Local landmark The Royal Oak, Harlesden, has announced its closure. The pub posted a notice today saying:
We are extremely sorry to inform you that we are closing The Royal Oak. Having invested so heavily in this wonderful pub in the centre of Harlesden we have reached a point where we simply cannot continue to sustain the losses we are incurring.Reaction on Twitter was shocked with many expressions of sadness at the news. On Facebook the closure stimulated a discussion about gastro pubs, gentrification and much more. LINK
For several months now it has cost us more to operate the pub than it costs to keep it closed. This is no doubt heart-nreaking. not only for the good people of Harlesden who have supported us, but for us as a company because this really is one of the ost beautiful pubs and we have invsted a lot of time and energy in trying to make it work.
So thanks to those who supported us - sorry we just couldn't make it work for us all...
It is not clear yet whether the pub will be put on the market. It may become a test case for Brent Council's Pub Protection Policy.
This was the pub's website today:
2 comments:
Yesterday I lunched with friends in Leighton Road, Kentish Town and they told me of the fiasco of what has happened regarding use of 'Asset of Community Value' legislation with regard to their local pub in Brecknock Road.
Matters have taken a 'Trojan Horse' twist over the past month or so since the Camden New Journal reported in October 2016 regarding the fate of the Admiral Mann PH: PUB campaigners have been cautiously celebrating after a planning inspector upheld the council’s decision to reject plans to turn a Kentish Town pub into flats.
It seems that although planning permission has since been granted for a pub to be situated on the ground floor, what is really being planned by stealth is for there to be a supermarket dispensing alcoholic beverages!
That does tie in with Camden Council's finance chief's preference for the large supermarket chains over local residents' ideas of what is suitable or unsuitable for their area.
Alan Wheatley
'Come, come, come and make eyes at me
Dahn at the Tesco Express, dan-nah-nah-nah- nah ........'
Just a matter of adaptation really.
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