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Hootananny pub (formerly Hobgoblin)

tarannau said:
I'll always hold some great memories of the place. I'd like to share some positivity about the future, but the confused spectacle of a half-hearted Scottish effort on my doorstep seems strangely unenticing. Sure, Brixton's always been tolerant of diversity, but that diversity usually builds up organically, not by imposing a poor facisimile of a pub concept from Inverness unwanted on a neighbourhood.


:(
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oh go on then I will - but I have to do more work in five minutes so might not be able to fully hand you your arse on a plate...
 
lizardqueen said:
This is my biggest worry. :(

The hob could be a great pub if the money could be found to rectify the problems that currently put off potential punters. I know the loos put a lot of people off, the garden could do with a clean up and I'm sure a new pool table and a lick of paint in the back room would encourage more people to go there.

Yet instead, some buffoon has decided to change it into a ridiculous theme park that is so incongruous with its surroundings its laughable. Its never going to work :mad:

Then once McDoogals or whatever its going to be called has shut down, the council will be more likely to accept an application to turn the place into flats, on the grounds that it is no longer a viaible business option as a pub.

Tragic :(
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I could go on but I'm bored now.
 
what's your point, cheg?

the pub was going to be turned into a scottish themed pub, people said it would be rubbish and wouldn'twork. the scottish theme pub opened, didn't exactly have a roaring success, and is moving more and more away from that venture to something which the punters prefer more. and people are happy about that, cos it's a pub they loved going to and still want to enjoy going to.
 
chegrimandi said:
oh go on then I will - but I have to do more work in five minutes so might not be able to fully hand you your arse on a plate...
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Ooh, competitive selective quoting now. I'm quaking now Cheggers.
:D

Still, nothing that I'd disagree with in that quote that you selected - I hated the idea of a whole pub concept being imported direct from Inverness in prospect, and I did in reality too. However, it's changed a hell of a lot since then - see post above - with the management making numerous changes to the concept. It's come a long way since they boasted 'Saor Patrol' as their biggest band (four beardies with drums), and a no reggae or electronic music policy. Good on them for taking steps to change.

Here's what I said on the second page of this long thread. I'll stick by that. Something did give and the place is benefiting as a result

tarannau said:
Maybe, as I've said in an earlier post, there'll be more of a compromise than the website suggests. Maybe the Scottish soundtrack and schtick willbe less than relentless and the bands will be shipped out to a deserted and soundproofed back room, letting the old guard sup their pints unmolested by bagpipes and fiddles. Maybe there'll be more a variety and the place will attempt to be more inclusive and inkeeping with its surrounds. But - judging from their website and proud Scottish branding - something's got to give before that happens.
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chegrimandi said:
I could go on but I'm bored now.
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I think the point is that eveyone was up in arms about turning the pub into a traditional scottish music venue. Not about it changing management as such.

I was told by the new manager from the outset that there would be no reggae music, no dance music, that they would only show scottish football etc etc...and this is what pissed me and other regulars off. It was a ridiculous idea that everyone thought would fail - and it did!


The pleasant surprise is that the management seem to have realised what a silly idea it was in the first place, and changed the pub into something much more suited to the people who go in there. Now I'm happy to see it full of people, with good live music and the much missed pool tables back in place. It just took a while to get there...

:)
 
dodgepot said:
what's your point, cheg?

the pub was going to be turned into a scottish themed pub, people said it would be rubbish and wouldn'twork. the scottish theme pub opened, didn't exactly have a roaring success, and is moving more and more away from that venture to something which the punters prefer more. and people are happy about that, cos it's a pub they loved going to and still want to enjoy going to.
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that there was much ado about nothing. ooo no a scottish pub! how terrible. people's willigness towards fear and panic and think the worst and engage in nonsense.

Oh shit we really like it. Still - at least I had a highly speculative moan on the internet about it!

re run to - ooo look urban75 has made it like that!

lol.

bullshiiiiiitttttttttttttt

Like I said in my original post - it just made me laugh at how typical it was in forums - the pointlessness of it.

It's an even better thread now tarannaus trying to claim it as a victory for people power and U75!

:D
 
Do you have a problem with your spacebar Cheggers? All these funny one line paragraphs make you look all jumpy.
:(

Don't think anyone's suggesting that urban 75's made it change, but the pub has taken steps to become more inclusive. I'd suggest it's more the regulars who've helped push things along, a fair few of whom I know well.

