The Tally Ho, Hungerford Newtown, Berkshire RG17 0PP, re-opens on Friday 8th November at 6.30 pm
This was a good local pub until it was closed by the owners, Wadworth, nearly 2 years ago and sold to a property development company. A community action group campaigned to get the planning application for housing rejected, then raised money to buy the pub and renovate it.
If you are within striking distance of Hungerford, come along and support this venture. Hungerford Newtown is about half a mile south of M4 junction 14 on the A338.
Declaration of interest - I am a shareholder.
https://www.facebook.com/TheTallyHoHungerford?fref=ts
Full Version: The Tally Ho, Hungerford Newtown
It will be interesting to see just how successful this venture is in about 6 months. The reason this pub closed is (presumably) because it wasn't getting the regular customers through the door. Are the local residents really going to support this pub with their custom often enough (and more importantly money paying for beer and food). A protest campaign against having the pub converted to housing is one thing. Going to a pub and paying £3.50 a pint or whatever is quite another.
An intersting point Spartacus. I think money will be the big issue but I hope the venture pays off.
QUOTE (Brewmaster @ Nov 3 2013, 02:59 PM) 
Declaration of interest - I am a shareholder.
Well done and best wishes for everyone.
Good luck to all involved.
Having a friend of old who had an ambition of running a pub when he left the Forces I know there is a flip side, or an unspoken truth about running a pub. His dream revolved around his pub being the centre of village life with lots of the friendly villagers popping in and everything was straight out of a Darling Buds of May set or similar.
His reality was that shortly after he took on the pub one family moved in to the area and all it took was for the head of this family to latch onto the pub and call it his local and things went downhill.. Instead of it being Darling Buds of May and David Jason saying everything was "lubbly jubbly" it turns out this fella was a really boring semi-drunk who scared half the locals away.
Permanently propping up the bar. Not causing any trouble as such and certainly nothing that would warrant him being banned - and that was the problem. Could have been good news for a pub to have an old 'character' as a regular.
Not in this case...
Whilst his money was as good as the next man's, he was the sort of person you wouldn't choose to spend your time with. Constantly listening in to people's conversations and joining in... A bore with an opinion on everything. Awkward silences until he disappeared back to the bar.
The locals got fed up with it and gradually dwindled away and eventually it was just the barman/landlord/my friend stood drying glasses in an empty pub bar him and the old bore........... Him thinking "Shoot me now...."
However if The Tally Ho is going to be frequented by other Darling Buds of May characters such as Catherine Zeta Jones I'll pop in for a pint....
Having a friend of old who had an ambition of running a pub when he left the Forces I know there is a flip side, or an unspoken truth about running a pub. His dream revolved around his pub being the centre of village life with lots of the friendly villagers popping in and everything was straight out of a Darling Buds of May set or similar.
His reality was that shortly after he took on the pub one family moved in to the area and all it took was for the head of this family to latch onto the pub and call it his local and things went downhill.. Instead of it being Darling Buds of May and David Jason saying everything was "lubbly jubbly" it turns out this fella was a really boring semi-drunk who scared half the locals away.
Permanently propping up the bar. Not causing any trouble as such and certainly nothing that would warrant him being banned - and that was the problem. Could have been good news for a pub to have an old 'character' as a regular.
Not in this case...
Whilst his money was as good as the next man's, he was the sort of person you wouldn't choose to spend your time with. Constantly listening in to people's conversations and joining in... A bore with an opinion on everything. Awkward silences until he disappeared back to the bar.
The locals got fed up with it and gradually dwindled away and eventually it was just the barman/landlord/my friend stood drying glasses in an empty pub bar him and the old bore........... Him thinking "Shoot me now...."
However if The Tally Ho is going to be frequented by other Darling Buds of May characters such as Catherine Zeta Jones I'll pop in for a pint....
QUOTE (Jobet @ Nov 3 2013, 05:27 PM)
An intersting point Spartacus. I think money will be the big issue but I hope the venture pays off.
I would presume that those involved have done the necessary market research and business plan to support this as a going concern?
QUOTE (spartacus @ Nov 3 2013, 10:09 PM)
His reality was that shortly after he took on the pub one family moved in to the area and all it took was for the head of this family to latch onto the pub and call it his local and things went downhill.. Instead of it being Darling Buds of May and David Jason saying everything was "lubbly jubbly" it turns out this fella was a really boring semi-drunk who scared half the locals away.
Permanently propping up the bar. Not causing any trouble as such and certainly nothing that would warrant him being banned - and that was the problem. Could have been good news for a pub to have an old 'character' as a regular.
Not in this case...
Whilst his money was as good as the next man's, he was the sort of person you wouldn't choose to spend your time with. Constantly listening in to people's conversations and joining in... A bore with an opinion on everything. Awkward silences until he disappeared back to the bar.
The locals got fed up with it and gradually dwindled away and eventually it was just the barman/landlord/my friend stood drying glasses in an empty pub bar him and the old bore........... Him thinking "Shoot me now...."
