‘The Crooked House’ pub near Dudley burns down.

[Busaholic]

Well it was a listing building, but not in the sense that you mean.

.....oh, and here is an absolutely amazing coincidence.

The owners of the Crooked House hired the digger that was used to demolish it one week before the fire.

Now isn't that lucky for them that they had the necessary equipment close to hand.

Owners of Britain’s wonkiest pub hired digger used to demolish it days before fire

AT Contracting rented vehicle from plant hire firm before major blaze, being treated by police as arson, hit historic building

www.telegraph.co.uk

I'd either call that extraordinary coincidence, amazing prescience or blatant criminality, take your pick. Collars will be felt, methinks.

 

[Cowley]

Ok, this story now has its own thread. Please be aware that this is an ongoing investigation though and if you’ve posted anything along the lines of “They definitely did this” then maybe go back and edit your posts slightly…

 

[AlterEgo]

The ideal solution is to rebuild the pub somewhere people will use it. It had closed down for a reason.

 

[skyhigh]

I'd either call that extraordinary coincidence, amazing prescience or blatant criminality, take your pick. Collars will be felt, methinks.

The ideal solution is to rebuild the pub somewhere people will use it. It had closed down for a reason.

The full timeline is pretty interesting. The pub was up for sale as a going concern. At the end of July there was a break in with significant damage reported to the bar, kitchen and toilets - i.e. the stuff you need for a pub. The damage was going to be repaired but Marston's decided not to repair the damage and instead accept an offer to buy the pub. The pub landlord was then informed the pub was sold and would not reopen, despite them planning to do so.

If there hadn't been a break in the pub wouldn't have shut...

 

[Bald Rick]

Such a shame, I had planned to visit this with later this year.

Will be interesting to see if there is a prosecution, and if so, of whom.

 

[AlterEgo]

The full timeline is pretty interesting. The pub was up for sale as a going concern. At the end of July there was a break in with significant damage reported to the bar, kitchen and toilets - i.e. the stuff you need for a pub. The damage was going to be repaired but Marston's decided not to repair the damage and instead accept an offer to buy the pub. The pub landlord was then informed the pub was sold and would not reopen, despite them planning to do so.

If there hadn't been a break in the pub wouldn't have shut...

I see. Everyone had told me it was a poor pub which was in dire need of more patronage, but that changes things.

 

[skyhigh]

I see. Everyone had told me it was a poor pub which was in dire need of more patronage, but that changes things.

Landmark Crooked House public house forced to close after burglar wrecks bar, kitchen and bathrooms

The landmark Crooked House public house has shut its doors after a burglary in which tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused.

The landlord of the iconic leaning watering hole between Dudley and Himley, Lee Goodchild, took to social media this weekend to explain that due to a break-in at the site on June 25, and with the building being on the market, the doors were now closed.

He said that someone had broken into the pub and caused "tens of thousands of pounds" worth of damage to windows, doors, furniture, bathrooms, the kitchen and spirit bottles.

Police officers from the South Staffordshire policing unit are investigating the break-in.

The Himley Road site is among 61 pubs being sold off by the owners, the Wolverhampton-based Marston group.

The tourist attraction had only recently been given a new lease of life after being given a much-needed makeover.

The Facebook post stated: "To all customers and guests. Unfortunately due to the damage done after the break-in and now Marston's sale of the site, I have been told I can no longer trade or operate at this site.

"This is happening so quick and is as much of a shock to myself than it is to everyone else. I would like to thank those that have supported us since September last year.

"But again as most would know this was and is totally out of my control and far from something I wanted to happen. Again many thanks. The Crooked House - LSG Bars Ltd."

Another previous post stated: "Unfortunately the pub was broken into late Sunday evening and severely damaged internally and externally. The person has now been arrested.

"The repairs may take up to two weeks to get sorted so we will remain closed for food until at least then. We may open sooner for refreshing drinks. We will keep all our customers updated with further notices."

Crooked House pub forced to close after burglar wrecks bar, kitchen and bathrooms

The landmark Crooked House public house has shut its doors after a burglary in which tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused.

www.expressandstar.com

The article details that the pub was recently given a makeover and some of the damage done during the break in. Read in conjunction with the pub's Facebook page is interesting. Certainly it doesn't look like it was poor patronage alone that closed the pub.

Also... The band booked to play the pub on the night of the fire were called "Gasoline and Matches"...!

 

[Andyh82]

As others have said, I also hope this case is made an example of, even when it drops out of the headlines, as it’s all very clear to everyone what has happened

Now there is a suspicious burglary to add to the mix as well. I mean who breaks into a pub and smashes up the kitchen?!

