NO HALF MEASURES HERE!
Don't bother asking for a half of Hancock's in the West End Inn, Burslem as a flat refusal is what you will get! And two halves don't make a pint either in this establishment. Apparently at £1.35 a pint, the landlord is only prepared to pull full pints, not halves. Perhaps he only has a pint button on his till? It is strange that whilst some pubs are going out of business, others refuse service.

LITTLE VIC REOPENS

The Victoria, King Street, Newcastle, has reopened after a major refurbishment, with Bass and Boddingtons on sale.

BUDGET FREEZE THAW
On Budget Day, 21st March, Chancellor Gordon Brown ended his tax freeze on beer dutv - just 12 months after it started by imposing a duty rise in line with inflation. At the same time, some major brewers announced wholesale price increases, so it's a double price whammy for the beer drinker!!

SHILLING OUT
The King's Shilling, Silverdale has closed. This former "Real Ale Tavern" never regained the popularity which Andy Topham achieved before his departure in mid 1999, and the -closure was no surprise.

"SATURATION" IN NEWCASTLE?

"Newcastle has reached 'saturation' point", proclaimed town councillor Nobby Clarke when the Borough's Planning Commute rejected proposals to turn the former Yorkshire bank into a bar. However, perhaps the real problem is not how many pubs and bars there are in the town, may be it is the type of bar, which specifically targets the 18 - 25 age bracket, which is the real problem.
Forty years ago there were at least as many pubs in Newcastle as there are now. Pubs such as The Rainbow, Cheshire Cheese, Hinds Vaults and Kings Head have gone, and in their place are plastic palaces selling plastic products.
Then of course people actually lived in Newcastle, and the pubs were their local before the ring-road turned the town into an island. Today probably fewer-than 100 people live within the ring road, so the vast majority of the evening revellers travel to Newcastle from outside specifically for this brash type of night life.
However, some traditional pubs still survive. The George and Dragon in the Ironmarket is an example of old Newcastle with its mock tudor frontage and cosy interior.
Likewise the Crossways, Golden Lion, Albion and Old Brown Jug, are reminders of Newcastle past. With the old Post Office building lying empty in the Ironmarket and J.D.Wetherspoon reported to be interested in the property, the resolve of the Newcastle planners may yet be tested.

Black Horse Closure Outrage

The recent planning application to convert the 400 year old Black Horse pub at Betley into houses has caused outrage amongst villagers and local pub goers.
CAMRA Potteries Secretary Rob Shanks, writing in the Sentinel, asked why an important local landmark pub should be allowed to be degenerated so easily in what appeared to be mainly a deliberate attempt to "make a killing" in an area where demand for housing is high.
In a letter to Newcastle Borough Council, claims that the pub is not viable, made by the developer, were questioned While acknowledging that some pubs will close due to changing lifestyles it was felt that the Black: Horse could thrive as a pub and continue to serve the locality, as it has done since at least 1603, in tbe right hands. The responsibility of the council to protect this important focal amenity and landmark was emphasised strongly. A decision on the planning application is expected late April\early May

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OTHER ARTICLES IN POTTERS BAR ISSUE 92