Permanently propping up the bar. Not causing any trouble as such and certainly nothing that would warrant him being banned - and that was the problem. Could have been good news for a pub to have an old 'character' as a regular.
Not in this case...
Whilst his money was as good as the next man's, he was the sort of person you wouldn't choose to spend your time with. Constantly listening in to people's conversations and joining in... A bore with an opinion on everything. Awkward silences until he disappeared back to the bar.
The locals got fed up with it and gradually dwindled away and eventually it was just the barman/landlord/my friend stood drying glasses in an empty pub bar him and the old bore........... Him thinking "Shoot me now...."
A good landlord would spot that early on and issue friendly advice to the customer concerned. If he persists, then ban him - first for a week, then permanently if necessary. Better to upset one customer, than have your client base driven away.
But I have to say, blaming one customer for the collapse of your business is a bit weak.
Best of luck to The Tally.
QUOTE (Biker1 @ Nov 4 2013, 09:16 AM)
I would presume that those involved have done the necessary market research and business plan to support this as a going concern?
Guess so, particularly as it's their own resources at risk. This is a great example of 'putting money where your mouth is' - so all the best. I sincerely hope it succeeds, and encourages other examples.
I went to the Three Horseshoes opening in Donnington on Friday
That was nice.
That was nice.
Well I for one wish the venture good fortune but it will need to be a very special attraction to get people to what is a fairly remote site.
I will certainly give it a whirl.
I will certainly give it a whirl.
Squadies are always quick to blame everyone else for any bad stuff that happens. They are held in high esteem and sometimes it goes to their heads. Good luck with it anyway, Is it doing food? I would happily pop along with the wife to try out a place under local ownership.
QUOTE (Strafin @ Nov 5 2013, 02:20 PM)
Squadies are always quick to blame everyone else for any bad stuff that happens. They are held in high esteem and sometimes it goes to their heads. Good luck with it anyway, Is it doing food? I would happily pop along with the wife to try out a place under local ownership.
One can obtain good skills from a career in the Services, but running a business is not amongst them. I know several people who have left the Army and then fail at business and lose money. In particular, the dream of running a pub/bar with the cash till ringing away whilst you enjoy a beer with your mates, is exactly that; just a dream. The few regular locals who nurse their pint will not keep the business afloat.
I hope things work out for The Tally; they will need to get a reputation for good food and drag business from the M4 and environs.
QUOTE (pbonnay @ Nov 6 2013, 10:19 AM)
I hope things work out for The Tally; they will need to get a reputation for good food and drag business.
Ooh! Are they doing that as well?
QUOTE (JeffG @ Nov 6 2013, 10:28 AM)
Ooh! Are they doing that as well?
If there is a demand, why not?
QUOTE (spartacus @ Nov 3 2013, 04:17 PM)
Going to a pub and paying £3.50 a pint or whatever is quite another.
1/ Go to Bank, secure a second mortgage
2/ Go to Allsorts.
3/ Buy two pints.
4/ Go back to Bank, secure third mortgage.
If 'Allsorts' can keep going with the humongous prices Mickey charges, then banging pints out around the £3.50 mark will have them flocking in.
£3.50 a pint seems reasonable these days.
Long gone are the days when a barrel load wasn't enough! That would be expensive.
I passed the pub on a Newt visit to The Dundas Arms at Kintbury. I thought at the time what a brilliant spot for a pub.
It was in the rebuilding stage....I do hope it works for the community and investors.
Such enterprise can work. North Norfolk is awash with made-over pubs run by keen antipodeans.
Inland at a large village with two duck-filled duck ponds is The Dabbling Duck.
It was sad and lonely for years being hosted by a regularly changing run of landlords.
The decor was red.
After a years closure the next door neighbour, fed up with the empty eyesore, bought the pub with friends from the village.
It is a really popular destination now.The bedrooms are named after WW2 pilots who served at the nearby airfield. Cricketers.
Daughter was there during September when a group came and went....Prince Harry and an Ushers lunch party.
Nobody noticed,which was nice.
ce
Long gone are the days when a barrel load wasn't enough! That would be expensive.
I passed the pub on a Newt visit to The Dundas Arms at Kintbury. I thought at the time what a brilliant spot for a pub.
It was in the rebuilding stage....I do hope it works for the community and investors.
Such enterprise can work. North Norfolk is awash with made-over pubs run by keen antipodeans.
Inland at a large village with two duck-filled duck ponds is The Dabbling Duck.
It was sad and lonely for years being hosted by a regularly changing run of landlords.
The decor was red.
After a years closure the next door neighbour, fed up with the empty eyesore, bought the pub with friends from the village.
It is a really popular destination now.The bedrooms are named after WW2 pilots who served at the nearby airfield. Cricketers.
Daughter was there during September when a group came and went....Prince Harry and an Ushers lunch party.
Nobody noticed,which was nice.
ce
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