FOLLOWING the latest shock pub closure in Plymouth a number of pubs were visited to find out if regulars fear their local could be in danger of following suit

THE great Plymouth pub is alive and well - at least, that is, according to those still keen on a tipple.

The sudden closure of The Mermaid in Eggbuckland earlier this month was another nail in the coffin for fans of traditional British pubs.

The latest casualty joins an ever-growing list of shut or boarded-up boozers, with landlords across the city warning of more to follow before 2010 is out.

The British Beer and Pub Association says 39 are closing every week in Britain.

Although that is down from 52 in the first half of last year, the fact that the UK lost 2,365 of its pubs last year alone speaks for itself.

Most landlords who are 'tied' to pub companies such as Enterprise Inns or Punch Taverns complain that trade is tough.

But plenty of city landlords are keen to point out that not all Plymouth pubs are on the brink of collapse.

At one Devonport drinkery, staff and locals are pulling together to secure its future.

The Shakespeare's landlord, Tony Webb, says the pub is "safe - but who knows for how long".

However, with the support of customers and friends, the Mount Wise pub is hoping for a revival this summer.

Themed international cuisine nights are on the way and the back yard is getting a major facelift.

Ricky Crocker, who lives nearby, is one of those helping out.

He said: "This used to be the best pub in Devonport, but then it lost its character and people stopped coming.

"We revived it and now more and more people are coming back. This is a pub a lot of us have drunk in all our lives and we didn't like seeing it go to ruin."

The 43-year-old points in the direction of nearby Pembroke Street, where the historic King's Arms has lain disused for years.

"That is such a beautiful building," he says. "It's a shame to see so many pubs either run down or left to waste. We're not going to let that happen here."

His pal and neighbour Everald McLaren, 61, is also helping out.

"What's better than sitting outside here with your friends in the sun?" he asks. "Coming to the pub is all about the people, the conversation."

Most landlords say they have seen customer numbers plummet since the smoking ban came into force in 2007.

The state of the economy and increasingly cheap alcohol on supermarket shelves have only driven more drinkers away.

Meanwhile high business rates, taxes and rents coupled with strict conditions slapped on drinks purchasing by breweries has heaped further woe on landlords.

Barmaid Sadie Stokes said four people used to pull pints at Estover's Jolly Miller on busy evenings - nowadays only one is normally needed.

The other side of the bar, John Bovey and his pals said they felt nostalgic about British pub culture.

John has just returned to Plymouth after two years living in Sweden.

"I've only been back four months but I can't believe the difference," he says. "We seem to be turning from a pub culture to an off-licence culture - and that is very sad.

"A lot of people need to realise that the pub is not about the drinking; it's about 'the craic'."

His friend, Chris Rendle, added: "You just don't get pubs like you used to. Ever since the smoking ban it's gone drastically downhill. Where are all the non-smokers who said they would start coming?"

The Herald found two, Trevor Mumford and Max Keane, in The Fortescue on Mutley Plain.

For the 52-year-olds, picking their afternoon horses over a pint at the award-winning ale house is much more enjoyable now it is smoke-free.

Max, who lives in Greenbank, was braving the pub despite recovering from a serious neck injury he suffered less than two weeks earlier.

He says he never considers browsing a supermarket for bargain beers; he is a "pub person".

"I don't care what the prices are," he says dismissively. "Obviously a lot of people are going to go for the cheapest but that's not everything.

"This is one of the oldest pubs in Plymouth and it's how pubs used to be. Except now I don't go home with smoke in my clothes," he laughs.

Trevor, from Plympton, added: "Since the smoking ban pubs in general have changed for the better. It's far healthier.

"The chain places may be doing well but they are nothing more than plastic pubs.

"The Fortescue is a great place, with real ale, good staff and a great jukebox."

Regulars at The Staddy also said a friendly atmosphere was key to success, though functions co-ordinator Julie Kirk is putting its survival down to the 400-capacity facility that adjoins the popular Staddiscombe sports bar.

Retired builder Dennis Moore, aged 70 and from Elburton, said: "You can't beat the atmosphere of a British pub; no other country has them.

"When I think of what a pub should be, the main thing is the atmosphere.

"It should have good staff and a clan that always stands together. The Staddy has got that."

Back at the Jolly Miller, lunchtime drinker John Higgins said he thought pubs that retained their traditional charm could not fail to survive.

"Most pubs now are basically restaurants," he complained. "But at least here you can always meet all your mates."

