✈️ Fancy a pub desk?
40% cheaper than coworking. Plus: A Hastings Pub Crawl — with artistic license.
Last week: “No more pubs, Norm”
This week: WFP. Keir needs a pint
Just listened to the King’s Speech - very underwhelming. Bit low energy (probably had enough of the red pen.) Good to hear “legislation will be introduced to tackle late payments” to support small biz, but what about the huge burden of regulation? The energy crisis? Cost of living? I paid £7.50 for some mackerel in M&S last night. 👀
I had a text from a friend about how two pubs are closing each day in the UK.
Will start trying to work more from pubs and less from cafes. Most pubs are ancient and historical — whereas cafes come and go!
Agree and doing the same. Between Jan and Mar, 161 pubs closed across England, Scotland and Wales, with a loss of 2,400 jobs. I’m also fed up with seeing beautiful buildings boarded up - or turned into Tesco Express.
Most cafes close at 5 pm — we have a pub/bar culture rather than a cafe culture. I’m always looking for cool indie places with the right vibe - papers, mags, good coffee - where I can sit and read or do some writing in the eves.
I’m off to Old Dame now - Royal Victoria Hotel on the seafront. Grade II listed and a bit tired. Mostly coach parties and cream teas, but it’s huge with a piano lounge and bar. Free wi-fi and meetings rooms by the hour. A Victorian seafront office for the day, why not.
We might add another day to our Writers’ Café so Tue, Wed, Thu afternoons. It’s helping massively - gotta stop bothering the builders!
Some of the big chains are offering ‘Work from Pub’ (WFP) packages - desk space, unlimited hot drinks, wi-fi and lunch for a flat fee (£10-£20), which is 40% cheaper than coworking for the day.
My local Spoons (John Logie Baird) is in an 1850s building in town. Prints and text about local artists & writers, £1.85 for Lavazza coffee, tea and free refills. Gotta be worth a try - just hope the carpet doesn’t give me a headache.
A Hastings Pub Crawl — with artistic license
I was chatting to Chris the chef the other day. He looked a bit glum so I asked how things are going - he’s also self-employed.
“It’s a struggle.” He has to prepare food but doesn’t know how busy it will be. People are eating out less. The government needs to reduce VAT on hospitality and offer longer-term support.
Here’s Markus Thonnett’s new exhibition PUB CRAWL - really beautiful card cuts telling the stories of 10 Hastings pubs. I love looking at them while I’m working.
Bring on El Niño and long, sunny eves at the pub watching the Three Lions lift that trophy! 🍸
Nika xo
It's a massive problem everywhere. I think it's down to the drink-driving issue, and also the expense that's killing traditional pubs. Just look at the price of a pint in a pub, compared to prices in Aldi! Far cheaper to have a glass of something at home in front of the telly. It's too much of a luxury, and when pubs are empty, the vibe is gone.
We have several pubs within walking business, both in St Austell and nearby Charlestown (one mile or 12 minutes run away), but they make their money selling pub meals. The bar areas are mostly empty. The Ship Inn over at Par (15 minutes drive away) is packed out when it has live music in the garden at weekends, but that's only in summer. They have to make do with being a restaurant the remainder of the year.
But in mum's hometown in rural Ireland, they have one small post office/general minimart store, plus three pubs - all very cosy and busy in the evenings - because they have live music, pool tables, sports on TV, etc and are social hubs. Farmers at least still have a traditional use for the local pub to unwind.
Our nearest cafe (5 minutes walk away) is in the leisure centre, overlooking the 25m swimming pool, and serves coffee, cakes and lunch. In warm weather, we have lunch in pub gardens, but that's it.
LOVE this!