Owner of The Bishop opens new pub in Herne Hill

[MadWorld74]

Hello All,

I was in the above drinking establishment yesterday (hence the sore head today!) and was told that the owner of The Bishop has bought up the Irish pub opposite Brockwell Lido, and is doing it up and it will soon be open.

The new bar will be called The Florence.

Good news?

[Rolo Tomasi]

Heard about this a while ago. I think it is good news. Will give the locals more choice after the Commercial (opposite the train staion) and the Prince Regent (directly opposite the Lido) The formula he has created in his other pubs, The Bishop & The Cock & Hen, works very well.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I remember being excited when the Bishop opened as I used to love going to the Castle in Camberwell and knew that the Bishop was opened by same guy.. I've never made it to the one in Balham but am occasionally out in Herne Hill so will definitely check it out. That the Bishop has started to attract (on occassion) a different type of crowd can be seen as a good thing or bad thing. Not my preference I have to say - but there you go

The Irish bar in question won't be missed by me either (and Im Irish)

As for wether it's a good thing for him I don't know - poor fella must be worked into the ground.

[mockney piers]

I'll actually rather miss Ganley's. It was a good place to go and watch the hurling, was very friendly and reasonably priced. food was pretty good quality and cheap too. Where will I get red lemonade now?!

Mind you, people standing for national anthems always freaks me out no matter where I am.

I guess it's back to the dingy Castle for irish sport again. Or the really really really scary St Germain over Forest Hill way.

[spadetownboy]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'll actually rather miss Ganley's. It was a good

> place to go and watch the hurling, was very

> friendly and reasonably priced. food was pretty

> good quality and cheap too. Where will I get red

> lemonade now?!

> Mind you, people standing for national anthems

> always freaks me out no matter where I am.

>

> I guess it's back to the dingy Castle for irish

> sport again. Or the really really really scary St

> Germain over Forest Hill way.

you can get it in the irish shop and its brown lemonade by the way. forget get that but get on the club orange and club rock shandy you,ll never drink fanta again.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I liked the IDEA of Ganley's (and loved the ads in the local mags) but every time I went it was lacking... something. A bit MOR or something... and me having got a cab all the way over there too!

[James]

The Bishop seems to be full of braying loudmouth rah-rah types relocated from Surrey. Not my cup of tea. I much prefer places like the Clock House, far less try-hard.

[mockney piers]

Really? Looked pretty red to me. And that's what Wexford types call it. Maybe it's a county thing (I'm a Spaniard before you ask).

I know exactly what you mean Sean, but given the choice of where to watch the pink and yellows lose, castle or Ganley's....well, I liked having the choice.

I reckon the bishop people can probably have a good bash (fnaar fnaar) at a pub in Herne Hill. I can't see that it'll be the same crowd going just because the owners are the same. The Castle in Camberwell could be a bit poncey, but it was a different crowd to the Bishop crowd.

[MadWorld74]

When I was chatting about The Florence opening soon, I also asked the guy in The Bishop why they had to have two bouncer/doormen on a Friday night. I never usually go to the Bishop apart from a Sunday afternoon (for fear of the braying types) and was a bit shocked to see these two mean faced chaps dressed all in black on 'the door'. Apparantly the Bishop can get quite rough of a Friday night. Is this true? We were thinking of taking visiting friends there on a Friday, but now not so sure....

[SeanMacGabhann]

Sign of my age perhaps but I would never go near the place on Fri / Sat night. It is HEAVING with people

The bouncers have been there for years at the weekend - I knew something was up when I tried to go in one Friday evening a while back and despite me being in there most weeks if not days since it opened they had no clue who I was and didn't like the look of me (fair enough I hear you say) and wouldn't let me in - one of the barmen passed my and greeted me so they reluctantly let me pass... but the die was cast

Liqourish also has bouncers at the weekend but are sweeties really and the vibe remains different to the Bishop

[Keef]

Why The Florence, that's not in keeping with the Chess theme, surely The Knight!?!?!?

Piers, St Germaine?s closed a while back, and my sister was telling me it's been bought, and done up nicely recently... Not sure if it's opening, or already open. I suspect it will no longer be an Irish pub, in fact, I think she might have said it was the same people that ruined the Dartmouth Arms in Forest Hill, and The Dolphin in Sydenham, in which case, it'll be another soulless place like a Starbucks that sells booze... (That's Mrs Keef's analogy, but I liked it).

[mockney piers]

Boozebucks then :(

I'm pretty certain the bouncers are a licensing stipulation for every post 11 opening pub on LL. Even the Black Cherry has one.

Yep, There's no way I'd go to the bishop on fri/sat nights anymore. I've not seen out and out violence in there, but I have seen some attitude from time to time, and it's been unpleasant in the past. Comes with the territoy, people coming in from out of town to go there now.

[Keef]

With regards The Bishop, it was The Foresters once, and certain people still use it... This is why the bouncers are needed ;-) I don't like the place myself, the beer is always flat when I go there (td)

[SeanMacGabhann]

I remember the Foresters Keef and while I see a couple of those regs there from time to time I don't think it's they who are the reason for the bouncers on the weekends - think Piers is bang on with the pub now being a destination for people from far and wide at the weekend now

[Keef]

I'm sure you're right, I was just having a bit of a cheeky joke ;-)

My sister and I used to go to The Foresters and play pool back when we were (late) teenagers, and it was always quite nice then, but in it's last few years it was bloody awful!

[ivemet-jimmy]

I think the Bishop has gone from one extreem to the other! All i know is I dont fit in there. Am I not trendy enough I dont know. I didnt feel that comfortable then and I dont feel that comfortable in there now.

[ratty]

The St Germain has indeed closed and reopened as something that looks quite trendy called the Honor Oak (I think). I work right by here quite a lot!

Ivemet-Jimmy - I quite agree, the Bishop is a hell hole if you ask me. I certainly do not fit in as I have an inability to talk loudly about myself for 4 hours on the trot!

Thank god for the Gowlett!

[SeanMacGabhann]

+1 for the Gowlett

Also, since the expansion, the bar bit of Green & Blue has been a lovely spot to have social intercourse

And I like a pie

[Keef]

cpt cpt cpt cpt cpt cpt cpt ;-)

[ivemet-jimmy]

Didnt the Gowlett win pub of the year a couple of years ago?

[ratty]

I think it was SE London CAMRA Pub of the Year.

[mockney piers]

What? It beat the Market Porter ?!?!

This simply cannot be, I like the gowlett, but *coughs* *splutters* for ale? Surely you need more than a bit of Landlord on the pumps (lovely drop though it be)

[Keef]

To be fair, ther Market Porter can't win it every year...

The Clockhouse used to regularly win best pub prizes... Not too sure the CPT has had one in the last 20-30 years, but I like it anyway ;-)

[SeanMacGabhann]

Keef - you should go the the Crystal Palace Tavern on Crystal Palace Road - sounds like your type of place

;-)

I love the CPT as well but don't go as often as I'd like because I usually like a bit of scran with my pint'n'paper

[Keef]

Er, what's scran?... Food? I thought that was scram... :-S