Will your local pub be next to close?

Jan 3 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

Music helps trade

MIKE READ took over as landlord of the freehouse Porthole on North Shields Quayside 18 months ago.

He said the pub is holding its own and the number of customers – many drawn by its live music sessions – had remained steady.

But he added: “Everyone in the licensing trade is struggling. Supermarkets don’t help, the smoking ban does not help and the credit crunch probably won’t help. The other problem is the Chancellor seems hell-bent on closing pubs.

“We are doing all right. That may change, but so far it hasn’t. We are a fairly specialised pub offering certain types of live music to certain types of people – and thankfully those people are still coming in.”

“You have to be adaptable. We are going to re-introduce proper menu food in the next couple of months as opposed to snacks and we are also going to get a lot more heavily involved in marketing.”

Carole Newlove and her husband Bill took over the Wooden Doll in North Shields a year ago after 25 successful years in the licensed trade.

But she fears the pub – which offers stunning views out to sea and prides itself on its food – will close unless there is a radical turnabout in its fortunes.

Mrs Newlove said: “Every pub we have previously run we built up and made a success of but it’s not happening here.”