The Mag

[charcharcharrr]

I thought I would give this pub another chance on Saturday night... oh how stupid of me.

Bad beers

Bad atmosphere

Bad Chart music

BAD barwoman displaying totally shocking... shocking verbal abuse to her little boy, in front of all the customers... just me and my boyfriend that is.

We left after a third of a pint of Stella.

Bad pub

[reeko]

Was in there briefly on Saturday day.it stank of bleach, the only other customers were the cronies at the bar, who pretty much stared at us for the duration. One drink then out. I am guessing that it has not changed into the community led initiative that has been mentioned on here quite a bit. If it has then it is missing the mark by quite some margin. If it hasn't then any new owner would do well to make that very clear. I would not want anyone to think that was my business.

[Odyssey]

I tried this pub with my partner a few weeks ago and we were hoping to have some food and watch the football. Despite the advert on the windows outside saying "food" there was no food because there is no chef. I believe, speaking with the lady behind the bar, that they have run out of "funding" for the original plans for the restaurant as a backer or two have dropped out. She also did say that it would be turning into a "Sports Bar", but they have already removed the large TV at the back. Also this hasn't pub hasn't a great variety of drinks and they had no snacks like crisps or peanuts because they had had a large party the night before. I am not too sure how long a pub can survive in this state for. It would take a tremendous turnaround to drag us back there. A shame.

[Sue]

My understanding having talked to Tony (the present temporary manager) last week is that he has not been able to make a go of the Mag, and that therefore The Patch will - finally - be taking it over, as we have been told for months was imminent.

No doubt yet another thread will be started on here to inform us all of this in due course.

[Jah Lush]

The sooner it is taken over the better. Can't think why anyone in their right mind would want to visit it right now. Dump with a capital D. Good luck to the new owners. It is a great space and the potential is there for it to be properly utilised for everyone to enjoy if it is done correctly.

[????]

A pub which HAS failed since gentrification. I think it was best when it was a boozer, none of the iterations since hav ever worked...

[ratty]

Yep, used to live next door when Mick had it and ED Comedy was in the back room. 11 years has passed and it never scaled those heights since!

[Bluebell2012]

To the lady who started this thread, if you witnessed 'shocking verbal abuse' to her little boy, should you not report that to the social services? How bad was it?

[Jeremy]

It was great when the comdey was there. And the Sunday "celebrity" quizzes were always packed too.

[DulwichFox]

Walked passed Fri/Sat ??? night.

Front bar 5-6 people

Back bar had a DJ with 60's style flashing lights..

Lots of Drunk Dad Dancing..

Just looks Empty / Bland / Cold... Fish Bowl

Would not want to Drink / Eat there.

Foxy

[JohnL]

As the Magdela ?

Seemed best then or maybe when it first became the Magnolia.

???? Wrote:

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

> A pub which HAS failed since gentrification. I

> think it was best when it was a boozer, none of

> the iterations since hav ever worked...

[Louisa]

The Magdela was a great pub. I often went in for a pint and bag of pork scratchings back in the day. The current pub has a bland cold interior which I'd describe as being bereft of soul, unlike the much criticised boozer which was there before. Funny how the old boozer was always criticised back in the day and now everyone realises that it's successor has failed to even come close to what it once was. Every time I walk past this place it just reminds me of how all the old south london community boozers have been gradually fazed out and replaced by sterile hipster pubs with no atmosphere. Thank god the castle is still thriving, because every other decent ED pub has been gastrofied or worse turned into housing.

Louisa.

[Jah Lush]

Yeah, the Castle's the only proper boozer left.

[James]

If all these people who moan about the demise of the traditional spit-&-sawdust pub actually went into one occasionally, perhaps there might be more of them?

I personally would rather have a gastropub than some rancid fleapit pub full of scummy regulars acting like they own the place any day.

