The Beehive

Can't believe that it is finally closed, I know the lease was purchased again last year by a nearby business man, but wonder now what is in store for this big old pub? It is steel shuttered, windows,door etc., Hope it turns into a hotel and not half a million pounds priced flats! How would I find out what is in store? would planning be able to help at this stage?

Jan the old one wrote:

Can't believe that it is finally closed, I know the lease was purchased again last year by a nearby business man, but wonder now what is in store for this big old pub? It is steel shuttered, windows,door etc., Hope it turns into a hotel and not half a million pounds priced flats! How would I find out what is in store? would planning be able to help at this stage?

Which Beehive? Bartholomew Street?

Yes, I think so.

No discussions have been held with Southwark planning officers to date.

All boarded up yesterday. End of an era

Only went in there once. The unfriendly welcome was enough to make sure I didn't go again.

I don't like to see any pub close, but I'm not surprised that they couldn't keep that one running as a viable business.

It's not about gentrification either. The pub near the Coop on GDS (?White Horse?) was an unwelcoming place for years. I can't imagine anyone who'd never been there would have wanted to walk in off the street. The new landlords haven't done it up noticeably, and they're definitely not trying to make it into a cocktail bar, but they do appear to be trying really hard to make it an inviting place for new customers to walk into.

There's room for all kinds of pubs in SE1, catering to all kinds of clientele. BUT there probably isn't room for pubs that make no effort to provide hospitality, and I won't be surprised to see those sort of places go out of business or be taken over.

Vaguely related, but sorry if this is a little off-topic: does anyone know what goes on in the RoyalS Salsa place on Harper Rd (formerly the Royal Standard)? That's another place I can't imagine ever wanting to go in.

Ivanhoe, The Black Horse, I couldn't agree more, I went in there one Sunday dinnertime and it was a delight.

Lots of staring until an old school pal, who was a regular,walked in and the atmosphere changed to OK.

Apparently I look like a copper!

Ivanhoe, definitely something I've noticed in a number of pubs in the Bermondsey area is the 'locals' attitude. I've never felt blatently unwelcome, but just a few stares when they notice an accent that isn't local etc.

I pass the Black Horse daily and although I've never been in I see they really try to make an effort with pushing offers for students and that kind of thing.

It was touched on briefly on another discussion - the St James Tavern in Bermondsey is reopening and being quite upfront about wanting to really change the feel of the pub. I visited their new facebook page the other day and noticed one 'local' who had really got his back up about the new management purely because they are trying something a bit different.

I identify with the problem you describe, but I don't think it's a problem unique to Bermondsey. The problem is that real pubs, by their very nature, attract a "local" or "regular" crowd and anybody coming into the pub is naturally viewed with suspicion. These "local" pubs existed for many years, though they are steadily declining. In their place, we're getting soulless "tups" that get away with charging £6 a drink. I think you're either a pub person or not. I fall into the latter category. However, I think any "pub" that doesn't have locals can't really call itself a public house, but only a bar.

I know it's in SE16, but is the St James' Tavern still owned by Enterprise Inns then? I wasn't sure whether it was under new management or under new ownership.

You're probably right Gavin. It is just that there are less and less of these pubs around. Although closer to London Bridge, where I used to live, places like the Rose (as was) and the Brittania seemed to have the same local crowd but I never had the same feeling drinking there. Maybe because I drunk in those placess for 5 years and so was part of the furniture too!

More probable I suppose is that due to location they had much more passing trade and 'office crowd' rather than just residents.

I don't know whether the St James' is new ownership or just new management - I'm planning on paying them a visit if they're open the weekend after the bank holiday, so will endeavour to find out more!