Help needed to save biker-friendly pub.

[yambabe]

Some of yo uwill know The Plough at Arncott, near Oxford. I've been to a couple of good parties there myself. Yesterday a friend of mine recieved this email from the landlady:

WE NEED HELP TO SAVE OUR BIKER FRIENDLY PUB - THE PLOUGH, ARNCOTT, OXFORDSHIRE

Please bear with us, this is a long email but if your a biker and you care about the dream we had to create a welcome safe haven for bikers to come to then read this:

THE HISTORY.

The Plough has been biker friendly for years: Tony & Gloria had the first bike do here many years ago, lots of biker rallys have been had and many a good time. Unfortunatly, Tony passed away in 1999, some of you would of seen the patch dedicated to him worn on the circuit. He had a massive biker funeral which was absolutly amazing considering he was not a biker, he was very respected in the biker world. Gloria, his widow tried her upmost to keep the pub going but struggled. We knew Gloria as we met her through the pub as we came to rallies here ourselves and my husband Keith (Adrenalin) had played in his band at the pub.

In March 2005 Gloria told Keith & I that she was leaving the pub, we were concerned and wanted to help financially to keep her in the pub. She said there was no point as Punch Taverns were not going to renew her lease, so there was nothing we could do.

Gloria left and Punch put the pub lease on the market, whilst it was on the market Punch paid Cavaliar Managemant Company £600 a week to put managers into the pub until the lease was sold.

Keith & I looked on the punch website to see what was going on and to our horror The Plough was being advertised as a 52 cover restaurant opportunity. If The Plough was to focus on food and food alone then no more live music and no more bike rallies, another one bites the dust!! After 12 months of advertising the lease no-one had taken it, not suprising really, there are many decent established food pubs in this area and Punch wanted £45,000 a year rent.

We contacted Punch Taverns and told them what we wanted to do with the pub, the bike rallies, the live music etc and they asked us to put a business plan together which we did. We were offered the tenancy, but we said we would only take it if they incorporated a stage and outside toilet and shower facilities. The plans for the refurbishment went ahead with a lovely looking pub design with a stage and the outside facilities. This was great, all we had to do was sign the lease, pay our money and wait for the refurbishment to take place so that we could move in. THEN WE MADE A BIG MISTAKE.....

Our Business Relationship Manager (BRM) at the time ( he has since gone) offered us the opportunity to come into the pub pre refurb, it would give us a chance to get to know the locals and make something out of the summer trade he said. Keith & I thought it would help us establish The Plough as a decent music venue and advertise it as a great rally venue. The deal was that we came into the pub in July 2006 and the refurb would happen in November 2006 4 months later. We agreed to this but only on the premise that we would run it for 4 months then the refurb must happen. We knew the pub was not doing very well and desperatly needed a makeover to encourage customer use.

Well, those bike groups who we already knew and the new ones we have met over our 17 months know what happened next, those groups being our old friends the Caldarium, the Beerhounds. The Grandfathers, The Creepy Crawlies, and our new friends, The Smugglers, The 3b's, The Warrior Owners club, plus a few others. Those of you who dont know what happened, very briefly, Punch Taverns reneged on the deal. After 12 dates being cancelled and very bad communication from our then BRM the refurb didnt start until July this year (2007). Whilst we were waiting for the ever eluding refurb we had hardly any trade apart from our biker rallys. The pub was taking £30 pound a day in the week yet the bills had to be paid. We refinanced twice to keep the pub open and running, another big mistake on our part.


THE CURRENT SITUATION

Punch have reshuffled management and we have a new BRM who is brilliant and rooting for us, but he has a new manager who only cares about figures and doesnt care about the facts. We have a lovely pub with our stage and outside showers and toilets, we have loads of bookings for rallys and festivals next year. But we are in debt to Punch and they have called that debt in now.

