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Yorkshire pubs launch internet campaign to halt closures
Otley town centre.
Pubs in a West Yorkshire town have launched an internet campaign to halt further closures.
The Otley Pub Club was started by former publican Peter Jackson, with support from Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland, in a bid to save the remaining drinking establishments in Otley.
Links to Twitter and Facebook mean people can be kept up to date with what is happening and any events.
The market town has 17 pubs, with around £2m being spent on refurbishing four pubs over the last six months.
Mr Jackson is the former landlord of many Leeds pubs, including the city centre’s Adelphi, the Rose and Crown in Armley and the General Elliot on Vicar Lane.
He said: “There are a lot of pubs in Otley per head of population and the town is well known for this.
“But in recent times, two major pubs have closed, one has become a music and arts centre and the other may become offices.
“Now we want to stop any further closures.
“Sadly, due to the smoking ban, the recession and the rise in the price of beer it is inevitable that pubs will close, but here in Otley they are an important part of the economy and community.”
He said the new website would allow people to support its pubs and have a website with links to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, keeping people up to date.
The new website – www.otleypubclub.co.uk – has been built by web development company Centurius, which is based in the town.
Mr Jackson, who is chairman of the new club, said: “The website is self-funded and we have, until now, had to communicate via the local media and leaflets around the town.
“It’s free to become a member of the Otley Pub Club, and we’ve been relying on donations and fundraising events.
“It is important people are involved in their community.
Mr Jackson added: “We think the Otley Pub Club is pretty unique; we are non-political and not supported by the drinks industry so we can be as vocal and outspoken as we want to be.
“The new website will be supported by Facebook and Twitter micro-sites and we are all really excited about the future of the club and what it can hopefully achieve.”
He also urged people to sign up to the online venture.
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
CharlesX1
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 01:52 PMSince the smoking ban most pubs have taken out their ventilation systems which means that all the carcinogenic alcohol fumes, cooking fumes and other smells have been trapped inside. A good ventilation system will get rid of all the fumes and smells as well as cigarette smoke. Pubs and clubs need the smokers back inside, and with a good ventilation system everybody would be happy.
tug wilson
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 12:38 PMIt is time the Pubs made a stand, the Smoking ban Is Killing the Industry, time for them to join together and say, they will Not comply with a ban that is putting them out of Business, all they have to do is offer Separate smoking rooms or venues, David Cameron has promised to Break down the Barriers to Business, the smoking ban has proven to be the biggest barrier ever to be put up in our Pubs and Clubs and Must be Reformed, we have seen over the rest of the EU that Choice works for their bars and pubs, everyone gets a choice both smoker and non smoker alike. Action needs to be taken now to save what is left of our Pub and Club industry, doing nothing is Not an option if we want to protect our Social lives.
The Archivist
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 11:57 AMYou can have as many updating internet campaigns as you like, you can have as many essential 'community pubs' as you like, you can spend as much in 'investments' as you like and you can have as many MP backers of individual schemes as you like but the crunch line is that MPs were stupid enough to be hoodwinked by ASH et al and that was the death warrant for the hospitality sector! I don't smoke but now the pubs have been turned into cheerless mortuaries I have no interest in going in them-so what benefit was this idiotic law to me? People are still dying from cancer, in fact cancer rates are increasing-so where is the public health benefit? They've killed the pubs & killed the spirit of this country.
The Archivist
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 11:56 AMYou can have as many updating internet campaigns as you like, you can have as many essential 'community pubs' as you like, you can spend as much in 'investments' as you like and you can have as many MP backers of individual schemes as you like but the crunch line is that MPs were stupid enough to be hoodwinked by ASH et al and that was the death warrant for the hospitality sector! I don't smoke but now the pubs have been turned into cheerless mortuaries I have no interest in going in them-so what benefit was this idiotic law to me? People are still dying from cancer, in fact cancer rates are increasing-so where is the public health benefit? They've killed the pubs & killed the spirit of this country.
Page 1 of 1
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