Death of a Restaurant

[MrBen]

Is it true they had strippers on at the Mag back in the 1980's.

[david_carnell]

They had strippers everywhere in the 70s and 80s.

Mainly at the BBC.

[BrandNewGuy]

A big paper Christmas bell decoration in the middle of the ceiling ? no-one could be arsed to take it down.

[Jah Lush]

MrBen Wrote:

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> Is it true they had strippers on at the Mag back

> in the 1980's.

That was The Heber. RIP.

[Otta]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Aren't we just describing The Castle?

Not really.

[Otta]

Anyway, back to Ye Olde Boozer.

A Christmas Club, where the landlord takes weekly money off you to save for Christmas.

I paid in to one of these (through my dad) about 10 years ago. It was bloody great, lump sum at Christmas which I never would have put aside otherwise.

[MrBen]

Ah yes. Trouble was every year someone nicked some of it....which provided endless hours of pub gossip and speculation as to the culprit.

[Otta]

Arthur Fowler went to prison for nicking the Christmas Club in 80s Eastenders.

[*Bob*]

Didn't Billy Mitchell steal the Christmas club money as well?

I predict that - within the next two decades - everyone in Eastenders will have both stolen the Christmas club money and had an affair with Phil.

Aren't pub Christmas clubs a bit weird though? None of the advantages of putting it savings account, with all the potential disadvantages of giving your money to a bloke in the pub.

[StraferJack]

as Liam Mullone points out - so much could be prevented in Albert Sq if they would just call the police once in a while

[david_carnell]

Roast potatoes on the bar on a Sunday.

Traditional opening hours? Closed between 2pm and 5pm. But with lock-ins for regulars.

[Otta]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> None of the advantages of putting it savings

> account

Er, what advantages?

Seriously though, there are no advantages in terms of gaining interest or whatever, but if it's done by a savvy and trustworthy landlord, it works for everyone. He looks after your dosh so you don't spend it and you get a lump sum at the end of the year, and for him, I dare say he puts everyone's in to an account and keeps whatever interest it earns over the year.

I don't know that they even exist these days.

But keep i mind that a lot of the people that would have used these "schemes" wouldn't have had a savings account, or any intention of ever walking in to a bank. They MIGHT have had a National Savings account with the post office.

[Otta]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> Roast potatoes on the bar on a Sunday.

>

> Traditional opening hours? Closed between 2pm and

> 5pm. But with lock-ins for regulars.

Now you're talking!

Fox's on Kirkdale does some food on the bar on a Sunday, even if it's just cheese and biscuits it's still a good touch.

[*Bob*]

Otta Wrote:

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> Er, what advantages?

The advantage of not giving your money to 'a bloke down the pub'?

I think My Grandad had one when I was growing up. The landlord might just as well have set aside a barrel for him. He pissed it away, on account of its convenient location - and running-up a bar bill in lieu. Whilst the landlord earned 10% interest (in the 1980s) and ended-up with all the money anyway.

[Robert Poste's Child]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> They had strippers everywhere in the 70s and 80s.

>

> Mainly at the BBC.

Also a regular feature of life working in banking.

[Seabag]

Can Ye Olde Boozer be pre pub-grub cocaine days

That's when the real rot set in

I'd prefer the balmy ol days of an alcohol fuelled punch up

Plus birds gave out a bit more back then

[Robert Poste's Child]

It was all the drinking on an empty stomach, sorry.

[Robert Poste's Child]

The walls are nicotine yellow and slightly tacky to the touch.

[Robert Poste's Child]

There is a dartboard, and a pool table in a room out the back, but no fruit machine.

[Robert Poste's Child]

When someone comes in who isn't a regular, there is total silence for two seconds, though it feels much longer to the person who enters.

Somewhere between the first and third round, the landlord will ask the newcomer where they're from and what they're doing around here. Everyone else eavesdrops. The atmosphere lightens noticeably.

(Where I come from there are still pubs like this.)

[Mick Mac]

I'm with you now RPC, it's a pub in Cornwall.

[Otta]

See now on that one it's a no.

There won't be any regulars. It's a theme pub, the only "regulars" will be people (like me) employed to sit at the bar drinking all day whilst swearing under their breath at anyone not similarly employed.

If anyone else starts getting too cozy and thinking they're a regular, they'll be dragged out back for a "talk", and won't be coming back in a hurry.

[Mick Mac]

I can see you are on a roll here Otta...

[Robert Poste's Child]

Oh no! I thought it was going to be a proper pub, like when they were pubs not bars. Any moment now someone's going to apply words like 'interactive' or 'virtual'.

[maxxi]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> There is a dartboard, and a pool table in a room

> out the back, but no fruit machine.

With a strip light, tiled floor and no access to the bar except back through the corridor where the Gents is (the ladies is in a corner of the lounge).

There's bottles of Manns Brown, Stingo and bottles of Harp and Light Ale (possibly DD) so mixed pints (60/40, Light n' Bitter, Light n' Lager, Black n' Tan, Mickey Mouse etc.) can be enjoyed, and rows of warm baby mixers sitting in half an inch of water on a broken zinc cold shelf.

The tv (on rent from Rediffusion) has a nicotine coated screen and is only EVER on for the gee gees.