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Brassed off
Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date online: 27 May 2010
Pub closes door on band contests
A defiant pub landlord is calling time on his busiest day of the year tomorrow because of controversial security issues at the brass band contests in Saddleworth.
Wayne Lawton will close the Hare and Hounds in Uppermill at 4pm, shortly before the event — described as the UK’s greatest free show — is due to start.
The move follows weeks of uncertainty and turmoil which culminated in police chiefs and council officials ordering six pubs to use security staff and plastic glasses.
Mr Lawton (47) has run the pub on High Street for nine years. He said: “I deeply regret closing — it is not a decision I have taken lightly. But we have been under tremendous pressure and the police, fire and licensing authorities could make us a scapegoat if they need to blame someone should anything go wrong.
“We don’t think it is a safe environment. This is a public event and a family festival and we do not have jurisdiction over the number of people who will attend. It’s regretful, particularly for our regulars and locals. Paying security staff is not the issue. But they don’t know our customers or the local situation.”
Problems began when landlords across the villages, some away from band contest venues, were told they had to follow the strict security guidelines.
However, after intervention by Councillor John McCann and MP Phil Woolas, sanctions were lifted for all but six pubs in the area. Now Mr Lawton has ditched the installation of a toilet block for the event and scrapped plans to have a catering unit on the pub car park.
He will also be removing wooden benches from in front of the premises and laying off part-time staff who would have been working during the evening.
“We want to keep a low profile,” he explained. “We are really upset to have to take this decision on the busiest day of our year.”
Pub-goer Edward Buckley (69) said: “I agree with the landlord’s decision. It is very difficult from everyone’s point of view.”
Saddleworth publicans claim some problems are caused by outsiders who bring their own drinks to the event. Some landlords, not included in the licensing action plan, are making their own arrangements with security firms as a precaution.
Granby Arms landlady Debbie Hardie, just a few hundred yards from the Hare and Hounds in Uppermill, is asking for information surrounding previous trouble hotspots to be released.
She even hinted at standing as a parish councillor in a bid to save the brass band contests and other traditional events which she claims are being weighed down by bureaucracy.
A police spokesman said there were six drink-related public order offences reported at last year’s event — and 20 in 2008.
Pubs which must adhere to the security measures are The Granby Arms, Wagon and Horses, Hare and Hounds, The Commercial and Uppermill Conservative Club — all in High Street, Uppermill — plus the Church Inn, Running Hill Gate, Uppermill.
Several off-licences must also close at 10pm and supply door staff from 4pm.
These are: Raja Bros, Oldham Road, Springhead; Simply Drinks, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield; Co-op, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield; Co-op, High Street, Uppermill; Co-op, King Street, Delph; Spar, High Street, Uppermill; and Dobcross Post Office.
Diggle Post Office will close at 7pm.
Comments
The useless brigade is just looking to cover it's back in case anything goes wrong. They know that they don't have the competence to cope if anything goes wrong, and as the landlord says, they would seek to make him the scapegoat.
The agressive way the event is policed is unnecessary, but there's no telling them, they always know best.
A suprisingly common sense retort by the landord and who can blame him, he will know just how much ale he is capable of selling during the evening why risk his licence.
The Licensing plan will have been rubber stamped by a Senior Police Officer with no practical policing experience at this event.
These so called police chiefs and council officials want to get a grip on Oldham town centre instead of interfering with things they know little about in Saddleworth
As for the six drink-related public order offences reported at last year’s event i would imagine that they get more than that every hour every Friday night on Yorkshire Street.
What really is annoying about this situation is it will all be down to one individual person on the council who has come up with these ridiculous rules!
The real focus in all this is the need for a police presence at all the off licences mentioned and the ability for the police to stop and search anyone looking under age with carrier bags or the obligatory back pack.It is so easy for under 18s to get hold of fake id (or someone with fake id)and purchase alcohol.A MESSAGE TO PARENTS OF UNDER 18s-PLEASE DONT BUY YOUR KIDS ALCOHOL.ITs 18 FOR A REASON!!!.THEY HOPEFULLY HAVE 60+ YEARS TO DRINK AS MUCH AS THEY WANT.Dont spoil it for everyone else!!
well done wayne! the ideas of door security was stupid. the people who frequent the pubs on whit friday arent the problem.
it the rest who seem to bring the trouble as well as their supermarket booze with them.
they're just trying to police the event on the cheap and we all know it.
its a shame as i usually use both the the commercial and the hare and hounds on whit friday but at least ive had some prior warning.
might pop in tonight and congratulate wanye on standing up to the useless brigade!
