"The Vale"

[krosfyah]

Ok, this is pure speculation, so anyone thinking about sueing for libel, please direct your attention to my highly paid, sharp dressing and imaginary lawyer.

Is the Vale some sort of underworld, money laundering venture? The reason i ask is because i have only been in a handful of times, but pass it frequently and it always seems the same...it exudes a 1980's Costa Del Sol neon nightclub enticement, is never more than at 4% capacity, is staffed with plenty of people, is huge and has obviously had loads of dough thrown at it, has large security men on the door, and is generally a complete mystery both in terms of how it manages to survive, and who ventures in there on a regular basis.

My only conclusion is that is a front for some huge underworld connected crime family or local weed house/coke factory boss, who uses it to clean his drug/other nefarious activities money.

What do you guys think? It's a complete mystery how that place not only manages to survive, but also seemingly goes under large scale renovation and attracts even less people than it did before the work was done to spruce it up.

PS for that guy wanting to know why ED doesn't have a gay night spot - try the Vale, it was full of men by about 12.30pm, which was about 30mins after we got there. All the girls seem to treat the place like they were stuck in a revolving door.

[mockney piers]

I think the owner would be flattered by your theories frankly, but it's actually just a front for his ego.

Go on, sue me!

[krosfyah]

Well if the owner doesn't have other business interests/a huge wad of cash sat burning a hole in some offshore account, it really does make the fires of curiousity burn even deeper. That place can't be clearing more than several hundred pounds on a night, which is way more than the cost of keeping it open would be.

It boggles the mind.

[mockney piers]

I think it did pretty well when it was the only late opening place nearby, prior to licensing changes.

It seems to pull in a few punters for sunday lunch.

It would be such a pity if it went under. :))

[Keef]

As Mockney said, when it first opened as The Vale, it was a bit of a novelty to have somewhere open til 2, with a dancefloor, so it was very busy every Friday and Saturday night. However, it soon got boring, and the owner did absolutely nothing to make it a friendly attractive place to go. He just wants to be seen standing there on the door doing his best Kray impression.

Shame, because we had some good laughs in there, and could do with a good place to go.

As for how it's still surviving, I guess we spent so much money in there when it opened, they're still living off that.

[Bradlington]

That and they charge(for legal reasons I have to add a 'd' to that) for you to go in and watch the football! Cheeky. It's the only time I've been in there... Wouldn't have bothered but the game was literally just starting.

Is there actually anywhere in ED to go and have good Geekout on the dancefloor..?! Would love to know, if anybody has any ideas. You can dance in the The Liqourish, but you have to play it a bit too cool for my liking. Dancing and Geek Dancing are very different things.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Echo Keef's comments about still needing a late venue, but the old maxim still applies - NTV (Never The Vale)

Of course we all know that pub nearest a railway station anywhere is guaranteed most of the time to be dodgy. Every 6 months or so I pop in if I know I won't have to stay there and just see if anything has changed - out of morbid curiousity you understand

And as for what ex-staff say! Well that would be libellous. But if you had a look at the reviews on beerintheevening.com you might get a flavour

[spadetownboy]

i used to be a regular in the hamlet as the vale was known in one of it previous guises, and it was owned by two irish boys frank and eugene, they also had a few other ventures one being the sportsman in crystal palace. being an irish owned business it was obviously popular with the local irish population a lot of whom were builders labourers etc and if truth be told it was a bit of a rough joint but the craic was good and you were more or less guaranteed a lock in most nights,hence the attraction for me. the two owners were to be fair very affable and friendly characters and certainly sorted me out several times with a sub when i was short towards the end of the month, they obviously were,nt short of a few bob and it showed with the yearly change of jag and jewellery etc. anyway to cut a long story short late 90s approx 98,99 i went for a pint one night to find the place closed after a few enquiries it was discovered frank had hightailed it back to ireland double quick time,eugene wasnt so quick and got scuffed by the old bill.nothing else was known until a few weeks later on the front of the news of the world* was a picture of the hamlet underneath the title multimillion pound scam. turned out that what had been happening was that all the irish builders who were drinking in the 2 pubs got paid thur/fri evening by cheque and cashed them at the pubs with a percentage of commision being added/deducted by the pub owners for the privilage of cashing the cheques. between the several venues and over a period of approx 10 yrs this amounted to millions if i remember correctly it was estimated they skimmed approx 14 million. anyway as far as i know frank was never caught and eugene got 7 years for his troubles.