Since we reopened 10 weeks ago we have not been given a credit facility so we have had to buy beer before we can sell it, this has been difficult. Because of the bookings for next year and the response from customers since the refurb we were confident enough to put our owned property on the market, we had nearly sold but the buyer has just dropped. Then someone who was going to give us a loan also dropped. I thought I was going to be paying Punch what we owe them this week instead I cant and they have given me a week to pay it or game over we lose the pub.My BRM admits that we have been treated appalingly, but can do nothing unless the debt is paid. SO WHY ARE WE SENDING THIS EMAIL?

We are asking for any help possible from bike groups, if we can get you down this weekend to come and drink here we may make enough to pay Punch. We need to know who is coming, if anyone as we need to get the beer in. Is this just for us and our we out of order for asking? It is not just for us, we have a dream and we dont want to lose it yes. But we have worked hard for 17 months with a lot of stress and some tears. We do not get rich from being in this pub, Punch Taverns do, we are not in it to make loads of money. We are in it because we are passionate about biker rallies and live music and the general 'old school' pub.

Are we out of order for asking? We dont think so, we are being honest about our situation, we have done our dambness to get this place off the ground, we put our money where our mouth was, rightly or wrongly, to keep this place for bikers to come to.

If you can get down this weekend and drink our beer then please let me know by return email as we need to know to arrange the beer.

Obviously, if anybody wants to make a donation, or investment, or wants to complain to Punch about our treatment then great let us know, but we are not expecting that, we just wonder if anyone else there out in 'biker land' feels as passionatly as us about saving what The Plough stands for and what it can be.

If you have seen this as a begging email then we apologise, its just how many times has something like this happened and then someone says oh why didnt you say, and then you find out when its too late that the situation could of been avoided. We are very proud people and would hate to think that anyone thought we were begging, were not, we are just being honest and trying our best to keep this place for people like us.

We are very sorry if you feel we have wasted your time or if we have offended you in any way.

Keith & Dee.

It would be a real shame for this venue to go to the wall, it's a warm and friendly place in a nice part of the country. Thanks for reading.
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Kwaks]

Heartfelt letter, unfortunately I won't be able to go down, but would like the email for Punch Taverns
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Rookie]

To be honest if you go into business with Punch Taverns you should expect that sort of result, they're an absolute disgrace.

[veeeffarr]

Are you going to this Jo?

T

[m0l0t0v]

Near Oxford? I'm not too far from there. Only about 30 minutes away from Oxford. Is it this weekend? I /think/ I'm free so I might make some effort of coming down with my friends
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'99 Hornet 600 , VFR 400 NC30 '92 , Kasawamasaki GT 550 , '98 Hornet 600
**\Tarmacsurfer/** said: It's that immaculately manly coiffure of yours isn't it. One glimpse of your virile locks and the punters can't wait to buy whatever it is you suggest, as it might let them be just a little bit like the Adonis that is our very own Molly Doovydoo said: Its not my fault I can't get it up properly, I just wasn't blessed

[Fir3Blad3]

Hi
All i can say is the best of luck with keeping the pub open i know to much about punch pubs as i work for Carlsberg and we deliver to all punch pubs when you get on the wrong side of punch they make your life hell and will block all orders to you pay for beer upfront i have seen many good landlords or landladys move on due to punch milking them for every penny but best of luck with the pub

[yambabe]

[m0l0t0v]

Would be cool if you did I'm aiming on going. Girlfriend is working in Oxford so I could use that excuse

Can't stay too late though as I start work at 7 so probably only till about 5ish.

Anybody else going?
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'99 Hornet 600 , VFR 400 NC30 '92 , Kasawamasaki GT 550 , '98 Hornet 600
**\Tarmacsurfer/** said: It's that immaculately manly coiffure of yours isn't it. One glimpse of your virile locks and the punters can't wait to buy whatever it is you suggest, as it might let them be just a little bit like the Adonis that is our very own Molly Doovydoo said: Its not my fault I can't get it up properly, I just wasn't blessed