. So what's gone wrong?
Well as we all know there is a national trend of pub closures due to the fact that more and more people drink at home to avoid the £3 pint, which is fairly common these days, though not quite that at the Spinners. Also with many more people subscribed to Sky, going to a pub to watch sporting events has become less of a necessity. There are also those who argue that the recent smoking ban has taken a heavy toll as well.
So why is it that some pubs continue to thrive whilst others go to the dogs and seem unable to compete? Well, never having run a pub (although my parents have) I'm not in a position to speak from experience but as a customer and casual observer of the pub in question I do have my own opinion which I will share with you, for what it's worth.
It seems to me that John and Dot had a simple recipe for success which the eleventh landlord would be well advised to emulate (- yes the brewery have found someone new and the pub will re-open shortly after tonights finale).
Quite simply the Spinners is in the heart of a heavily populated residential community. As such it has a potentially large customer base on its doorstep. John and Dot tapped into this by providing well kept and well stocked ale, alongside a well run and well ordered kitchen that had a good chef and served fine food. People enjoy that and come back for more.
There was a bit more to it than that of course. Whilst Dot managed the food side of the business John ensured that the tap room was equally busy through involvement with mens and womens darts and dominoes teams that were part of the local league and had a football team to boot.
Subsequent landlords have had grandiose ideas about how they could run it better. Live music, which was expensive and unjustifiable on business grounds and drove more people away than it attracted. Attracting a younger clientale, which drove out the bread and butter regulars that every business needs and an inescapably loud jukebox that drowned out conversation, which in my opinion is what most people go out for.
The Spinners Arms is now a shadow of its former self. On my last visit there some months ago, youths drinking from bottles and with their feet on the seats were bleating out expletives to each other. It was sad, it was also embarrassing and not the place you could take a spouse or girlfriend. There was a menacing air about the place and I certainly didn't feel safe there. Perhaps it's just me or maybe I picked a bad night but I doubt it and never returned.
I don't speak as a business rival or as someone with an axe to grind but as a former customer who would need to see wholescale changes both in the way the place is run and to the clientele before I would spend another penny in there.
I truly hope contestant No. 11 can emulate John and Dot, run a steady ship and keep the place afloat. If not it would be better to put it out of its misery and turn it into a dwelling. Residents on Queen Street have been having a hard time of it with regular visits by the Police to the establishment and they would certainly not miss it were it to go forever.
21 comments:
Well first weekend for new owners of spinners,police present 01:35 fighting outside pub.New owners no consideration for locals,all incidents will be reported to council,police until these new owners have gone.This problem will be nipped in the bud.
Just walked around front of spinners arms ,broken glass all over the front,fag dimps,empty fag packets general rubbish.who wants to eat a sunday lunch here today,what a disgrace. I for one will spread the word not to eat or drink here.These owners are not interested in anyone but themselves, and the sooner they go the better.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE SPINNERS ARMS IS PEOPLE DONT GIVE THE PUB A CHANCE THERE ARE STILL GOOD PEOPLE THAT DRINK IN THE PUB AND WHEN THE SO CALLED DOT AND JOHN HAD THE PUB IT WAS IN THE TIME WHEN PUBS WAS THRIVING. IF MORE RESIDENTS AND LOCAL PEOPLE TOOK A INTREST IN THERE LOCAL PUB THEN THINGS COULD BE BETTER
to relate to the last comment posted we have give the pub all the support in the world and it still wont get any better until the brewery give the place a transformation in my opion the last landlord paul tried his damn hardest to make this pub work he got rid of all the wrong people.
he give things a go and had no support off the regulars who was all for the anchor if people in hadfield showed there support more maybe the place would be a more appealing place to drink in.as for the new owners people should give more support and advise than running them down before they have even started. last comment? at the end of pauls period of running the pub there was no trouble and noise was kept to a minimum to say it was a pub show some support and the time people take to complain should be spent more in supporting the place
With a response to the last comment,your mate Paul ran the spinners with no care for local residents.Loud music was the norm fri sat sun, a local resident(queen st)approached paul about the noise and was told to go away.This couple and there 6 year old child have since left and the house still remains empty.This latest recruit for punch taverns looks like a mini grant mitcell and he attracts loud mouth thugs who sit outside topping drinks up with supermarket vodka.same noise same uncaring owners lets shut this place down and make it into a family home.
