I thought there were high street betting shops for these people? About the only horse race I am mildly interested in is the Grand National and I don't always go to a pub to watch that so being in one where every.fucking.TV.screen has it on is somewhat disappointing.
This pub has been refurbished, nice decor, and, funnily enough painted in a colour scheme not exactly favourable to Villa fans, kinda makes me wonder if they'll notice when they file in for the game a bit later.
The management has remodelled the place into a 'Sports Bar' and have decked the walls with 'signed' photos of stars from around the sporting fraternity, but to be honest, they aren't going to do very well by showing horse racing, all they'll do is alienate punters. I know this because my mother and her friend came to this pub with the intention of watching a Six Nations England game. When asking the barmaid "if they could change the channel from horse racing and show the game" their response was: "we'd better not upset them"... 'them' being the old fucks sat there who were regulars, probably propping up the pub's profits, and who preferred to watch, yes, you guessed it, horse racing!
They left and watched the game somewhere else, two punters lost because of old gits monopolising the TV.
Now I look around the pub, it is a bit busier and few are watching the horse racing... oh hang on... as I type this, they've changed the channel! I guess the masses have won over against the minority... but, said minority can all shuffle off to that high street betting shop I suppose.
This pub smells too much of paint, not what I'm used to it smelling of as I've spent many a drunken evening here on it's dance floor. I can remember a time when the dance floor here was packed every Friday and Saturday night. Then the place went down hill due to crap management and other, better pubs opening in the general area. Now they're attempting to revive it, fair play to them I guess.
But despite that this pub does hold a special place in my heart, I've always felt comfortable here and I think that is important with pubs. I've been in places where I've instantly felt 'wrong' and not settled until I've left, this place doesn't do that, even if I'm on my own, like now.
So cheers!
