Friday, June 19, 2009
Ivy House poetry nights? "Sorry about that!"
The Ivy House Dining Room and Bar don't want to host Poetry at the Pub anymore. Their manager simply gave me a very curt "We're now a dining area in here (the old main bar area which used to house the poetry nights) we're not looking for just people drinking anymore..." I told him that the nights used to regularly attract over 30 people on an otherwise quiet night for the pub. "Sorry about that!" was his equally curt reply, as he rushed off to serve the three occupied dining tables. There seemed no point in trying to persaude him so off I toddled with me tail between me legs! So it's off to find another venue so that hopefully Poetry at the Pub can live again. Such a shame though really cos let's face it they're not going to fill the place out every night with "diners" are they? thirty people x 3 to four drinks each on average that's around £4,200 he's just lost across the year! Worth thinking about in these straitened times? Apparently not!...
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Well you are not a celebrity are you! That's all they are interested in not a bunch of dowdy old book worms. Now if that chap who won a BAFTA turned up every time maybe they'd be interested. What a load of losers. And btw - that new cheap shop has opened. OMG how horrible is that. full of junk that Poundsretchers, Qaulity Seconds and that other cheap little shop by the little bridge sells. Do we need another one. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! It is really dull, nasty and cheap in there and has a feel of East London about it. Oh why oh why can't we have some good stores.
Sounds like you may have a few ideas of your own. Why not open a shop yourself. The trouble is that what people would like to see in their town and what sells aren't always the same thing; thus the cheapo pound stretcher-type shops....
try the man of kent - maybe not an obvious poetry clientele but it is a real pub not a restaurant
I still haven't been in the re-vamped Ivy House yet, so can't really comment about the pub itself, or its policy towards individual groups.
On the subject of Poetry Nights though, are your readers a thirsty bunch, Tonbridge Blogger? or are they more interested in their books and their poems? I ask this because last month a friend and I were staying at a pub in West Sussex, as an overnight stop on our walk of the South Downs Way. The landlord told us that a group had booked the conservatory at the rear of the pub, for a "Poetry Reading Evening". We were sitting in the adjoining saloon bar, enjoying our meal, and although we could see into the conservatory we thankfully couldn't hear the recitals.
I say "thankfully" because this bunch really were the most stuck up bunch of prigs you could imagine. More to the point, so far as the Ivy House is concerned, very few of these people at the reading that night got up and went to the bar for another drink! At breakfast the next morning, the landlord told us that some of this group had been rude to his waitresses, who were a pleasant bunch of local girls just trying to earn a bit of extra money.
Hopefully, the Tonbridge Poetry Group will not fall into this category, but perhaps the landlord of the Ivy has had previous experience of such events.
Paul Bailey: You obviously haven't been to Poetry at the Pub in Tonbridge because the sort of group that you've just mentioned is exactly what we're trying to get away from. There's nothing snobby and alouf about this event. We've had everything from old ladies reading poems about their cats, to 6th Formers reading out deep and dark stuff and a few wacky people, and a regular hip hop/spoken word performance poet, who often gets paid for his other gigs. Why not come along (if I can find another venue that is.) Incidentally my average is usually about five pints for the evening, I find it loosens the vocal chords!...
Glad to hear that the Tonbridge Poetry group aren't like the people I encountered in Sussex.
Good luck with the search for an alternative venue. You need a quiet pub really - one without a noisy juke box or, worse still, piped muzzack. Am racking my brains to think of one in Tonbridge, although the Vauxhall may fit the bill.
yes the Vauxhall could be ok if the group could find a quiet corner. Or there is the Primrose - never been in there though. What about the lounge area in the Rose and Crown where the sofas and armchairs are. Very cosy and I believe drinks can be taken in there. You're not really spoiled for choice in the centre of Tonbridge are you?
Went into the new Woolworths shop - very tacky didn't like it either. Ok if you want a £1 broom that will last 5 mins.
Try the P&J, they seem to be doing a good job in there at the moment.
FAO PAUL BAILEY
True what you say about the Little Brown Jug, superb looking pub inside and out with great food...but with rubbish beer. Think they'd make more of an effort, what with the Westerham Brewery only 10 mins up the road.
Btw have you been to the Golding Hop yet, looking at some of the reviews it scares me somewhat (esp the landlord). Look forward to your thoughts on it.
To Anonymous.
Thank-you for your comments about my recent posting concerning pub prices - Paul Baileys Beer Blog for those that are interested. Regarding the beer selection at the LBJ, I don't think they would be allowed to serve Westerham beers, as the pub is tied to Greene King.
I went to the Golding Hop last Friday, as part of a ramble with a group of friends. The pub, the beer and especially the prices were excellent, and as for the location, well you couldn't wish for a more picturesque setting. I will be posting an article on my visit in the next couple of days.
Brilliant report that Paul, will have to try the Golding Hop now (was the landlord (person) ok???) Was in the Swan On Green Sun lunchtime. Great location, found the beer good, but not to be in tip top condition, and another unwelcoming miserable landlord.
What you reckon to the beer coming out of your old place these days? Me thinks standards are slipping.
Someone earlier suggested the Man of Kent, and said 'not an obvious poetry clientele'. Very true. The long term regulars are a cross between characters in Hogarth's Beer Street and the extras in that space bar in Star Wars.
Paul Bailey good post yet again. You could have put a link to your beer goggles blog but I've found it anyway so see next post and link on left....
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