FWIW, here's what I said on this thread over a year ago:

tarannau said:
My recommendations? Open the smaller bar up so that people walking down busier Brixton Water Lane can pop in. Bring back the pool table to encourage some daytime custom - it's so deathly in there of late that people often look in and then turn around again during the day. Drop the idea that Scottish sport should be prioritised whatever - having more than a bar's worth watching Arsenal on a small screen and less than 2 people watching Rangers in the massive room. Retain staff for longer and employ better (there's one lady in there who's painfully slow) stop reserving the best of too few tables for their mates on prime nights. Get a better variety of acts on, particularly during the week - it's the same old faces again and again. Don't send free drinks tokens out - that'll encourage the same faces in - but consider combined drinks and food deals to boost trade in quieter times. Sort the toilets out once and for all - the sewage smell still lingers.

And sort the beer garden out in readiness for summer - that's their best chance. Sunshine will bring new faces. They stand a chance with their more inclusive feel, but reverting back to the customer-repelling two men and their mandolin/bagpipe combo stereotype approach would be a mistake.
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No trumpets need to be blown - a lot's common sense after all - but that's pretty much exactly what's happened. They've even reopened the Water Lane entrance and put a new gate on in the last few months.
 
Here's what I think happened...

pub changed ownership
policy to play fucking shed loads of bagpipes
no one liked it
managers started to put something other than bagpipes on
people liked it
managers put more bands and other stuff on
people liked it even more...

:D easy :D

...to be honest, when it first changed, I'd go past every day with gaijinboy and we'd giggle 'cos all we could ever hear was bagpipes. It was ridiculous and off-putting and we never wanted to go in. Now there's some good bands and a whole variety of stuff going on. Which is good! So we've changed our minds. Which is pretty much what has happened on this thread!

What is a shame though is that they lost the comedy club to The Dogstar just as the bloody smoking ban kicked in (the smoke in that room used to really put me off). I also mourn the loss of the Mexican food (although the Thai food is nice too).
 
Very full, wasn't it.

Max Romeo seemed to go down well, as did the Brixton based mc and mates afterwards. Changed since those early bagpipe nights it certainly has.
 
4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
To open up a Scotish pub
They tried thier very best
With Tatty Kilts,
nae underpants
an Rab Nesbitts auld string vest
But when it didnae work fae them
The plan had tae be revised
Suddenly were back tae fun
They had been Brixtonized!!!!!!!

They seemed, these wild highlanders, to have been tamed!!!!

Huff sed, Y'ken?:D
 
hipipol said:
4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
To open up a Scotish pub
They tried thier very best
With Tatty Kilts,
nae underpants
an Rab Nesbitts auld string vest
But when it didnae work fae them
The plan had tae be revised
Suddenly were back tae fun
They had been Brixtonized!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Rascist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:








;)
 
hipipol said:
4 and 20 Virgins came down from Inverness
To open up a Scotish pub
They tried thier very best
With Tatty Kilts,
nae underpants
an Rab Nesbitts auld string vest
But when it didnae work fae them
The plan had tae be revised
Suddenly were back tae fun
They had been Brixtonized!!!!!!!

They seemed, these wild highlanders, to have been tamed!!!!

Huff sed, Y'ken?:D
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4 and 20? Are you sure? 4 maybe.
 
teuchter said:
I'd just like to point out that Rab C Nesbitt was not a Highlander. Thank you.
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In fairness it doesn't suggest he is, merely that these 4 and 20 Highlandish virgins were in possession of his vest when they alighted on Brixton.

Questions should be asked, however, as to how they came into possession of such an article, which leads me back to my suspicions about the veracity of his virginity claims.
 
Ahm nae fuckin racist:mad:

As I was born in Perth with family in Fife, Perthshire and Ballater in Aberdeen, you see, Highland and softy lowlander blood in the veins, so I am ideally placed tae tak the pish:p

Specially of you, Countrychappie!!!:D
 
hipipol said:
Ahm nae fuckin racist:mad:

As I was born in Perth with family in Fife, Perthshire and Ballater in Aberdeen, you see, Highland and softy lowlander blood in the veins, so I am ideally placed tae tak the pish:p

Specially of you, Countrychappie!!!:D
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I think your claims to Highland blood are somewhat controversial.
 
pboi said:
dancing Santa outside.

that is all
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Really? I knew I missed out by not going for a quick pint tonight.

I wonder if they've persuaded the poor sandwich-board man to take on a new dancing role, or it could just be a pissed local knowing the hob.
 
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