IT was once a hub of nightlife – with pubs filled to the rafters on every street in town.
But now, these once bustling establishments lie dormant, with boarded-up windows and ‘For Sale’ signs above the doors. It’s a bleak picture of modern Britain – and one locals are devastated by.
GettyFigures show that eight boozers are closing every single week across the UK – and one town has been hit the hardest[/caption]
Closed PubsThe boarded-up Red Horse pub in the centre of Slough[/caption]
Google mapsThe town’s oldest pub, The Rose and Crown, was turned into Desi Bites, which has also since shut down[/caption]
The Sun’s Save Our Sups campaign aims to help protect the UK’s pubs
With the shrinking pub scene being blamed on tax hikes and crippling running costs, The Sun visited the town that has been hit hardest by closures.
After losing nearly half its boozers in the last two years, locals say they are furious at the Government’s “attack on the working class”.
Slough, in Berkshire, has seen a rapid decline in public houses and now has the lowest number of pubs per person in the whole of Britain, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) told The Sun.
The latest shock figures show there are just 13 such establishments left compared to 25 two years ago – and 40 in 2010.
It follows the permanent closure of what was the old Rose & Crown earlier this year – the oldest in the town, dating back to the 17th Century.
Other popular names to have served last orders in the last couple of years include The Three Tuns and the Herschel Arms in the town centre, along with the Jolly Woodman.
While many of the old boozers have been shut for good, others have been turned into new businesses.
One is now a solicitor’s office, another a Co-op supermarket, and several more have been turned into apartment blocks or takeaways.
One landlord, Tom King, who’d fronted The Herschel Arms from 1995 until its closure in 2023, said he’d been left “overwhelmed” and “let down” in disputes over rent before calling it a day.
He told the Slough Observer: “It’s just an inability to agree, which happens in a lot of businesses – rents have gone mad everywhere.”
Tom added: “The Herschel Arms has had a good impact on the community, we’ve had a good run.”
He referred to the pub’s heyday in the 90s as “fantastic”, saying: “I used to be very busy… you cannot envisage that now.
“Everything has changed – the cost of living, families, parking.”
Recently, The Sun reported that eight boozers are closing every single week across the UK, according to the latest figures.
It means that 2,283 pubs have permanently called last orders in the last five years, with 209 venues shutting in the first half of this year alone.
Industry chiefs said the employer National Insurance rise and increasing staff costs were responsible, but that hospitality venues have also seen their business rates discount slashed, which has saddled the sector with an extra £215million of tax.
The Sun’s Save Our Sups campaign is supporting pub bosses in asking Chancellor Rachel Reeves for relief in the Autumn Budget.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, says: “Unfortunately, a lot of these pubs never come back. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
“…They [pubs] have real social value. The Government needs to act at the Budget, with major reforms to business rates and beer duty.”
The power of pubs
While venues across the country are battling to stay open, Slough’s pub scene has been rapidly dwindling, and locals fear it will have a devastating effect on the community.
Local Joe Pletinka, 29, told The Sun: “There just aren’t any pubs anymore.
“The only ones which can really afford to stay open are Wetherspoons, and that’s obviously not the same.”
But even ‘Spoons – a budget-friendly boozer chain with pints as cheap as £1.49 – is closing branches, with more at risk.
Joe continued: “Nowadays, you can spend £50 on a round of drinks and that’s not doable.
“And it’s definitely affecting the town and the community too. Lots of other places are closing down.”
Closures are accelerating because of mounting cost pressures, unfair taxes and a lack of support, and unless urgent action is taken in the Autumn Budget, stories like Slough’s will become the norm.
Paul Ainsworth
Pubs have been the beating hearts of UK cities, towns and villages for centuries, providing a space for locals to socialise and tackling loneliness, especially in rural areas.
In fact, 81 per cent of Brits agreed that pubs were vital in bringing communities together, according to a 2023 YouGov report.
But with an estimated population of around 143,000, meaning there’s now just one pub to every 11,000 people, Slough’s residents fear its community spirit could dry up like the draught taps.
In 2021, the town’s pub count was already waning, with just 25 still open.
But since then it’s lost 40 per cent, with Paul Ainsworth, CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Chairman and Planning Adviser, describing the situation as “beyond dire”.
SWNSThe Alpha Arms in the town centre offers sports and music, and is one of the last remaining pubs[/caption]
SWNSJessica Engleman, who works at The Alpha Arms, says business is slow[/caption]
SWNSThe Moon and Spoon in Slough is a Wetherspoons boozer[/caption]
It means Slough has just 13 still operating compared to Brighton and Hove, which has the most boozers per person with 147 per 100,000, as we reported last month.
Paul added that other towns and cities are likely to follow suit unless drastic changes are made.
He says: “Closures are accelerating because of mounting cost pressures, unfair taxes and a lack of support, and unless urgent action is taken in the Autumn Budget, stories like Slough’s will become the norm.”
Those living and working in Slough told The Sun the closures were ruining the high street, with the reduced footfall forcing other local businesses and shops to shut down.
Others branded it “a social catastrophe” wherein normal working people no longer had a place to meet and chat with others.
Bartender Jessica Engleman, 21, who works in The Alpha Arms, said: “I’ve only been working here since January, but even in that time I’ve seen pubs closing down – and I’ve noticed it getting quieter in here.”