Why are the PCSOs not menationed? All I see them doing is riding round on bikes all day. This is an ideal occasion to use them rather than blame landlords and expect them, and shops, to foot the security bill. Isn't all this part of the policeing included in our council tax bills? Or is that only for those on Yorkshire St on Fridays who don;t take responsibility fro their own actions ?
I agree with this, I am sure the locals do not mind because I doubt if they would be able to enjoy the visit to the pub even if they mange to get in. This festival has been taken over by the booze brigade.
DiggleDangler if your that worried about Wayne contributing to the downfall of the Whit Friday walks why don't you put your hand in your pocket and pay for security at Wayne's pub and also the hundreds of plastic glasses that will need to be bought, if your not willing to do this, then don't blame Wayne.
Well Done Wayne!!! You can't be blamed for anything now.
I think it might be worth mentioning the request to close at 11.30, together with security on the door, seems to be just that, a request. The police may have sent letters (requesting signature) as with the councils Licensing Action Plan, however it does not seem to be mandatory. Perhaps the 6 publicans need to question whether the police have the power to state that premises "will close" and whether the council have the power to require security on the door.
Chaddyender - whit friday would have put 1000's over the bar, absorbing the door cost and leaving plenty on the bottom line for profit. With pubs being in a decline anyway surely some money is better than none - which is exactly what he will make tomorrow night.
Surely it isn't the people in the pubs the police need o worry about?
Its the 14 year olds falling over drunk in the streets!
And the alcohol for that will be bought well in advance of Friday!
The Police don't need to "police" the pubs-its the streets!
Well Done Wayne, its a shame you did not get the backing of the other pubs in the area!!!!
It seems to me its the council etc that are trying to kill off the one of the few tourist pulls the area has left.
Why should the council and police get away with deligating their responcibility by forcing you and ultimatly your coustomers to pay for "off your own back" for something we have allready payed for in our council tax.
Do pubs round football grounds have to provide security on a bi-weekly basis?
I might go into the local bookies and see what odds they are offering that the band contests will have been scrapped within the next 5 years - because that is the way things are going unless the all powerfull 'politically correct' and 'human rights' brigades continue to get their way. OK, those issues might not be directly affecting the band contests, but it is the lack of discipline in society caused by them that is causing such long-standing BRITISH traditions to now be in danger
What the police and council are doing is the same as they did in the town centre. Because they can't be bothered to to do the job they are paid for,i.e. sort out the trouble makers, they pass the buck onto someone else. How about value for money for a change?
If the police had done their job in the proper manner in previous years and arrested ALL the troublemakers then they would know they could'nt spoil the day / night for everybody else this year. Its typical of the police to throw the blame on others for their own incompetence. Friday could have gone ahead without any trouble if the police had made positive statements that they would arrest and charge anybody causing trouble or being drunk.Why do we pay in out tax for a useless police force.
Is another part of the Oldham (area) heritage under threat?
Not sure if 'Mr Plod' would agree to it but couldn't the landlord have a 'private party' for regulars, with doors locked, and not have to worry about doormen?
Well-done wayne & bev, you have made the right decision, wish you would have got the backing from pubs in the village what happened to solidarity! if the council are going to give the go ahead for these events to happen then surly they should have the resources in place to man such events, they are just putting the onus on the landlords. If licensing, police & fire service helped and supported the publican instead of using bulling tactics and got on with there own jobs, events would run better
I am quite surprised all the publicans have not stuck together on this one. If they all decided to close I am quite sure the Council and Police would have been forced to rethink the whole issue. This year needs a strong zero tolerance stance from the Police and maybe all the incoming trouble makers would think again next year. What was once a great family orientated event has now become a magnet for yobbo's! Its a shame.
The band contest is supposed to be a fun day for all and for many years it has been just that. It seems that our 'supposed' borough council hasn't the foggiest about events that are famous around the country! It seems that their reaction to that lack of education is reason enough for them the over-react by policing the events as you would if there were riots!! Not only that, but it would seem that sending that many police to one place does two things: intimidates and confuses. Good on ya Wayne
Have Your Say
Whit Friday is one of few british traditions left in our area. By rolling over to the idiots in charge Wayne is contributing to destroying Whit Friday - nice one. I cannot understand the desicion to have door staff in shops what will it acheive ? nothing thats what anyone reading this paper will get their alchol today while the shops are open. Goodbye Whit Friday well done GMP and liscening authorities. I hope the same rules will aplly for Yanks, Rushcart and Folk Festival!
By DiggleDangler @ 27/05/2010 13:13:04