Last orders at the bar
Photographer Chris Etchells has been working on a project called Last Orders At The Bar: The Demise Of The Great British Pub.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 52 pubs are closing each week and the figures for the first six months of 2009 show the rate of pub closure increased by a third, so Chris' photographic project is timely.
Chris feels that:
"Hidden amongst the demolition and dereliction are some architectural gems. Remember, just because something is broken doesn't mean it isn't beautiful. These photos are not an obituary for the British public house, but a petition against their decline written with homage to their lost charm."
You can see a selection of his pictures in a photo gallery here.
The project is ongoing and Chris hopes to exhibit the work and perhaps produce a book; for now, he's still gathering pictures and looking at the background to the closures.
Chris said:
"It's too easy too simply blame this decline on the recent credit crunch and ignore the other factors at work, the change in society for a start. The pub used to be the bastion of the working man.
"People socialise differently these days. The internet and social networking sites keep people in touch and up-to-date with their friend's daily news and gossip in a way that used to be served by socialising in the pub night after night.
"So are things really that bad? Is the glass half empty or half full? Not all licensed premises are faring so badly. Pubs that have diversified into offering food are able to buck the trend, being able to act more like restaurants with the added social aspect a pub brings. City centre bars seem to be prospering too, as are the ubiquitous chain pubs for obvious economic reasons."
I wish Chris well in his project: it's well-conceived and has a strong visual pull, so the final set should be engaging.
My ongoing photo a day project on Kodachrome continues, and this week's picture is a street photo taken in London. A simple enough shot. The red/orange stripes in the window caught my eye and then I was lucky enough to spot this woman with red hair passing through the frame. You can read more about the project in my post from a few weeks ago.
As before, I'd love to hear from anyone who is shooting their own project, whatever the subject or format, digital or film, and I'll mention some of them as we go along. So if you'd like to be featured, send me an e-mail.
My next picture will be published here next Wednesday; in the meantime you can follow the daily set of pictures here.
I'm 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~32~RS~)
Comments
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this is a national tragedy. so many communities destroyed.
no more post offices, no more local banks branches, no more libraries, and now no more pubs. fear of crime keeps people indoors. the government wants to keep us indoors and to stop us interacting within our communities.
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Please take a look at the case of the Pump and Tap public house in Leicester. It is a magnificent Victorian building, serves real ale and hosts live music in an old railway arch at the back of the pub.
The nearby De Montfort University has bought the building and the pub is closing on the 27 November (even denying the locals a last hurrah at Christmas). It is to be demolished, along with the beautiful (yet neglected) ex-Great Central Railway Bowstring Bridge (work has started).
The local community are outraged. Two of their most precious landmarks are being razed and a sports centre for students is to take their place.
If anyone can step in at the 11th hour and help save these structures then you'd be heralded in Leicester's West End!
Use web search engines and look up "Bowstring Bridge Leicester". PLEASE HELP!
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Great photos Phil, you have inspired me to take some photos of the declining Pubs in my area and post them somewhere online. You have really caught the atmosphere not just of the shut pub, but the surrounding area and the effect its had.
Pub closures represent a shift in culture and also a way for people to save money, with deals at the supermarket equating to a pint as low as 57p, why go out and spend £2.50 - £3 on the same? Also there is better entertainment and more comfort at home now so people are less inspired to go out the door. People are more healthy and probably on average drinking less. The town/village where I live has supported 9 pubs until recently, there were so many per house as it was a mining area in the early 1900s. Of these 3 have now closed (1 houses, 1 to be houses & 1 an Indian Restaurant), 2-3 are doing well, and the other 3-4 are fairly quiet and some may also close. For every Pub that closes a Cafe bar opens up somewhere else, which is great news?
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Very poignant photography, however I notice that all the photos are taken in the North of England. Is this because the Northern Pubs are fairing worse than their Southern counterparts. Or does it have more to do with where the photographer lives?
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The French Horn. A perfect example of what we're losing - a charming, naively baroque gateway to a world of conversation, community and the generally unashamed consumption of mostly inoffensive intoxicants. Places like these should at least be listed, lived in and preserved.
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Hi,
I took over an historical pub site for Essex Pubs, a few years ago (thanks to Ian Hunter - god bless). Since this time, a rather sad wino at home now runs probably the best historical site for Pubs in the South of England - (see deadpubs.co.uk).
There are a considerable number of contributors to the pub history site, and also NOT all pubs are dead; but they are closing at a rapid rate these days as already mentioned.
Incidentally, my home town (Romford) is bucking the trend, but hey ho.
There are lots of pictures, census and trade directory details on the site; plus quite a few family histories. Some areas are well covered, others not so.
Enjoy.
Kevan
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There is a wiki that allows contributions to map "dead pubs" (mostly in London at present) at http://www.deadpubssociety.org.uk/
See also http://www.deadpubs.co.uk/ for a staggering record of dead pubs.
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