RebuildTheGreyhound - pub to be rebuilt by April 2015?

[Robin Orton]

Things makes the reader work a little harder to get the joke, which usually increases the pleasure in getting it.

Usually maybe - but perhaps not always?

[Rachael]

Things makes the reader work a little harder to get the joke, which usually increases the pleasure in getting it.

Usually maybe - but perhaps not always?

It's a fine balance.

[sydenhamboy]

... Easy as pie, really.


See what I did there?

[mosy]

Tsk! I don't get the pie chart either.

The interpretation I come up with is that every blue pixel in the pie = pub,
♪ Pub,pub,pub,pub ♪
♪pub, pub,pub ♪

No reason why Pret (or similar) couldn't have a concession within it, although I think the plans do show a kitchen so logically a pub would do food itself.

No reason why Pret or similar couldn't take up one of the retail outlets alongside...

There are so many rules now (H&S) about max time for keeping food hot (=wastage) that it'd not be right to put that cost onto the price of a pint, but luckily whoever takes it over ill be well aware of that in their business model.

[Kent House R]

I would like it to be a restaurant rather than a pub when it reopens. I mostly take my eating out money outside of Sydenham. I do visit some of the local eateries occasionally but want more variety and options. I am sure there are many others like me.

Pubs as a place purely for drinking are in my view going out of fashion. People want to catch up with friends or partners over a meal and linger for drinks afterwards.

I don't mind if it were to become an outlet for a chain like zizzi, as I think that would encourage people to stay local when eating out and would have a secondary effect of boosting business for the independent restaurants and pubs in the area.

[robbieduncan]

I can't see a pure-play drinking only pub as an option. Any pub that opens will have to offer food

[blakewho]

Why do we keep hearing such negative statements in this thread? The Greyhound is too small to be a viable pub; a non-food based offer won't succeed. Current market trends would suggest that such statements are entirely wrong. The biggest growing part of the UK pub sector over the past ten years has been the micropub; pubs situated in tiny venues, sometimes as little as 12ft by 14ft, and offering no food whatsoever bar an occasional bag of crisps. Despite widespread pub closures which we've all heard about, to date not a single micropub has closed down for economic reasons - the only ones that have closed have done so because of the death or ill-health of those who ran them.

So everything suggests that a small-sized pub, without a focus on food will be far more likely to succeed than otherwise. However, I don't for a moment think that The Greyhound will be operated on a micropub model. It's a decent-sized venue that could easily include food as part of its offer. How well it performs will be down to the skills of those who run it. I for one can't wait.

[leenewham]

Totally agree Blakewho.

[robbieduncan]

I can't wait for it to open and will support it. Any comments I have made are to try and ensure its a long term, viable and hopefully local and unique business (antic would be fine: each pun of theirs feels very different to each other).

With the pub restored and all the units occupied it'll really reinvigorate that end of the high street. If the market expanded to round the pub on market days it could be a really lively spot

[Maria]

Neither can I... and the only thing that (really) worries me is the impact its success will have on the Golden Lion. We have been hoping against hope the GL would do well, and supporting it as regularly as we can - I really like it.

But what can compete with what is gradually turning out to be a (potentially) spectacular pub? I can't get over that new stunning entrance... and the tiles we were shown some time ago for the inside walls, and the mural of photos at the back - all so, so exciting. But the Golden Lion... what will happen to it....

[parker]

Maria, why should anything bad happen to the Golden Lion if The Greyhound becomes a success? Why not include The Dolphin or the even nearer to The Greyhound, The Pavilion? Nearly all businesses have competition. Forest Hill has about 5 or 6 successful pubs, why shouldn't that happen in Sydenham as well? Aside from that I think there will always be some people that will prefer the Golden Lion to the Greyhound if the track record of the kind of punters The Greyhound used to have is anything like what's yet to come. Hopefully we'll have lots of very nice pubs and eateries.

[Maria]

Yes, you must be right, Parker.

It's just that I find the G Lion so vulnerable and inconsistent I sometimes wonder for how long people will be prepared to give them time to adjust...

Sometimes we have fabulous food there, other times not; occasionally the welcome is less than friendly, possibly because they are harassed but still.... And I have been there at least on 3 lunch occasions when I was told there was no food to be served. Of course we then went to the Dolphin where, in stark contrast, the dishes were amazing; it would be better to reduce publicly the days when lunch is on offer than make people stop trying in future.

And I not only like it (eg the garden, the light, the family friendly atmosphere) but I absolutely want to go there to watch my football team (Arsenal) play - I do want them to succeed!

[Eagle]

Maria

Sydenham has a big enough population for a number of decent Pubs to survive.

There should be lots of different pubs as not everyone wants the same thing.

I want for instance , good real ale , no music or big screen TV's. Infact a place to discuss the finer points of History of Angola or Politics or Football.
Wetherspoon no Music Policy is much appreciated

I accept many people do not want to talk and appreciate Musak 24-7. We are all different.


Greyhound not open yet despite the heading saying open April 2015. Maybe many years yet.

[coll]

I mentioned this earlier and was informed it would be changed but I still see what seems to be the ceiling of the first floor is half way down the windows on the first floor. I looked at the plans and it isn't clear if this will be changed. Will that interior work happen after the outside if finished?

[biscuitman1978]

I mentioned this earlier and was informed it would be changed but I still see what seems to be the ceiling of the first floor is half way down the windows on the first floor. I looked at the plans and it isn't clear if this will be changed. Will that interior work happen after the outside if finished?

Purelake have agreed to remove the unauthorised floor that sits across the first floor windows.

As for when this will happen, I noted in a recent post that:

Officers at Lewisham Council have been told by Purelake that removal of the unauthorised floor (which sits across the first floor window level) is due to begin w/c 9 November. Purelake have advised that Its removal was delayed by an unexpected need to underpin the front wall.

We need to keep a close eye on progress. If removal of the floor doesn't start this week as planned I'm sure that the Sydenham Society will be on the phone to officers at Lewisham Council to urge them to seek an update from Purelake.

[Pat Trembath]

Apart from the six tree pits currently being dug (for the 6 birch trees) within The Greyhound piazza, three of the four bases for the Victorian, Conservation-style, lamp standards are now in place in accordance with the 2010 permission.

All looks good from the outside. Waiting with bated breath to report the removal of the rogue mezzanine floor, before we get to the finishing straight - on the building at least.

[FromCtoShiningC]

I must say the structure is looking marvellous at the moment, even in this state of flux. I am a great admirer of Victorian architecture, and I did have a fear that the end result may look a bit too like 'Victoriana' however, so far, so very good. The brick work looks lovely, the various decorative elements really add character, and I hope they do keep the sash windows painted black - much more appropriate than the white colour that most of us have today (the Victorians rarely painted windows white).

So far, so good and a great thumbs up....

[biscuitman1978]

See https://twitter.com/TheGreyhoundSyd/sta ... 3908212736 for a photo showing the newly installed lampposts.

Trees have now been planted too.

[biscuitman1978]

Latest photos of the Greyhound:







Great progress!

Now we must make sure that the unauthorised floor (which sits across the first floor windows and is visible in the third photo above) is removed...

[Maria]

Just, absolutely, truly gorgeous.... almost ( ) worth the wait and frustration and temper tantrums...

The are outside is huge: won't there be enough space for tables and chairs outside - does anybody know if that's a plan?