Commerce over Community

[mofgimmers]

Just a quick one this.

Basically, The Dog & Partridge pub in Bolton is being threatened with closure by developers wanting to turn it into flats. This is really bad news for Bolton as a town.

In short, The D&P is the centre of all things creative in Bolton. Live music, writers, designers... they all meet there. It is also the home of Bolton Music Collective, who are doing their best to drag Bolton out of the doldrums, and give it something worth shouting about.

If The D&P goes, then the hopes of anything decent happening in Bolton go with it. It's that serious. Signed/Established acts have played there, giving Bolton's unsigned bands a chance to support/watch them, and get the bug for live music. It pretty much means that a community that is trying to do good is under threat. The D&P has worked hard to establish a 'scene', only for Thwaites to get a noose ready.

If you give a sh!t about Bolton, go to http://www.thedogpub.co.uk/ for more details. Or email [email protected] with a letter of support. Please don't prove me right by being apathetic. If the developers win, let's at least make a bit of noise on the way down eh?

Cheers

Gimmers

[Luna]

I tried the hotmail adress and it doesnt work.

[warthog]

Well said Mof,

We're losing places like this right, left and centre. Before long, all we will have left will be crappy, overpriced wine bars pumping out muzak. It's vital that the dog is saved.

[Dujon]

I sympathise, Mof. It doesn't affect me directly (I'm a bit old for bopping around on a dance floor or willingly sending myself deaf!) but the same thing has happened over and over in Sydney, even though it's a city some 20 times as populated as is Bolton.

In some cases it has been because of development but the vast majority seems to be related to the all pervading poker machines (fruit machines to you, possibly). This has really knocked around the local live music scene and has been a source of much angst (expressed quite vocally in the local newspapers). Mind you, the behaviour of some of the patrons of these events and their affect on local communities hasn't helped much either. I'm a victim of some of these fuelled-up louts - many times - and so can understand the concerns of those who live even closer than I (about 1Km) to the gigs.

So you have my moral support if nothing else. Good luck.

[communistworkethic]

what I don't get is, why build trendy flats in bolton town centre? It's not like there are loads of large employers in the town centre is it? I just can't see why you'd want a town centre flat, especially at the end of the scrattiest row of bars in Bolton.

[Bruce Rioja]

what I don't get is, why build trendy flats in bolton town centre? It's not like there are loads of large employers in the town centre is it? I just can't see why you'd want a town centre flat, especially at the end of the scrattiest row of bars in Bolton.

Exactly. You'd be surrouded by car parks, St. Peter's Way, a small industrial estate, a fight on your doorstep every Friday and Saturday night, vomit on the pavement, shite from the neighbouring kebab house, people waiting for taxis pissing up your door, the wreckage of a burned out nightclub, a major traffic juntion. In fact, who exactly would they be hoping to sell them too? Even the Sally Army hostel's in a better location!

[mofgimmers]

I tried the hotmail adress and it doesnt work.

Sorry, try this [email protected]

[TANGODANCER]

Bolton Centre is a place you go to, not live in. It's always been that way. At one time you could walk home from Trinity Street Station and hardly see a soul on the way home to Halliwell. Bit like Malaga; everybody flies there on the way to somewhere else but few ever stay in it (Shame really because it's a terrific place). However....

Developes will stop at nothing these days. Oxford Road Station in Manchester is surrounded by appartments overlooking the platforms. Can't think of a worse place to be, yet they sell for silly money to business people. Bolton Centre was once a hive of activity with quality shops everywhere you looked. Now its all "Everything a pound" junk palaces and they want to get rid of the small traders even in the Market Place. Land is King and people of secondary importance. The Dog and Partridge will just become another victim to the land moguls. Such is the march of progress.

[communistworkethic]

the difference is TD, that Manchester is more or a metropolis than Bolton. There are 10's of thousands of jobs in and around the city and the development since the bombing of the arndale does lend itself to a city living lifestyle. Flats in Bolton don't have quite the same attractions, even if they are next to an all you can eat chinese buffet restaurant.

[TANGODANCER]

the difference is TD, that Manchester is more or a metropolis than Bolton. There are 10's of thousands of jobs in and around the city and the development since the bombing of the arndale does lend itself to a city living lifestyle. Flats in Bolton don't have quite the same attractions, even if they are next to an all you can eat chinese buffet restaurant.

