Pub Or Bistro?

[Ian Stirling]

Are we loosing our village pub to a restraunt? I know we are lucky that we still have a 'centre of the community' to visit, but when you cannot get a seat on a weekend to just have a quiet pint or two because all the tables are set for dining it does get a bit much. Compromise - put the false wall back up and seperate diners from drinkers. it makes sense in the long run.

[raremagic]

It is a shame that the friendly local pub feel has gone. It would be great if they could combine that local feel with a good restaurant.

[jagielka6]

The Penny Farthing has been completely transformed into a restaurant, with no village atmosphere. It used to feel like a social, friendly place to go and have a drink, have a game of pool, etc. Now, when you step into the overheated main room, all you can smell is coffee; most tables are set out for diners, despite only a couple of tables being used, and this impersonal atmosphere means we have turned to the Plough, Royal Oak, or the Golden Cross in Billinghay. I have recently heard that the Penny Farthing is to be closed for four weeks for refurbishment, including moving the Gent's toilets and knocking through to the front room. There is no need for this. The front room just needs to be used more. How about bringing back the pool table in this room? Surely this can only be a good thing?

[brenda]

Unfortunately the Penny Farthing is (we understand) owned by proprietors that like to develop pubs as food venues. It has to fit their business model and that does not necessarily involve local wishes. Unless the business is sold it is unlikely to return to being a village pub with pool table, darts teams etc.
However it is not easy to make a financial sucess of a traditional village pub so one alternative would be the loss of the watering hole altogether- unless perhaps a group of locals got together and ran it as a co-operative? Just a thought!