SPINNERS IS A GOOD PUB ! KEEP IT GOING !!!!
I am friends withe the current landlady of the spinners arms. She took over just over two months ago and i know she is working hard to get rid of the noise and the idiots who have frequented the pub previously. Rather than people making nasty comments about people before they have had a chance to even approach them it would be better if people would offer there support and help. The new landlady is a lifelong resident of hadfield and knows the pub well as it was her grandads local before she was even born. I know that whilst she is aware that there are some problems still she is working hard to make it a liked place for her customers and the local residents.
re the first comment on this forum do you not think that it takes time to turn a pub around the heavy rock music has gone (thank god) and the pub is trying to get rid of the idiots that always seem to return when a new landlord takes over but the pub needs to attract young people in the current economic climate as they seem to be the only people with money i have met the new landlord and landlady and to give you a bit of background info on them they are a young couple with 2 children the landlord is a respectable business man who runs his own business separate from the pub while his wife runs the day to day stuff in the pub he is a member of the domino's team (hardly grant Mitchell)and the pool team and is also a big supporter of the football team (keeping kids off the streets) you need to give any landlord time to get the place up to scratch and this means that if you dont help them then you only have yourselves to blame when it changes hands again
in response to above comments,you are welcome to stand on queen street at 11 pm on fri sat night and listen to the loud music booming out of the pub. we as LOCAL people ie actually live within 500 metres of pub are subjected to this on a regular basis.Also the big yellow skip outside the pub full of rubbish.take a look around the back of pub its full of black bags and rubbish, this sight is seen everyday by LOCAL people and is not a good way to attract decent people to a pub is it ?i have also seen and heard people leaving the pub at 3am.also they decided to stick A4 bits of paper to all the tree outside the pub advertising a band playing there fri night how professional!!!.so instead of taking your friends side through your blinkers look outsde the pub on fri sat night also listen and think to yourself is this music to loud should this skip full of rubbish be here should these black bags be on view underage people drink in there as well.
police with sniffer dogs thurs 1930 at the spinners.Police on top of spinners roof 0315 1st december.Spinners not open today 1st dec.To all the do gooders re above comments oh come on give them a chance.they were trouble from the start as first stated in first comment on this thread good riddence to them and what about the children who live with them. i will inform social services and see if better care can be found.
2 the prick who keeps writing things about the spinners owners its ure own fault for moving near a pub wot did u expect on a weekend n as for getting the social services involved are you having a laugh those kids are very well looked after if u ask me your just a nosey f***er who as got nothing better 2 do wiv ure weekends other than stick your neck outta your window an moan at people enjoying themselves in the pub!!!!get a life.
The skip is there to get rid of the rubbish so before you start openin your mouth take a look what a skips are for ,it's to get rid of the rubbish so stop complaining aboutt it because they are trying to do something to get rid of it all (as you can see).
We advertise the entertainment as the Earlier landlords didnt advertise a thing .!
So i suggest you move away from the spinners.If you dont
Hi my name is donna pullen i am the landlady of the spinners arms i would just like to point out to everyone that the incident that happened on the 1st december waqs a break in me my husband and my children ere terrorised by five masked armed men for 40 mins if you think that is good then arent you all for the community ypu will be pleased to know we are now leaving the pub mid feb because of all the community help and the trauma we have been through also the police and council come and met with me this week and have thanked me for the huge progress we have made with the place and that its a shame we are leaving so thanks to all your help you will have to put up with more new owners who could be much worse well done give yourselves a pat on the back and as a leaving comment those people who have got a problem with me and how i look after my family why dont you stop hiding in your houses tapping out sad cowardly messages and come and say it to my face you know where i am its the place you sad miserable people sit and obsessively watch
OK a couple of points I would like to make in response to some of the idiots who have previously commented on this thread.I am a family member of the landlady of the spinners.
Firstly I would like to point out that she has done her very best with what is a very difficult pub.(being in the middle of a bunch of snidey misearable neighbours is not the best place to have your pub)Anyway I have a suggestion for you if you like peace and quiet then don't move near a pub,Simple really isn't it.
Secondly the accusation of improper care for the children is unfounded and completely untrue.They are two very happy and bright children.So the keyboard warrior who said that had better stay anonymous for their own sake cheers.
