THE CLOSURE of a decades-old pub has left residents in despair as it follows the demise of other cherished boozers across St Helens - and leaves just one "traditional pub" in Haydock.
Following the news that Ship Inn was to close for the final time on Sunday, October 22, there was a huge response online as readers shared memories of the "good old days" at the Blackbrook Road pub.
However, others expressed frustration as the closure is the latest in a series of pub closures in the area, which follows trends seen across St Helens and the rest of the country.
St Helens' latest pub casualty
Over the past few decades, residents of Blackbrook, Haydock, and Fingerpost have seen pubs such as the Black Horse, Primrose Vaults, Princess Royal, the Huntsman, Rams Head, and the Wagon & Horses all close their doors for good.
This mirrors other closures across the borough, with the Phoenix Inn just out of the town centre, the Green Dragon in Sutton Manor, the Lingholme Hotel in Dentons Green, the Blue Lion in Newton-le-Willows, the Rams Head in Earlestown, and the Cherry Tree in Parr all closing down in years gone by.
This shows that the Ship is certainly not the first casualty of St Helens' pub scene, although it may be one of the first to go following the twin difficulties of the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Steve and Kim Padgham, who took over the Ship's management in January, spoke to the Star about the financial difficulties facing the pub, as brewing company Greene King "pulled the plug" and put the business up for sale in the summer.
Despite seeing an uptick in custom in the early part of the year, with beer prices slightly decreasing, the managers said that ever-increasing bills and customers' "lifestyle changes" had caused a considerable drop off in footfall and profits.
On the Ship's final weekend, Steve and Kim said it was the "busiest and highest turnover" they had since taking over, with customers sharing memories of the "good old days" of a pub that has stood proud since at least the 1970s.
However, this goodwill was not enough to save the Ship as its independent operator decided to close the business without the financial backing of the brewery.
Fewer pubs 'than ever before'
While the problems facing the Ship may have been accelerated by the pandemic and cost of living crisis, the examples of closures stated above show that this is a trend that dates back before the recent crises.
These closures are also by no means an issue specific to St Helens, with the Guardian reporting that there are now fewer pubs in England and Wales than ever before.
The total number of pubs dropped below a record low of 40,000 during the first half of 2022, while a further Guardian report noted that 383 pubs also vanished in the first six months of 2023, a rate of more than two a day.
The report also quotes Chris Jowsey, chief executive of pub chain Admiral Taverns, who said that it is likely that further pubs will close if the government goes ahead with plans to scrap a discount on business rates in March 2024, which was implemented in November 2022 to help businesses through the cost of living crisis.
The prospect of further pub closures is a cause for concern, not just for the jobs and revenue that will be lost, but also for the community atmosphere, camaraderie, and vital social spaces that will go with them.
Indeed, it was only during pandemic lockdowns that the immeasurable quality of pubs was brought to the forefront of people's attention, and their value as a social good widely understood and re-established.
Pubs still widely supported
While worries may persist for publicans in St Helens and across the country, there is no doubt that there has always been a healthy collection of boozers in the borough and customers willing to support them.
Many of these have been celebrated by the Star with our 'Pub of the Week 'features, such as this one on The George in the town centre, or by our 'Pub of the Year' campaign, which sees readers voting on their favourite venues, with the Millhouse in Sutton Leach taking this year's prize.
The St Helens and Districts Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) group also consistently shouts out about our borough's pubs and created this 13-strong real ale map of town centre boozers earlier this year.
Nine pubs across the borough were also listed in the Good Beer Guide for 2023, which provides a drinking guide to the best beers and drinks in the most picturesque and welcoming pubs.
'Use them or lose them'
Gillian Yates, Chair of St Helens and Districts Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch, has also noted the importance of community pubs, while warning that more may close unless they are widely supported by residents across the borough.
Gillian said: "In recent years, pub closures have remained high. A combination of factors, such as falling footfall and soaring property prices is leading to many owners shutting down their pubs and sadly the buildings are often converted to another use.
“When you think of the pubs in St Helens we’ve lost recently like The Ship and The Phoenix, it’s so important, now more than ever, to support our pubs; not only as a place to get a pint but as a hub of the community where people can go to feel safe and welcome.
“We still have a great pub and club scene in St Helens, we just need to support that and encourage people to support their local - you only have to look at the likes of the Haydock Reading Room.
"From our perspective as the Campaign for Real Ale, over the last couple of years, they have gone from not having any real ale pumps at all to consistently selling real ale and even going on to win CAMRA’s Merseyside Club of the Year competition.
"They have made great strides in providing their members with quality, locally brewed cask ales which in turn supports and promotes other local businesses.
“Given the last few difficult years for the pub industry, it’s vital that people get out there and support our local pubs and clubs to make sure they continue being a focus in the community for years to come.
"It’s a ‘use them or lose them’ scenario. If we don’t get out there and support our local pubs they will close – and sadly sometimes for good. “
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