I know it's been a good few days now,but,what is going to happen to this once thriving,and, very popular watering hole

It's boarded up and STILL for sale

Let's all go to tesco and get our cheap ale.....
Dont really know what to think about it all

I had reason to be around there today and noticed they'd put those metal frames up against all the windows which made it look like it was shut forever.

If you look on forums Kenny, someone was on about buying it last month...

I think anyone investing money in a public house must have money to burn. Over regulation has led to their demise. I haven't set foot in one for years, maybe, just maybe, if faced with near extinction, something will happen.

The Cross Keys at Stubshaw shut down some few months ago. Never thought that would happen.

A bloke who had been in the trade told me that part of the agreement on the sale of some pubs was that the premises should not be used as a pub after.

Not saying this was the case with the Cross Keys but it is not looking good for the pubs!

Me and Thee and our mrs's will run it Ken you run bar ill do music

I remember going to Eric Doran's Stag night in the Cross Keys and at the time he was a member of Wingates Band (or something similar) and when we got thrown out of the pub all the band assembled outside (with their instruments) and started to play Brass band music. Great night.

Reopens on Sunday

I take it you mean Cross Keys & not Balc

Th balc reopens on Sunday

Just noticed the steel shutters are OFF,wonder who's got it this time

I drove past this morning as well Kenny and never noticed the absence of the shutters
Don’t think it will be anyone local as they obviously do not know of the pulling competition locally
Did hear a whisper it was going to be a ‘sports bar’! will give it 3 months

this is the story of pubs nationwide.
preston pubs shutting at an alarming rate. a lot o my old watering holes are gone, STEAMER/SHIP INN/FYLDE RD TAVERN ECT ECT.

oh so sad to hear the end of what was a great part of English life , closing Pubs . Time to call it quits guys and head for the Colonies.

I’d sooner become teetotal!

It is someone local who's taken it over and it will av all the football and rugby on and opens Sunday

Shutters off maybe opening AGAIN

Maybe a sports bar is the way to go,the ones I have been in dont charge stupid prices for their ale,watch this space

The old dog upholland closed looks like its becoming a house
The owl upholland closed...abbey lakes now an indian restaurant.sandbrook orrell closed steel shuters on windows.
The station orrell closed now a building site.
AND just heard rose and crown orrell being knocked down another housing site .
and think the fox at robymill also closed

Those shutters are on and off lately more times than a prostitutes knickers.

Drove past the Seven Stars pub the other day and was shocked to see it was no longer there. Wonder what will replace it.

has The Griffin closed on Standishgate?

Shutters went up on griffin this afternoon

Flats, Susie Apparently.

No money in pubs.

They have been taxed out of business.

how would you know...........you dont even go in your so called local

These two have been shown to be a fat lot of good.

a total waste of time..........unless of course youll end up with your picture in the paper

the smoking ban is the main cause

I disagree with you there anthony, although the ban on smoking played a big part, pubs where closing long before then, in my opinion the supermarkets and their cheap booze were more to blame, as well as the brewerys racking their prices up as soon as a place started to do well,

there may be other factors now, I was going by the numbers
the ban came in 2007

pub closures
2005: 102
2006: 216
2007: 1,409

I can't see it being the smoking ban alone,it hasn't really affected the pubs here in South Africa,But each place has a smoking area.I'm going to shut down now and go for my usual lunchtime couple of droughts!

Phred... with the greatest of respect. Pub Culture in South Africa may be a lot different then in the UK. The working man in the UK assumed that having a smoke with his pint in his local was his right. I am not saying it was, but that is how most of them felt. I for one decided to drink at home when the ban came in, before I would rather go to the pub to have a drink.... exacerbating the situation of pubs losing custom to supermarkets.

Also, what about the winter months in South Africa? I know it must not be glorious weather everyday, but I would hazard a bet we get far colder temps?.. and we are not allowed closed and heated shelters. Okay some do have heaters but on cold windy days they are useless and just a waste of power.

I fully accept the pub industry was not in the best of health at the time the ban came in force, but the ban was a death blow at a time our Govt should have been helping to save it. It certainly did not help the situation.

You may be interested to see pub closure numbers over the first decade

2000: 700
2001: 100
2002: 600
2003: 700
2004: 400
2005: 400
2006: 400
2007: 1,409
2008: 1,973
2009: 1,352
2010: 1.466

Why the significant dint in the figs for 2001?

i was wondering that too

Cadfael,When I stopped smoking about 16 years ago I lived on the Highveldt,minus 7c in winter.Since I retired in 2005 I moved to the sub tropical coast of Natal(minimum 16c in winter),It doesn't get cold,My locals smoking area is on the outside balcony(not rainproof)...maybe we must open a study of smoking habits in our different countries?

Kenny - new landlord is 'Billy' who used to have the Griffin and the Pagefield apparently - don't know the chap but best of luck to him

Is he the guy who always seem to wear a baseball cap,when in the Griffin

No ur thinking of someone else.billy n pip use to run it.billy was the one with a few tattoos n a fat belly

No doubt I will give it a try tomorrow

A sponsored bike ride to southport & back will put a hold on me calling in today

He's not a bad lad and could get the Balc back to a decent pub as knows how to run a lads pub plus big enough not to take any shit..

sedge

Hope he does well,but the problem is getiing folk IN the pub,and not out,it could do with a proper decent run,let's hope a nice summer does the trick for him

Good luck Billy & co.

Biggest thing is he'll get sky sports plus potentially racing going again, I would say defo the type of landlord the blac has needed for years..

Even the balc