[Jah Lush]

Casting aspersions James, though I do tend to agree with you. I'd rather a pub was a successful business than empty or turned into flats. The CPT is a good case in point. Frankly, as much as I loved the old place it was dying on it's arse. The people that took it over and turned it into The Great Exhibition have done a great job and have really turned it around to somewhere where everyone can go and enjoy the space. If something on the same lines could be done for the Magdala then that would be fine with me.

[Sue]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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

> Casting aspersions James, though I do tend to

> agree with you. I'd rather a pub was a successful

> business than empty or turned into flats. The CPT

> is a good case in point. Frankly, as much as I

> loved the old place it was dying on it's arse. The

> people that took it over and turned it into The

> Great Exhibition have done a great job and have

> really turned it around to somewhere where

> everyone can go and enjoy the space. If something

> on the same lines could be done for the Magdala

> then that would be fine with me.

xxxxxxx

I completely agree.

I loved the old CPT, which was my local, but I also love The Great Exhibition, for different reasons.

And clearly the CPT was failing miserably, whereas The Great Exhibition appears to be thriving.

[Louisa]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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

> Casting aspersions James, though I do tend to

> agree with you. I'd rather a pub was a successful

> business than empty or turned into flats. The CPT

> is a good case in point. Frankly, as much as I

> loved the old place it was dying on it's arse. The

> people that took it over and turned it into The

> Great Exhibition have done a great job and have

> really turned it around to somewhere where

> everyone can go and enjoy the space. If something

> on the same lines could be done for the Magdala

> then that would be fine with me.

Totally agree with this point. And sadly as the demographic of the area has changed, so have the tastes and needs of the community. I too loved the CPT, but the changing population of the area didn't, and so it changed and is now a successful business.

James your point is kind of redundant. If the community who occupied these old boozers moved away from the area or died off it was the lack of numbers through the doors which contributed to the London boozers demise. The gastropub to me is a sterile space lacking personality and life, often pretentious and always expensive. And sadly a great number of the people who visit these places enjoy them for those reasons.

Louisa.

[the-e-dealer]

The Mag used to be very busy, lots of pizzas and stuff used to be hard to get in. What on earth do you do to destroy such a successful formula?

[DulwichFox]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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

> The Mag used to be very busy, lots of pizzas and

> stuff used to be hard to get in. What on earth do

> you do to destroy such a successful formula?

Question:- How do you start a Small Business. ???

Answer:- Take over a Thriving Business, Run it into the ground and watch it collapse..

Foxy

[UncleBen]

Get rid of the scummy crim 5 or 6 regulars and it will liven up.

[susiq]

how long have you lived in east Dulwich james, who do you think you are calling scummy regulars, you sound like a typical, just moved here, no idea of local people, chinless scummy gastro pub prat.

[StraferJack]

Susiq. Posting on here since feb 2013

James. Posting on here since jan 2007

Which doesn't mean James isn't prone to over egging his case (boy does he ever!!). But pointing a finger saying "you ain't from round here" isn't very helpful either. The mag in its current, obviously temporary and tenuous incarnation is pretty rough tho

I liked it back in the front and back bar days (wallpaper books ahoy)

I liked it in the pizza quiz booths incarnation

I even initially liked it in its original magnolia incarnation

But right now? It's a zombie pub (not a reference to punters... Just the fact that its a pub which only looks like its alive but is dead really)

[uncleglen]

You need to invite a few celebs (and pay them) to lure in the punters in this sort of area

[Dulwich Squirrel]

We live nearby and the music is rather annoying (and loud!). Also, it would have been nice if the management had cleared up the pub's rubbish which had been strewn across Pellatt Road for most of last week.

I know there have been numerous threads on The Patch - but things have gone very quiet recently. Is this definitely going ahead?

[susiq]

I dont think calling regulars "scummy" or local a business "rancid fleapits" is very helpful either, these "scummy" regulars have kept these pubs going throughout the years, many of these "locals" were a busy thriving places that were fun to visit, some through no fault of their own have fallen into disrepair and closed, most of them missed by the "scummy" regulars (those that still live). just because James posted first does not make him the right or nice.