 

[AndyPJG]

The wife's company bought the pub from the previous owners, the Marston group, while the husband's company (Himley Environmental Ltd) owns a materials recycling company with a site adjacent to the access road past the pub; and said recyclers had planning permission in 2014 for extended use of the quarry.

 

[takno]

Banks’s appears to be a trading name of Marston’s, although it does appear that Banks’s Ales, along with Mansfield beers, are brewed in Wolverhampton, rather than Burton. Even so, I would presume that property would be dealt with at Marston’s head office, which appears, surprisingly, to be in Wolverhampton.

Slightly beside the point, but Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery, which was an amalgamation of Banks's and Hansons dating back before my time, took over Marston's around the turn of the century to form the largest regional brewer in the UK. There was no change to either the Banks's brewery in Wolverhampton or the Marstons one in Burton as part of that. Rather more recently (maybe 2017?) they changed the group name to Marstons, since it's a bit snappier and represents the nationally more-famous name.

 

[furgus2]

Banks’s appears to be a trading name of Marston’s, although it does appear that Banks’s Ales, along with Mansfield beers, are brewed in Wolverhampton, rather than Burton. Even so, I would presume that property would be dealt with at Marston’s head office, which appears, surprisingly, to be in Wolverhampton.

If I recall it correctly, Banks’s (Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries) bought out Marston‘s a few years ago and subsequently decided to rebrand their own pubs with the Marston’s name for commercial reasons.

 

[52290]

If I recall it correctly, Banks’s (Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries) bought out Marston‘s a few years ago and subsequently decided to rebrand their own pubs with the Marston’s name for commercial reasons.

This is true but since then the brewing division has been hived off into a separate company called Carlsberg Marstons in which the Danish brewer owns 60% of the shares with the remaining 40% being owned by Marstons. At the time of the merger the breweries in the group were Banks's in Wolverhampton, Marston's in Burton, Jennings in Cockermouth, Wychwood in Witney, Ringwood in Hampshire, Eagle(formerly Charles Wells) in Bedford and the existing Carlsberg brewery in Northampton.
Since the merger in 2020 Jennings has been closed producing it's last brew in October 2022 and Ringwood is currently up for sale. Unfortunately all decisions are made in Copenhagen and not Wolverhampton.

 

[yorksrob]

This is true but since then the brewing division has been hived off into a separate company called Carlsberg Marstons in which the Danish brewer owns 60% of the shares with the remaining 40% being owned by Marstons. At the time of the merger the breweries in the group were Banks's in Wolverhampton, Marston's in Burton, Jennings in Cockermouth, Wychwood in Witney, Ringwood in Hampshire, Eagle(formerly Charles Wells) in Bedford and the existing Carlsberg brewery in Northampton.
Since the merger in 2020 Jennings has been closed producing it's last brew in October 2022 and Ringwood is currently up for sale. Unfortunately all decisions are made in Copenhagen and not Wolverhampton.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's too much foreign ownership of companies in this country. Our toothless regulator does nothing.

 

[Haywain]

Our toothless regulator does nothing

Which regulator is that?

 

[takno]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's too much foreign ownership of companies in this country. Our toothless regulator does nothing.

There's too much foreign ownership of breweries everywhere, except possibly Denmark.

 

[yorksrob]

There's too much foreign ownership of breweries everywhere, except possibly Denmark.

I bet the French wouldn't stand for it.

 

[Bantamzen]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's too much foreign ownership of companies in this country. Our toothless regulator does nothing.

The rest of the world probably said the same of us for quite some time...

But seriously that is really our problem. We've become a nation of middle management, with no real true drivers and innovators any more. At least that's how it feels these days.

There's too much foreign ownership of breweries everywhere, except possibly Denmark.

This....

 

[yorksrob]

The rest of the world probably said the same of us for quite some time...

But seriously that is really our problem. We've become a nation of middle management, with no real true drivers and innovators any more. At least that's how it feels these days.


This....

Arguably a good brewery needs some good beers to churn out. Shepherd Neame has been doing it for about 300 years, however they remain a family owned enterprise.

 

[Gloster]

Which regulator is that?

Offp*’ss. Although it mostly deals with the cheaper end of the market.

 

[yorksrob]

Which regulator is that?

What's the Monopolies and Mergers commission called these days ?

