Quentin Investigates….. When doors close, others open
I must say, that fateful day I fell over the table of businessmen one afternoon not so very long ago I was clearly the worse for wear after having decided I was the chief taster for Glenwhateveritwas. I don’t normally wear a suit, but that day I was on my way back from court after having just been relieved of everything I’d ever worked for by my embittered ex wife who I am almost certain knew the judge on a personal level. It wouldn’t surprise me but that’s another story.
Refill
Anyway, embarrassing as it was I thought I looked the part in the whistle and after having replenished said gentlemen’s glasses, I had decided that portraying myself in the sorry state of mind I was actually in wasn’t an option. The suit helped I’m sure, as the nonsense began to blurt freely from my mouth.
Gibberish
Now, I’m not actually a journalist perse, but a very good friend of mine actually is, so I know that it’s one of those professions whereby having a few in the afternoon is perfectly acceptable practice. Anyway, it must have been pretty damn plausible because here I am! I have vague recollections of waving goodbye to these insurance types, and thought no more about it until a few days later when the email arrived welcoming me on board.
So, deciding that this was possibly an opportunity to take my mind off the ex wife, I donned my lucky suit and went off in search of opinions on the demise of the Great British Pub trade.
My first stop was The Rocket, aptly situated by Coventry Railway Station. It was quiet, but offered a friendly welcome from the manager, an Indian gentleman who introduced himself as ‘Rash’. My initial thought was this may be a literal name and that was why there was a lack of custom but this was quickly forgotten as he told me that although many years ago the Rocket was a hive of activity including being a live music venue, in recent years it had died a death, and as was the case with so many places, had struggled to recapture its former glory.
“The owner only took the place on 3 months ago, and we’re closing again this weekend. It’s these so called Pubcos. They wanted him to invest thousands in the place refurbishing the upstairs into letting rooms which would be perfect right by the station and in the kitchen so we could offer food but were only prepared to offer him a 2 year lease so he’s just thrown the keys back at them.”
Cancelled Insurance Policies
The guys at CompareCrazy.com agreed that when it came to pub insurance, they had noticed a disproportionate amount of landlords cancelling their policies prior to renewal as they were closing down for one reason or another so I have taken it upon myself to visit some establishments over the coming weeks and see where it’s all going wrong and hopefully come up with some solutions whilst trying to promote the places I visit.
If you know any pub landlords, tell them to look out for my blogs over the coming weeks, or indeed get in touch with me, qthrapstock@comparecrazy.com.
The first words of wisdom I can offer are these. In a market where money is seriously tight, you could save a fortune on your pub insurance through CompareCrazy.com. The business insurance comparison site!
