NFR - Bricklayers Arms Fundraiser

[Kemosabe]

I know that a number of you on here have been known to visit the Bricklayers Arms in Waterman Street.  You may be aware that the pub has been closed for the last few months for major refurbishment.

This now appears to be close to completion, but has proved to be more expensive than planned, not least due to the discovery of asbestos in quite large quantities in the old lavatories.  You can find more details on Becky's twitter (@brickybecky) which has lots of photos.

Anyway it appears that she and Chris Walsh (who is going to be managing the pub - as Becky told me when I bumped into her a few weeks back) are looking to raise some money to get the last bits of work over the line.  To do this, they have set up a project on Crowdfunder.  The link is:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-bricklayers-arms---independent-putney-local

Now I realise that some of you may think this a rather unorthodox approach, but the reality is that pubs up and down the country are facing an existential crisis and aren't going to have any customers for a few months yet.  The Brick is a free house and doesn't have support from one of the big breweries to backstop it.  If you value the Brick (as I do) and have happy memories of celebrating unlikely victories, or just commiserating over incidents of daylight robbery (Mark Halsey and Arsenal, anyone?), then think about making a donation. 

I've had many happy years drinking in the Brick, and I see my donation as a downpayment on many more to come in the future.  You don't have to make a big donation (although some people have) and there are some rewards on offer if you're feeling generous.

If you don't agree with this sort of thing, then please just scroll past to the next topic.

And if you still need persuading, it seems that the rebuild has facilitated the reinstatement of the beer garden, which used to be a glorious sun-trap on a sunny afternoon.

082.gif  082.gif  082.gif  :beer:

[Penfold]

Donation made. Unlike a lot of the pubs in Putney, it's not been  given the gastropub treatment.

[MikeTheCubed]

Always enjoyed the Brick and its beer range.

I thought the beer garden was sold off for a housing development?

[WhiteJC]

my favourite pub in Putney  :beer:

[Kemosabe]

Always enjoyed the Brick and its beer range.

I thought the beer garden was sold off for a housing development?

Most of it was sold off, that's correct.  But there was still a small space accessible via the door next to the Gents lavatory - although this was generally locked.

Judging from the photos on Becky's twitter, it looks like the relocation of the lavatories to the back of the pub and the demolition of the old lavatories has opened up additional space and this will be accessible from the pub.  There won't be access from Waterman Street  like there used to be.

[MikeTheCubed]

I'm glad the crowdfunder was successful but I had my head in my hands for a moment here:

Massive Backlash to 'No Jab, No Pub' Proposal

Becky Newman at the Bricklayer's Arms in Putney supported the idea, telling Tierney-Jones, "I imagine it's going to take a year or so for people to begin to feel relaxed again about being in public spaces. So, with this in mind, I think I am quite pro-vaccine passport. It feels quite community spirited."

After a subsequent backlash on Twitter from her potential customers, Newman quickly changed her mind, stating, "General consensus from customers on Twitter so far is a big fat no!"

Donor's free pint back on the cards then  :beer:.

[Kemosabe]

I did think about the Brick when I first heard the suggestion (not by Becky) that pubs might only serve people who could demonstrate that they had been vaccinated or had a recent negative test.

I remembered Becky not opening one (home) match day because the police had intelligence that a bunch of away fans (can't remember who) were planning to come to Putney and cause trouble.  Becky said that, as a small free house, she couldn't afford to get in security staff to look after the door.

So I wondered how she would handle a requirement to check Covid status for all her customers.

FWIW, I think it's up to customers to decide whether they want to go to the pub - if they think it's too risky they can always drink at home.  Where it gets interesting is considering whether there is a legal duty of care that the owner/tenant owes to bar staff.  I'm not a lawyer, but I can see this question being raised at some point...

Personally, I'm just looking forward to the first pint of Ram Tam (or whatever they renamed it...)
:beer:

[Penfold]

I did think about the Brick when I first heard the suggestion (not by Becky) that pubs might only serve people who could demonstrate that they had been vaccinated or had a recent negative test.

I remembered Becky not opening one (home) match day because the police had intelligence that a bunch of away fans (can't remember who) were planning to come to Putney and cause trouble.  Becky said that, as a small free house, she couldn't afford to get in security staff to look after the door.

So I wondered how she would handle a requirement to check Covid status for all her customers.

FWIW, I think it's up to customers to decide whether they want to go to the pub - if they think it's too risky they can always drink at home.  Where it gets interesting is considering whether there is a legal duty of care that the owner/tenant owes to bar staff.  I'm not a lawyer, but I can see this question being raised at some point...

Personally, I'm just looking forward to the first pint of Ram Tam (or whatever they renamed it...)
:beer:

They've renamed it Landlord Dark. Effectively, Ram Tam was always Landlord with a little caramel added, but can't see the point in rebranding it. Dark mild is Golden Best with a little caramel. I still like all of them 😋