Sunday 21 March 2010

Albert closed?

I've not seen anything official to confirm this, but it looks as though the Albert on London Street is the latest pub to join the list of pub closures in Southport. The last couple of times I've walked past it, it has been closed, and other people have said the same to me. There is, however, no notice in the window, and I've seen nothing in the local papers or on local news websites. 

The Albert was a real ale pub and also sometimes hosted live music; a jazz club was there a few years ago. It's advertised to let, and I'd have thought its location just across the road from the railway station would be a prime position, so let's hope the closure is temporary.

I remember when pubs didn't close down between licensees, and keeping the pub open during the changeover was a priority. Pub owners used to understand that if you let your regulars drift elsewhere, they may not come back when you reopen again. But modern pub companies don't seem to understand that. In my opinion, it's because to them, pubs are no more than retail outlets (or worse, just pieces of valuable land); the concept of the community pub is not one that matches their corporate thinking.

2 comments:

  1. It IS closed. Had hoped to had a swift one on Sat.evening (surely prime pub trading time) prior to getting train but shuttered and not a light a light to be seen.
    A fine pub in its day and home to the "Heritage" Folk Club in mid-sixties. Have had many a happy time there, despite the erm, 'cosmopolitan' and often boisterous clientele of recent years. It needs some TLC.

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  2. I hadn't heard of the Heritage Folk Club.

    The Albert is one of the few pubs which still has a function room, which is easily accessible being on the ground floor. I have to say that the once I went to the jazz club there, it had the atmosphere of a dentist's waiting room - not the fault of the band, which was good.

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