Can't argue with that. Manchester's becoming madness on wheels.

[CrazyHorse]

Used to go in the D&P a lot years ago - I worked literally round the corner on Well Street and we'd go in at lunch and after work and into the night loads of times. Not been in for maybe ten years though now.

Trouble is the brewery needs to be making a good profit don't they? I fully expect the D&P to close just like scores of other similar pubs up and down the country. It's a sad fact.

[Harry Genshaw]

To my shame I have to admit that I wasn't aware there was a live music scene at the D&P. Dont go into Bolton TC much but I used to pop into the Man & Scythe the odd Saturday for my fix of live music.

To try and help Mofgimmers I'll get my ass down there and support it in future. See you in there? Any bands play Will Young covers do you know?!!

[Bruce Rioja]

I used to pop into the Man & Scythe the odd Saturday for my fix of live music

Do they still have the Busker's Ball on in there, do you know? A fine evening out and no mistake.

[Harry Genshaw]

To the best of my knowledge its still on, but I haven't been for a while

[warthog]

To try and help Mofgimmers I'll get my ass down there and support it in future. See you in there? Any bands play Will Young covers do you know?!!

Any bands playing Will Young covers will be invited to leave, and it won’t be by the door.

I’m not sure all the pessimism is justified. Thwaites are offloading a number of pubs. It’s a business decision, rather than some fiendish scheme to deprive Bolton of live music. As people have pointed out, it would be an awful place to live, given the location.

I suspect the panic comes from the sales particulars, where the terrifying words ‘suitable for alternative use’ have been uttered. Provided the place is in reasonable structural order, then the Dog would be a great investment as a going concern. It’s a lot bigger than it appears at first, has land for expansion at the back, and the price, £225,000, for a freehold, is an absolute steal.

[warthog]

I used to pop into the Man & Scythe the odd Saturday for my fix of live music

Do they still have the Busker's Ball on in there, do you know? A fine evening out and no mistake.

They've changed the format a bit now, but there is still live music.

[Bruce Rioja]

They've changed the format a bit now, but there is still live music.

Cheers, Wartie. I need to make more of an effort to get down there.

[mofgimmers]

http://www.myspace.com/savethedog

More info here

[Dr Hotdog]

i'll get behind it, i've only been there once a couple of weeks ago for a gig. it was great, nice little spot.

the new bergouracs (sp) looked like a disgrace though.

[kissoffboardy]

Hi, I'm a mate of Mof's just wanting to thank anyone lending support to this (although I am a Whites fan, so don't lynch me!).

As has been said, The Dog is not in the greatest of locations for "urban living" as I believe it's being described now ( ), but it seems the stuff higher up on Bank Street is also being sold off at the moment. The landlord from Bergeracs has also mentioned that his rent has been raised at the same time, which is all a bit worrying and leads us to believe that the whole street is going to be redeveloped by some private concern.

The pub has struggled for about 10 years and it's only recently that the current landlords, Terry and Neil have managed to turn it around with the help of the local music community. In the time that they've had it (coming up to 3 years) I'd say the only outlay from Thwaites has been to paint the exterior. In the same period they've opened and closed the spectacular white elephant that was Red On The Square, desperately jumping on the bandwagon for bars (shudder!) of that type. A tenth of the money from that could have made a massive difference down the Dog, but it's not the current trend and has been left to rot. Now that it's been turned into a going concern it's being sold from under us all.

Terry and Neil are trying to buy the place from the brewery, though I believe the asking price made a few leaps before the current estimate. So if any of you good trotters want to help keep a Bolton success going and keep the evil tide of homogenisation at bay, the best way is to pop into the Dog for a pint next time you're in town of an evening, putting some cash in Neil's pocket and helping to chip away at making the asking price. Drinking to help out-eveyone's a winner!

Tonight, if you're out and about, there's four eclectic bands and a spectacularly ignorant and insulting DJ for your entertainment. Bands are a noisy alternative bunch from Chorley, a rockabilly riot, some Chris Isaac/Cramps influenced voodoo and someone doing drum'n'bass versions of Northern Soul classics. A strange mix but the Dog's that kind of place. Two quid in is quite frankly a bargain. More details if you're interested on the Bolton Music Forum (it's in my sig).

Oh and anyone looking for a Busker's Ball type night should try the Dog's acoustic night on Sundays.

Again thanks to anyone supporting, hope to see you down there at some point