Monday 3 January 2011

Tree felled


Here are a couple of poignant pictures, taken in today’s winter sunshine, of the Cherry Tree, a large estate-type pub in Romiley near Stockport, which has recently closed. The architecture is either late 1930s or 1950s. Even though it is on the main road, it has to be honest looked like a candidate for closure for several years. It is still open on Google StreetView, although surrounded by a sea of scarcely-used car park.

12 comments:

  1. Yes, I noticed this when I was back at Christmas. My dad reckon's it's been shut about 2 months. More housing coming soon, do we think?

    It has had a reputation as a den of iniquity for a long time, so I'm not surprised it's closed. I bet the riff raff won't end up at the Stock Dove (reopened after a year or so closed but now much posher) so it'll probably be the Greene King owned Romiley Arms. Not that that's a pub I've ever wanted to go in, either...

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  2. Driving through Romiley at about 1.30 pm today, I was surprised to see Robinsons' Railway next to the station shut.

    Apparently the next candidate for closure is the Ash Hotel in Heaton Norris.

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  3. Mudgie

    Can you email these pictures to me for use in OT please?

    The Ash is certainly next - last day is 16 January. It has been sold and will not be reopening as a pub (apparently the whole site is very large so it will be ideal for housing. Not sold cask for years.

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  4. "It has had a reputation as a den of iniquity for a long time"

    There are a few pubs around here with the same fearful reputations, the Park End Pub was one of them, although I did not realise that at the time.

    When I first came to Middlesbrough, way back in 71, the first thing I did was look out the nearest pub, and that pub was the Park End. Over the years Mrs Yin and I had many a good time there. The first Christmas day I was surprised to see them open, and they gave you a free glass of Whiskey too boot. That would infringe some law or other these days.

    One of the landlords that I met over the years was Joe Livingston (Joe Livo to his friends.)

    Joe Livo had a son who thinks of himself as a hard man, and I watched him punch a less than troublesome drunk to the floor over a comment he made about livo's poolshot, how brave of livo the second. The same Livo now runs a successful security business...go figure.

    I guess what I am trying to say is that we all look for our pub idyll Curmudgeon and we deserve to find it, and god knows, you have done more searching than most. May the tooth fairy open up that idyll next to your house.

    Hope you and yours see 2011 as the best year of your lives.

    Respect.

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  5. Sorry, the Joe Livingstone link didn't work, let me try again. (Damn, I forgot the 'equals sign (=) in the link.

    Joe Livingstone, who died last year, I remember him fondly, but not his son.

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  6. The last cask ale I remember the Cherry Tree selling was John Smiths. And that was some time ago.

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  7. There seems to be a disproportionate number of 'Roadhouse' pubs closing. I don't know if it's the expense of running larger pubs, or the internal spoiling of the original designs coming home to roost. Whichever, these large husks seem to stand out more than smaller, street corner locals when they close down.

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  8. I lived in Romiley for a few months, back in 1977?. I don't remember the Cherry Tree, but used to drink quite a bit in the Friendship. Hope that one's still open.

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  9. "There seems to be a disproportionate number of 'Roadhouse' pubs closing."

    See my latest Opening Times column.

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  10. Yo Cumudgeon,

    When I lived up North as a yoof they built a large boozer in my neck of the woods called The Beech Tree,named after an old large and impressive beech tree in the grounds.

    Unfortunately they built the carpark around it without any drainage,so it couldnt get any water and quickly died.

    So the tree was felled..;(

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  11. They better not level my family home! We lost it to the govt and now they build a bloody car park on our land! Think we got 2 row houses on what use to be our farm! I think I will pester the local govt to return it to the Adshead's!

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  12. http://planning.stockport.gov.uk/PlanningData/AcolNetCGI.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=110200

    Where is MY 'Adshead's' history going?

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