Save the Ridge and Furrow pub: Abbeydale campaign gathers pace
WITH the axe hanging over his popular Abbeydale pub, landlord Steve Luckett is taking the fight to save his livelihood out into the community.
His petition to try to save the Ridge and Furrow in Glevum Way now has more than 1,200 signatures.
Steve was told to vacate the pub by March 2013 as Trust Inns will not be renewing a long-term lease on the land, which is owned by Morrisons.
Regulars at the community watering hole have piled their weight behind Steve's campaign amid rumours of the site being earmarked for a petrol station.
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Steve hopes to negotiate his own terms with Morrisons, if he can maintain his current rental agreement of £5,900 a month.
"I've tried to get clarification from Morrisons about the lease situation and what my options are but I've heard nothing yet.
"If we can continue to raise the campaign profile and get 10,000 people to sign up, that will strengthen our position. We need to rally the troops on this."
A working party is being established by Steve to step up the campaign.
Richard Plumbridge, a regular for more than eight years, was one of the first to back the bid.
"There is nothing else like this pub in the area," he said.
"On a Saturday night, there used to be one or two people in there, now it's packed. There was also quite a lot of trouble before Steve took it on but it is family friendly now."
The Federation of Licensed Victuallers Association is a members' organisation looking after the business interests of self-employed licensees in the pub trade.
Chairman of the Gloucester branch, Steve Pyart, says the FLVA is right behind Steve's campaign.
"Steve has a good, successful community pub and it would be a real shame for the wider community if he was forced to close for non-business factors," he said.
No one at Morrisons was available to comment.
Comments
by thomas1996
Sunday, October 21 2012, 11:01AM
“brad83,
I doubt there will be a petrol station built there since Morrison's will no doubt having one at their huge new store being built at the railway triangle. Shame as Morrison's petrol/diesel at Up Hatherley is always 3p per litre cheaper than Tesco Brockworth.”
by brad83
Sunday, October 21 2012, 1:25AM
“I don't use the pub I would use a petrol station so its gets my vote”
by TheMoanerLisa
Saturday, October 20 2012, 11:53PM
“The brewery that own this place know what they are doing. A chancer of a lazy landlord that is out of his depth, failed to appreciate the local community and desperately diversified at the expense of the brewery is a ignorant greedy fool. If they do open a petrol station on this site Mr L will be sweeping the forecourt and selling a few kebabs.”
by neilsj
Saturday, October 20 2012, 10:36PM
“This pub is an absolute eyesore in the community. Topless or vest wearing beer bellies in the summer are such an eye sore. Having lived in Abbeydale for 3 years, I have never and will never set foot in that establishment. Good luck for Morrisons with the redevelopment of that site. At least we will be rid of the Kebab Van with is questionable hygiene and licensing and the car washing.
Not to mention the gruesome advertising boards littered around the pub promoting bands playing with names such as 'The Shy Teds' - really... we all know how that sounds when you say it. Classy it is NOT!
Come on, let's get a grip on the situation here - this pub is out of place in Abbeydale and the area will be a much better place without it!”
by TheMoanerLisa
Saturday, October 20 2012, 8:55PM
“This so say local family focused pub has been in the headlines for well over a year. if its not kebab vans its car washing on premises the landlord does not own. The reason this place went down hill was the poor service, greasy & sloppy food, grubby environment and the lazy attitude of the bar staff and landlord who prefer to gossip with the half a dozen locals who propped up the bar, instead of greeting reasonably affluent families with money to spend...
and as for the 1200 signatures - where did these come from, him and the 6 bar propping yokels”
by NibNobs
Thursday, October 18 2012, 11:24PM
“£5,900 a month is a lot of money, that's £200 a day, every day not including staff costs, cleaning, heating, lighting, business rates, water, Sky subscription, licences, bank charges, interest etc etc. I think Steve has more chance of earning £20,000+ for himself becoming a manager of another pub without all the hassle of all these many 'owner' responsibilities! The only way he could make 'real' money there if he owned the freehold.”
by adrian2010
Thursday, October 18 2012, 11:18PM
“Don't shut the ridge the kebabs in the car park are great!”
by MrGarnet
Thursday, October 18 2012, 9:44PM
“"No one at Morrisons was available to comment."
Lets hope they are too busy interviewing staff to man check outs!? I hardly go in now I have not got the time to waste!”
by IsitJimKerr
Thursday, October 18 2012, 2:07PM
“I don't get it. He's had car washes, kebab vans, huge advertising signs littering the front lawn, all apparently to subsidise the pub takings. Now all ofa sudden it's a gold-mine!
If the ten thousand signatures he's hoping for were actually customers..................”
by Noah's Ark
Thursday, October 18 2012, 1:38PM
“£5,900 a MONTH !!! If he can run a pub to be able to afford that, surely he would be better off buying the freehold of one of the many empty pubs and keeping more profit for himself.”