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Feeling fleeced over pub closure
Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date online: 13 December 2011
CUSTOMERS who shelled out hundreds of pounds for Christmas dinner have been left feeling fleeced — for the pub has closed down.
Locals had booked and paid deposits to eat at the Golden Fleece in Denshaw on Christmas Day — but were dismayed to see the doors locked and the pub up for sale.
Kathryn Wayman, who paid £160 in deposits for a table for eight, has been unable to contact Mark and Angela Flynn, who ran the pub. A hand-written note in the window of the Oldham Road venue simply refers customers to call the regional manager of Punch Taverns which owns the building.
Kathryn said: “My mum said the pub never seemed very busy but we wanted to support them and give them our trade. I only found out it had shut down when I drove past and saw the ‘For Sale’ sign.
“It’s a good job I noticed it: we could have turned up for dinner or the week before to pay off the remainder and find we didn’t have a booking. That would have been three generations of our family eating beans on toast for Christmas dinner. We paid our deposit back in September.
“Luckily we have managed to book somewhere else, but any later and it could have been difficult to get in anywhere. I’m disappointed for them, but I’m disappointed that this has happened.”
Punch Taverns confirmed the pub has closed and that the property and business are now up for sale.
A spokesman said: “As the pub is operated effectively as the landlord’s own business, unfortunately there is very little we can do to help these people.”
The Chronicle was unable to contact the former landlords. The phone lines are no longer active.
Comments
Although people have lost money, the licencees have lost everything, as with so many other pub owners. Perhaps the villains of the piece are Punch taverns charging unrealistic high rents, and hopless politicians for separating brewers from their property chains. All that has been acheived is the death of the local pub - well done guys you must feel you're doing a great job
another loss to the area.
unless the pub industry get some serious help this is just going to continue.
This establishment has been under threat for a lengthy period with very few persons using such. In the end the title of this business summed the situation to a 'T'. Feel sorry for any persons who have lost their hard earned cash
Beans on toast. Come on now Christmas dinner is a Sunday roast with trimmings on when all said and done. I'm sure mrs Wayman could have knocked up something better than beans on toast up. After all the supermarkets are open until 7 on Christmas eve and reopen on boxing day.
On a serious note if you pay by credit card or Visa debit Card you can claim your money back. Never pay deposits with Cash.
Punch Taverns are abdicating their responsibility here.They own the building and sold all the beer to and took rent from the landlord.
daddydave, as debit card are effectively transacting the cash you have within your account, they don't come under the same rules as credit cards. It's all do with a certain rule within the Consumer Credit Act,by paying with a credit card for anything costing over £100 or under £30,000, the card provider becomes liable if you don't get what you've paid for and you can claim your money back. Debit cards don't fall under the same rules.
Jocrad if your debit card is a VIsa as stated in my pevious post you are covered. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/4082599.stm.
Always enlightening the people in the dark. I recieved £280 from Lloydstsb Visa Debit when purchased items never showed up.
Jocrad, Visa debit cards are covered as well and have been for a couple of years now. But any other types of debit card aren't.
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Absolutely digusting and disgraceful. I hope the ex-landlords have a happier Christmas than the poor people they have well and truly fleeced. One wonders what the world is coming to
By francis @ 13/12/2011 15:40:42