Staddy regular Pete Houlden, 59, was taking time out from his job at Plymstock Body Repairs to reflect on the state of the pub trade. He said: "I can walk in here and there's always someone to talk to.

"I know the pub trade is struggling but the ones that look after their locals will be fine - we're the ones who will be here come winter time.

"I hate seeing the ones that have closed and it would just be great to see more people in pubs."

Why the big chains buck the downturn

WHILE many independent licensees struggle to make ends meet, pub giant JD Wetherspoon is posting record profits.

There are four Wetherspoons pubs in the city already and the firm is thought to be looking to add to its portfolio.

The chain made £36.2million in the six months leading up to January 24, it has just revealed.

Now Wetherspoon's bosses are planning to double its number of pubs within 15 years after new figures showed sales were up 4.1 per cent to a whopping £488.1million.

The Watford-based managed pubs group will also be opening from 7am from April 28 as it takes on the breakfast market as part of its rapid expansion.

Chairman Tim Martin said: "The motivation is that pubs depend on people.

"If we can attract and retain the best people then we will do better and it is as simple as that."

Chain pubs, or those that are managed as part of a larger group, appear to be bucking the downturn thanks to their bargaining power when purchasing stock.

Venues near the centre of the city are also reporting strong trading, despite the testing economic climate.

Richard Smith, landlord of city centre pub The Noah's Ark, said being able to keep prices low - as well as transforming the pub's reputation - had led to an increase in customers.

Mr Smith, who also chairs the Plymouth Pubwatch group, said its members were showing strong sales.

"I think people are looking for value for money without compromising on the quality of their product," he said.

"But it is hard for the individual sites to be able to compete with us.

"We have the ability to be able to discount our drink because we buy so much of it."

Like Mr Smith, landlord Kevin Treweeks, at The Jolly Miller in Estover, has taken a hard line with anti-social drinkers.

The resulting drop in trouble has brought back customers who had deserted the pub - though he admits figures have fallen since the introduction of the smoking ban.

Mr Treweeks said: "We are slowly building the trade back up here. It's hard going but we're winning.

"I'm running a pub right next to a supermarket where people can go and buy ten cans of lager for £5.

"The fact we are keeping our heads above water just shows you can't buy the atmosphere."

'If things don't change, all pubs will be closed in ten years' time'

LICENSEES from the Plymouth area say "the writing is on the wall" for pubs that are tied to demanding breweries.

When The Mermaid, in Eggbuckland, shut last week landlord Steve Scarff called time on his 17-year career behind the bar.

He was forced to remortgage his house and spent £200,000 of his own cash propping up the business before admitting defeat.

But the 50-year-old, who chairs the South West Licensed Victuallers Association, is not in a unique position.

The landlord at one of Plymouth's oldest pubs, the Seven Stars Inn in Tamerton Foliot, said he had lost his house, marriage, pension and life insurance since the beginning of the downturn.

Rick Smith told The Herald: "I've piled up debts of well over £100,000 just weathering the storm.

"The pub is holding on but it's still precarious; it's still a very, very fragile situation.

"I'm certainly looking at the business much more short-term than I used to. I like my job but if the opportunity came to go then I probably would."

Steve Batters, landlord at The Trott Inn in Torpoint, said two years ago he was taking £10,000 a week; now that is down to £4,500.

"We're having one last throw of the dice," Mr Batters said. "Last week cost £1,000 to prop the business up with credit cards and I'm at the point of throwing the keys in.

"The pubs in this country are being shattered. Anyone thinking about taking one on now needs their head looking at."

He said cheap supermarket booze meant customers were turning up at the pub having already drunk at home.

"There is no such thing as social drinking any more," he added.

Meanwhile, at the Bullers Arms in Landrake, Ali Yeoman is considering getting out of the industry after 35 years.

He is angry about paying high rents while pub companies offer massive incentives - including free rent - to potential landlords in a bid to fill vacant pubs.

The Settle Arms, which reopened in nearby St Stephens last week, is the latest in a long line of local pubs to get a new landlord in 2010.

Mr Yeoman claims he could make an annual saving of £30,000 if he was free of a tie to brewing giant Enterprise Inns.

The price of Guinness recently went up 3.8 per cent, he said, and VAT returning to 17.5 per cent in January pushed many drink prices up by more than 10p a pint - a cost Mr Yeoman is reluctant to pass on to his customers.

He added: "If things don't change, all the pubs in the country will be closed in ten years' time - the writing is already on the wall."

(Herald, Mar 2010)