*thats the one and only time i ever bought the news of the world.

[mikese22]

i heard that it was the pub where the great train robbers celebrated after the event - anyone else heard that?

[Jah Lush]

Not all of them but apparently Ronnie Biggs celebrated in there afterwards. It was called The Cherry Tree in those days.

[chunky]

what is your problem with the vale

[lozzyloz]

Never drunk in this pub and an incident that occured with Mrs Lozzyloz a couple of years ago has ensured that I never will whilst the current management remains. She was 8mths pregnant and bursting for a piss. Politely asked if she could use the loo and was refused! I've owned a bar before and I know that it can be a pain when people stroll in to use the place as a public lav, but a heavily pregnant woman? If that's their attitude then it's not my kind of place.

[pablogrande]

I went into the Vale on Wednesday as they seemed to be the only place in ED showing the Liverpool game (shame on you Magdela no wonder you were so quiet) (doublke shame on you Liverpool for playing so badly).

The staff were very friendly, sofas were very comfy (think I fell asleep briefly for part of second half (shame on you Sissoko)). Menu looked pretty good and very reasonable. may become my pub of choice for the footy now.

[ratty]

I like it for footy and because it is the nearest pub to my house. I also like sitting outside and watching the world go by so all in all it gets a positive note from me!

[Ant]

I always want to add a second v to its name.

[scor46]

What does vvale mean then???

[Ant]

I meant Valve.

[scor46]

i was only joking....

[Ant]

Sorry - not at 100% today so obviously missed that!

[MrBen]

About 3-4 years ago or Pre Liquorish, The Vale was def the best place to go at 11.30 kicking out time. And it was and still is the only place I have ever danced in ED. If you half shut your eyes and with its mobile disco style colour flashing lights it *almost* felt like a club. This was quite easy after seven pints in the EDT. And then they changed the lighting to some harsh weird flourescent glow and I couldnt go there again. But I have fond memories of one epic night there, the dancefloor had two city suits, three builders, myself (a random 29 year old), a woman in a white shell suit and best of all two friendly lady pensioners punching their arms in the air to Armand Van Helden. For a moment, the diversity of ED was brought together as one.....(getting wistful).

I agree the owner is a bit weird. He doesnt seem to trust the bouncers to take his cash at the door on Sat nights(why is he charging anyway this is a PUB!). The crowd in there is a bit odd. And a bit of an edgy vibe. But isnt that what half the forum keep harking back to when they bemoan gentrification?!

But never mind Foxtons, fish shops etc surely somewhere will open soon that will have DJ's and a small dancefloor to cater to the 20 something influx. Bring it on. I got some MC Hammer style sheeeyat and dormant B Boy moves just busting to get out.....

[Asset]

Oy, it's not just the twenty somethings who like a bit of a dance, us oldies do too! I can swing my hips to a bit of Alvin Stardust or David Essex you know.

[monica]

The vale has always charged on fridays and saturdays,i use to go in there 6-7 years ago,it was a laugh and a place to go,the liquorish are a joke,muisc is crap and the Dj was on a ego trip the last time i was in there.We do need a decent place for a late drink and a dance around the handbag:))

[Brendan]

Personally I advocate dancing in the street after chucking out time.

[spadetownboy]

good enough for mick jagger and david bowie good enough for me.all we need is music sweet music

[Asset]

I thought that pairing was a bit cringe-making myself.