Swan song?
A quick post because I’m pushed for time. But it’s a topic I’ve been meaning to write about - and I promised a reader that I would.
The photo above (courtesy of here) is of a local pub, The Swan, on Clapton Common.
Many residents are angry because it is in the process of being sold off by owners Punch Taverns. They’re particularly annoyed by the fact that none of the pub staff or customers knew about this, or were consulted on the plans.
The situation is particularly delicate because the pub is being bought by local Orthodox Jews who plan to turn the building into a synagogue.
There are arguments on both sides, as this letter from a local Orthodox Jew shows. If, as he says, Hackney Council makes it difficult for his community to create new facilities of this kind, then who can blame them for buying a suitable building like the pub?
For what it’s worth, the Swan isn’t my favourite local drinking hole (although I like it well enough, and occasionally drop in for a pint), and if the owners want to sell it that’s their prerogative. That said, there are precious few pubs in this locality, and this one is genuinely welcoming to all communities. The only other boozer in the area is down by the canal, and that is so tiny that it could never meet demand.
What I don’t like about the situation is that The Swan appears to have been sold off without the knowledge of those people whose livelihoods depend on it, and without telling the people for whom it is a popular community facility. That is shabby.
If Punch Taverns must sell, I’d prefer to see the pub on the open market, rather than sold off in a secretive deal, which was obviously going to be controversial from the outset. That way, if there’s enough local will to keep the building in use as a pub, I’m sure people will raise the money to do it. Or convince another buyer to step in on their behalf - it’s certainly a pub that could, with an imaginative approach, be very profitable indeed.
There’s more on the story at the new campaign site www.savetheswan.com. And if you’re in the area, and you want to show your support, there’s a meeting at the pub at 7pm this Sunday (7th September).
Published on 2nd September, 2008
|