 

[dosxuk]

One common reaction I've seen on local groups/forums is surprise that the Crooked House wasn't already listed, given it's age and the fact it was a genuinely unique building I and many others had assumed it had been for years.

It may well be that it wasn't listed so as not to interfere with the continued use and maintenance of the building - there are occasionally examples of such common sense from the heritage groups, and this would fit in with it - it wouldn't be much good for the building if it starts leaning more, but takes six months to get permission to build additional buttressing.

I've worked in a building under similar rules - English Heritage want to list it, but also don't want to interfere with the day-to-day operation, so it remains unlisted. However, if there's even a hint of major redevelopment or demolition, the majority of the paperwork is already complete and would be filed immediately.

 

[Haywain]

What's the Monopolies and Mergers commission called these days ?

The Competition and Markets Authority. Not sure they'd be interested just because the buyer is based outside the UK though.

 

[yorksrob]

The Competition and Markets Authority. Not sure they'd be interested just because the buyer is based outside the UK though.

There are at least two breweries listed in the post on Marstons that I know do decent ale and have closed premises or are up for sale.

That aside, the country will never achieve a decent layer of "mittelstand" companies if the multi-nationals can gobble them all up, so perhaps its terms of reference need to change.

 

[nw1]

Even the police are now saying that this is arson, and the timing is too much of a coincidence, especially given the fact that the building was demolished less than 48 hours after the fire.

I can't help but come to the conclusion that the owners of the building were responsible for the fire, and its subsequent demolition before the police and fire brigade could gather any evidence as to the cause of the fire.

I'm not normally one for taking a hardcore line on law and order - but if it turns out that the pub was deliberately burnt down for a profit motive, I hope whoever did/ordered it gets life imprisonment.

This is true but since then the brewing division has been hived off into a separate company called Carlsberg Marstons in which the Danish brewer owns 60% of the shares with the remaining 40% being owned by Marstons. At the time of the merger the breweries in the group were Banks's in Wolverhampton, Marston's in Burton, Jennings in Cockermouth, Wychwood in Witney, Ringwood in Hampshire, Eagle(formerly Charles Wells) in Bedford and the existing Carlsberg brewery in Northampton.
Since the merger in 2020 Jennings has been closed producing it's last brew in October 2022 and Ringwood is currently up for sale. Unfortunately all decisions are made in Copenhagen and not Wolverhampton.

Doesn't really make any difference. A profit-minded PLC uninterested in keeping pubs open in Wolverhampton is the same as a profit-minded PLC uninterested in keeping pubs open in Copenhagen. As we all know from Mrs T and her philosophy, being British does not mean you can't be obsessed by profit to the exclusion of anything else.

Ringwood is local to me. To be honest I'd like it independent and owned and run locally, as in South Hampshire.

 

[Giugiaro]

I've seen this kind of tactic being employed by Chinese real estate and investment firms in Portugal, but never have I read about a local entrepreneur doing the exact same thing.

 

[Busaholic]

The English nursery rhyme ''There Was a Crooked Man'' makes interesting reading.

 

[birchesgreen]

Seems like the developers might not get away with it for once. They made two mistakes, being so blatant about it and also doing this during the news cycle silly season.

 

[Bald Rick]

I've seen this kind of tactic being employed by Chinese real estate and investment firms in Portugal, but never have I read about a local entrepreneur doing the exact same thing.

Oh there‘s loads of it here.

The “Nooks and Corners” column in Private Eye often has stories about old buildings (usually with some form of conservation prospect) but in the way of development often “go on fire”. There’s one such story in the latest issue regarding a 200 year old cottage in Framingham (Suffolk).

 

[duncanp]

Oh there‘s loads of it here.

The “Nooks and Corners” column in Private Eye often has stories about old buildings (usually with some form of conservation prospect) but in the way of development often “go on fire”. There’s one such story in the latest issue regarding a 200 year old cottage in Framingham (Suffolk).

As I said earlier, I am surprised the Station Hotel in Ayr hasn't suffered the same fate, or perhaps it would be a little bit too obvious.

 

[brad465]

https://twitter.com/mattgreencomedy/status/1689962815300239360

This Crooked House story seems almost too on the nose as a metaphor for the UK as a whole. Wonky but much loved and storied place survives for hundreds of years until some rich people come along, buy it and then watch it go up in flames and demolish it for profit.

As I said earlier, I am surprised the Station Hotel in Ayr hasn't suffered the same fate, or perhaps it would be a little bit too obvious.

Maybe the dirsuption and damage it can cause to the railway will be too much collateral damage for potential developers to stand any chance of getting away with it.