She said the pub still has its regulars “who create that community” but they don’t have people “stopping in” for a quick pint anymore.
Jessica added: “People just can’t afford to come out. Everywhere costs too much, and it’s become a luxury.
“We’re one of the cheaper pubs, but still, it’s a struggle for people.
“And with pubs closing down, there’s less footfall – which is affecting other businesses too. I’ve seen so many shops close in the past few months.”
FacebookThe Rose & Crown was the oldest pub in Slough, dating back to the 17th Century[/caption]
Google mapsThe Jolly Woodman, near Burnham Beeches, closed on January 7, 2024[/caption]
SWNSRob Dunstone said the entire issue has become ‘a vicious cycle’[/caption]
SWNSThe town has the least number of pubs per person in the UK[/caption]
Google mapsThe Herschel Arms’ landlord said he felt ‘let down’ as he closed down for good[/caption]
David, 75, still frequents his local, The Alpha Arms, but admits that he’s seen the pub scene dwindle over the years.
He said: “Just in this part of town, there used to be five pubs, and on the high street, there were loads.
“The high street is dying, so there’s less footfall – so people just don’t have a reason to come in here at night.
“I still come here a couple of times a week, but it’s very different now. Slough used to be a lot busier.”
The Rose & Crown was turned into a restaurant, Desi Bites, but that then closed within a matter of months, leaving it empty.
The Red Horse, meanwhile, remains a vacant shell in the town centre – a symbol of the ongoing decline not just in Slough but across the UK.
I can say wholeheartedly that the loss of pubs in Slough is an absolute disaster.
Jon
Rob Dunstone, who’s worked in Slough for several years, said the entire issue has become “a vicious cycle”.
The 56-year-old said: “The cost of running a pub has increased significantly, and so they’ve had to up their prices. But that means people can’t afford to visit as much anymore.
“With the current average price of a pint or a bottle of wine, it’s become a treat.
“Whereas people used to go to the pub every couple of days.”
The average cost of a pint in the UK is between £5.17 and £5.44 – this is compared to approximately £3.80 and £4 in 2020.
Rob went on to say: “Less pubs means less people are in the high street and going to restaurants and shops.
“But equally, less shops means less people are in the high street to go to the pub.
“The town and the community are definitely very different to what they once were before.”
Closed PubsPrinters Devil on Stoke Road is now a solicitors[/caption]
SWNSSlough historically had a large pub scene[/caption]
SWNSJoe Pletinka, who had just been to The Moon and Spoon[/caption]
SWNSExperts say other towns could face the same fate as Slough[/caption]
Loss of pubs is ‘social catastrophe’
Local resident John, 60, said the loss of pubs was “an absolute disaster” for the town.
He told The Sun: “I can say wholeheartedly that the loss of pubs in Slough is an absolute disaster.
“It has taken away a social meeting place for working-class people. Now there is nowhere for people to congregate and talk to each other.
“That, of course, is having an effect on businesses, but it is also having an effect on people.
“Now, people have nowhere to meet and chat to other working-class people. It is a social catastrophe.
“It all started when they banned smoking. That was an attack on the working class.
“And then it’s gotten worse in recent years as the costs have just risen and risen. How can you be forking out £7 for a pint when you’re trying to pay a mortgage?”
Recent studies suggest Generation Z often seek alternatives to the traditional pub experience, and are driven by a greater focus on health and fitness.
Julie, 49, said the loss of pubs had changed Slough for the worse.
She said: “There used to be lots of pubs around here, but now as they’ve disappeared, they’re just being replaced with fast food places.
“It’s definitely changed the community.
“I think it started with the smoking ban, but it’s definitely gotten worse since Covid.”
SWNSThe Brickhouse on the High Street offers food, drinks and music[/caption]
Closed PubsThe Royal Oak closed in 2014 and was turned into a Co-op supermarket[/caption]
Closed PubsThe Swan on Lower Cippenham Lane was converted into apartments called Swan Place[/caption]
Closed PubsThe Queen of England on Park Street was converted into an Indian restaurant[/caption]
‘Situation is now beyond dire’
Paul, from CAMRA told The Sun: “With just 13 pubs left in the town, the situation is now beyond dire and it reflects the national picture, with hundreds of pubs already lost this year.
“Every pub that shuts its doors is a blow to jobs, communities and our cultural heritage.
“Closures are accelerating because of mounting cost pressures, unfair taxes and a lack of support, and unless urgent action is taken in the Autumn Budget, stories like Slough’s will become the norm.
“We all recognise the efforts being made to highlight these challenges, and we thank The Sun’s ‘Save Our Sups’ campaign for shining a spotlight on the plight of pubs and the solutions needed.
“CAMRA will keep pushing for fair taxes, fair competition and stronger protections so that British pub culture can survive and thrive.
“If you fear your local is in danger, please get in touch with us.”
With the BBPA predicting a potential closure rate of one pub per day following a year-on-year decline since 2000, putting pressure on Chancellor Ms Reeves to afford pubs relief in the autumn Budget is crucial in giving boozers a chance.
Closed PubsThe Greyhound on Albert Street was converted for residential use[/caption]
Google mapsThe now-closed down Three Tuns pub is among a string of boozers to close down[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
