Someone around here recently said, "Shops in places like Macc need to re-invent themselves or die."

Is the same not true of traditional pubs then? If not, why not?

   I love a traditional pub, its so annoying when i visit home these days to find these bright, airy kiddie orientated pubs with no proper bar, poorly trained staff and overpriced foods.

I dont love Post Offices, no need for most of them, my opinion of course :-)

   SO, Satisfied Customer - you appear to be FOR the saving of apparently unprofitable businesses (such as traditional pubs) but AGAINST the saving of apparently profitable businesses (such as traditional local post offices)...

... are you always this contrarian? :-)

   I would not think that some pub food is better than others,depending on where they were situated. I once worked at the Butley Ash in the seventies, now youd think that was a posh nosh place all fresh with chef in the kitchen, Not so it was me Boiling in the bag Duck a L orange.Boil in the bag salmon steaks. The only thing that was fresh were the steaks, even the chicken in a basket was frozen chicken pieces thrown in the chip fryer, (defrosted first of course) I was just the cook a couple of evenings per week.I was never a trained chef.Macclesfield Arms lunchtime, foyer food. Fresh meat in the pies yes but frozen jus roll pastry and frozen veg. Frozen chicken portions in the chicken a la king. There always were too many pubs in macc anyway for them all to survive. The only survivors are like the Three Horseshoes just past Leek. Fully trained chefs doing fresh roasts, and help yourself to as much as you like FRESH vegetables.and all the trimmings you could want on top.

   I agree with you Martin about Wetherspoon culture. Viles pubs. A damning indictment of our times.

   It is becoming harder and harder to scratch a living from the pub trade, I have even had to send the Landlady out to get a day job!

There was a time SC, when I was the Landlord of the Woodman in Macclesfield and the fishman came round ever Friday and Saturday night. The place was full of happy drinkers enjoying themselves and relaxing after a hard weeks work. This is a picture that is no longer seen in the industry and it breaks my heart.

There is one thing that I blame more than anything on this situation and that is the birth of JD Wetherspoons in Macclesfield town centre. It has not only added to the excessive binge drinking culture of Macclesfield's youth but has ruined many a good pub. When I was a local DJ at the Flower Pot it used to be packed Thursday through to Sunday, now it is a shadow of it's former self after Wetherspoons opened offering cheap and nasty drinks to the naive punter. How can we compete with that?

   The satsfied customer.

Couldnt have put all that any better myself. How right you are!!!!

   I used to lend money for a bank in the area and they wouldnt lend any pub as a rule unless it was either child friendly, served food or both. That was 1998. This has been coming from years. The main problem is that many pubs in the country that should be done under the trades descriptions act when you taste the food compared to its description on the menu. For slow cooked beef stew or lamb shanks read boil in the bag microwaved processed junk half the time. The core customers of pubs (Drinkers and Smokers) have been marginalised at the expense of fun zones, kids running around like lunatics (I sat in the car as a kid or shivered in a childrens room that had no heating + was last refurbished before the great war, on the occasional warm day i'd sit out on a bench and be delighted with myself)and salt and pepper pots and cutlery messing the place up, you walk into some and there is mess everywhere!. The speed some of these places bring the food out from ordering is truly frightening. With their bright lights and airy chainpub feel most pubs are unwelcoming to drinkers and frankly the conservatory in this picture says it all. If that bright and souless room is attracting custom then the day of the traditional pub is over. Lets bring back smoking (in designated spaces - inside) and bring back jars of pickled eggs, the fishman (crabsticks anyone?) and pre-made ham barms that the landlady didnt try and dress up as some sort of gourmet food.

If i was a rural landlord i would meet with other landlords and arrange minibuses that took people out of Macc at designated times and brought them back into town after. It could drop off at a number of venues and regain some interest in some good traditional pubs. Some of the ones out in the Hills are superb. And for the record the Rising Sun doesnt class as rural in my opinion.