Crystal Palace Tavern

[Brendan]

Pah. Call yourself a barman?

Sacked. Sacked. Sacked!

[Xanadustar]

Erm, I really don't mind the wine in the CPT. Sure they haven't got a wine list but I'm quite happy to quaff away at whatever they give me. Maybe my palate is particularly uncultured!

[Keef]

Mrs Keef says the red is okay, but the white is horrid.

Anyway, when in the pub, one should drink beer, followed by shorts, followed by shots... It's the three drink game, and wine is not involved :)-D

[Jah Lush]

That's right Keef, if you wanna drink wine, go to a bloody wine bar, this a pub for f**k's sake.

[SeanMacGabhann]

honsetly, you two are so "trad" I'm surprised you let women in the bar ;-)

[Keef]

Well if women couldn't come in, who would drink crap the wine??? ;-)

[mockney piers]

Is that like the tree in the forest question? Philosophical mood today huh keef?

The CPT did try to go a bit wineponcey* in the past, what went wrong?

*wineponce is a noun meaning one who detects nord bones in his wine, I cast no aspersions as to class, race or other factor of the pub and/or it's owners, staff and clientele.

[Keef]

*Basically no one was drinking it... Particularly after Fear n' Boozin's former housemates moved away! :)-D

[Brendan]

If wine exists in a pub and there is noone there to drink it does it really exist?

Anyway it is my firm conviction that given the right motivation you can teach girls how to drink beer.

[Fear 'n boozin]

Hmmm. The wine consumption seems to be heading northwards again at Fear villas. Bought a bottle the other night.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Nord bones Mockney? Nordic bones perhaps, those of Danish piggies or Finnish reindeer?

[Incitatus]

So the CPT is being turned into an eatery with the two bars knocked through to create one big dinning area, is this true?

[mockney piers]

Really? Who have you been talking to?

I have heard that the owner is pondering a sale, and someone knew of interested parties, who may or may not have plans thus, but I've not heard of anything agreed upon.

Do tell please.

[Keef]

As Piers says, there was an interested party who was looking at putting a kitchen in. However, I very much doubt that it would be knocked through, as it's actually listed (the bar, or the glass bit between the bars, not quite sure), so don't think they could just smash their way through.

I hope that doesn't happen, a bit of food would be okay, but I love the place because it's still a pub, and I hope any changes made don't make it lose that.

[Incitatus]

A friend was asked by the new/prospective owner about doing some work on the place and the knock through plans were mentioned.

[Brendan]

:(

[mockney piers]

If I'm not mistaken that's the original back bar in the centre?

It would be a pity to lose it, and I'd definitely mourn the CPT's passing. But if it's not making money I guess something has to be done; I'd rather it was still a watering hole than end up anodyne flats like those that have sprung up (verra verra slooowly) over the road.

[Incitatus]

I do hope the 'watering' continues cause the word 'Bistro' was also mentioned but I took that as a misheard 'Gastro'.

Whenever I hear the former I can't help thinking of Robin's Nest which I consider a much underrated theme tune, but that?s another thread.

[Keef]

It makes some money... my whole wage for example... :-S

[Brendan]

One of the reasons why I like the CPT is its design. Pubs used to be designed, back in my day (Which may have been last week Saturday or perhaps September the 23rd 2001), to bring people together. The concept was a room centred around a communal bar where people can sit. It promotes a certain interaction between the punters.

Most newly refurbished pubs seem to be a series of separate little areas where groups of friends can sit without having to do anything as nasty as interact with ?other people?. It is symptomatic of our increasingly isolated and suspicious society, the type of society where people don?t know their neighbours.

Take the Plough for instance. It is a nice place and very comfortable but you wouldn?t end up having a conversation with a stranger in there would you? It is not exactly a ?local?.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I do know where you are coming from Brendan - but in truth I have had several random discussions in The Plough (with strangers) so I don't think we are as far away from the original pub idea as all that

[Brendan]

Before this goes off on one. I am not trying to suggest that a pub changing ownership is another of the dark portents and omens of the end of our times. An end brought about by corporate greed and the exploitation of the working classes and leading to a state of Orwellain oppression followed by cataclysmic war and destruction.

Well maybe I am. A bit, but not really.

Why don?t we all chip in and buy the place? A quick audit of the inventory of my pockets reveals ?14 and 23p a mobile phone I?m sure I could get a tenner for and a credit card of questionable usefulness.

[Brendan]

I think it?s the being able to sit at the bar thing that I?m on about Sean. I like sitting at the bar especial late at night when everyone well oiled. Many redesigned pubs don?t? have anywhere where you can do so comfortably.

The Canning does and the CPT.

[david_carnell]

I think there is precendent for locals owning their own pub but can't remember where I read about it. I'll have a butcher's and see if I can find out. That would be awesome. We all put in money and receive a small share of the profits with a say in how the place is run - which beers, wines, snacks etc or whether to invest in a new pair of curtains!

I'm in. Does ?5 get me a share?

[Asset]

OMG - can you imagine the arguments.