While ever the spinner's arms continues to be badly run and a blight on the local community the (snidey, miserable-wonder why??!) neighbours will continue their campaign for a peaceful existence and vomit-free pavements outside their homes. Selling cheap booze to under age kids is never a successful business model, never mind the moral perspective. Sadly punch taverns haven't the ability to place tenants in there that will make a success of the place but thankfully punch taverns are struggling (again wonder why?) and may not be around for much longer. If the next lot are as bad as their predessors, as long suffering local residents we will continue our campaign of complaint.
suck my ROOT!!
and GET to FUCK
note for all u miserable neighbours......instead of sittin in ur windows wiv ur little notebooks y not try joinin us spinners regs for a drink! basically the problem here is u need to find somethin useful to do wiv ur lives instead of bein sat at ur computers send out cyber grief sayin things that are unfounded and UNTRUE! Especially what you say about the landladys kids. She is a fantastic mum better than any of u curtain twitchin *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway at the end of the day if u want a quiet life y the **** did u buy a house near a pub u complete set of muppets!!!!!!!!!
Oh dear Oh dear!This is a response to whoever posted on the 25th of Jan.I'm REALLY SORRY TO INFORM YOU YHAT PEOPLE LIKE TO LISTEN TO LOUD MUSIC AT WEEKENDS WHEN THEY ARE HAVING FUN.CALL IT SOCIAL DEPRAVATION IF YOU WILL BUT I'M AFRAID TO TELL YOU YHAT ALCOHOL(AND PUBS I MIGHT ADD) ARE HERE TO STAY.UNLUCKY FOR YOU!ALSO JUST PICKING UP ON YOUR POINT ABOUT THE VOMIT ON THE PAVEMENT WELL I WILL HAVE TO ASK YOU HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN SICK????WAS IT AT A PUB????YEAH THOUGHT SO.I DESPISE YOUR HATE CAMPAIGN TO BE HONEST I FIND IT CLOSE MINDED AND QUITE FRANKLY A LITTLE BIT BIGOTTED.JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE GETTING DTUNK DOES THAT MEAN EVERYONE WHO DOES IS WRONG?OR SOMEHOW THE UNDERCLASS?YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU THINK YOU WILL MANAGE TO CLOSE THAT PUB DOWN I FOR ONE KNOW THAT IT IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS AND THEREFORE WILL REMAIN OPEN DESPITE YOUR AWFUL EXCUSES.LIKE I SAID ON MY FIRST POST WHY DID YOU MOVE NEAR A PUB?WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU EXPECT?TEA AND CROQUET?GET REAL MAN!!YOUR ACCUSATIONS ABOUT THE KIDS ARE A DISGRACE TO YOU!SHAME ON YOU!ANYHOW DONNA WILL BE LEAVING SHORTLY,JUST WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHO THEY'VE GOT LINED UP FOR YOU NEXT!!!MUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!(thats an evil laugh if you didn't know)ANYWAY HAPPY CAMPAIGNING SMILER!!!! S
OH AND ONE LAST THING!!SELLING OF ALCOHOL TO UNDERAGE PEOPLE WAS NEVER DONE KNOWINGLY!AGAIN IT SEEMS YOU ARE BEHIND THE TIMES MY FRIEND!FAKE I.D IS QUITE EASY TO DO IF YOU REALLY WANT IT.AND IT CAN ALSO BE BOUGHT AND IS ADVERTISED ONLINE(MAYBE WE SHOULD CLOSE THE INTERNET DOWN TO KEEP YOU HAPPY!)THE TENANTS IN QUESTION CO-OPERATED WITH THE POLICE AT ALL TIMES.MAYBE IT WAS YOU WHO ROBBED THEM YOU DO SEEM TO BE HOLDING A GRUDGE!!IP ADRESS PLEASE LET'S GET HIM IN FOR QUESTIONING.!!!:0) --S--
hey guess what - step outside the spinners arms, turn right and follow the round round. Take a left, at the bottom of the road look up to your right - you'll see a train station. Trains leave twice an hour to a place called Manchester, a Mecca of drinking establishments and nightlife. There's a whole big bright world out there with loads going on.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO RAVE IN A CAVE!!!
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