Special Topic (Paras. 1 to 6)

Norwich Area Pubs Recent Trends From 1990

5. Additional Pubs:  6. Pub Control

1. : Looking Back

If this is so, then it can be considered as a brief lull before
another storm of closures in the final decade of the 20th Century;
which shows every sign of continuing in the new Millennium.

However, and to be objective, there has been a contemporaneous
rash of new and trendy "cafe bars", catering mainly for young people.
We will examine those, plus a few new 'regular' pubs, in paragraph 5.

2. : The 1990s Closures

In addition, the Prospect House has become a doctor's surgery,
but via a total re-build. Likewise, the Castle Street premises
(last listed) have been re-developed within the same physical parameters.

The other five cases listed above are of a quite different dimension
of change, and are dealt with in the Re-development Section.

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3. : 21st Century Closures

N.B. There are other pubs, still in a closed state, which have
not been listed above - in the hope and belief that they might
eventually re-open.

The Norwich Branch of CAMRA estimate that, in the last
20 years up until 2007, a third of Norwich pubs have closed.

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4. : Pub Conversions

However, a trend is now quite manifest :
converting pubs to licensed restaurants.
If any degree of discouragement - for mere drinkers - is experienced
(from the staff), then only in cases where the local Council has been
able to insist on a public bar (principally in listed buildings) can the
premises still be regarded as proper pubs.

Cases where it was no longer possible to call in for only
a drink or two (unless things are very quiet!) include:-

Cafe Rouge Exchange Street (1997)
Four Leafed Clover ("Wardy's") Clover Hill (n/k)
Marsh Harrier Ipswich Road (2002)
Thorn Tavern Ber Street (late-2005)
Yeoman - later Tommy T's - Salhouse Road (Feb. 2005)

The listings under review here are :-

• Thomson's Local Directories for 2008 and 2010;
• Yellow Pages, February 2008 and
• BT Phone Book 2009/10

There is also ample visual evidence that "today's" pubs
no longer just hide under their inn-signs; and prefer to describe
themselves as bar, restaurant, grill, café, brasserie, etc. - all in
one omnibus, but possibly misleading, advertisement.

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5. : Additional Pubs

The other large development at Riverside was
up and running by the start of the 21st Century.
Here we have no fewer than 8 new establishments,
mostly large in scale :-

Ambar (Odeon) Brannigan's *Frankie & Benney's Hollywood Bowl

Lloyd's No. 1 Norwegian Blue *Old Orleans Squares

*Some of these describe themselves as
USA-style restaurants, not pubs.

Prince of Wales Road
Rather earlier than Riverside, this area began to acquire
some extra pubs, aimed at a younger clientele, and
peripheral to an existing and burgeoning night-club scene :-

    Appollo's; *Chicago Rock; *Fatso's Speakeasy and Joe Alan's.

*Chicago Rock describes itself as a USA-style restaurant;
  as does Fatso's, despite the allusion to USA prohibition.

Upper King Street
The arrival of the prestigious Yates Wine Lodge in
Queen Street, at the turn of the century, has also
sparked-off some rival establishments in this area :-

• Ha Ha Bar & Canteen (also Yates !)
• and Slug & Lettuce - both by Tombland;
• Cafe Maximo - by Prince of Wales Road;
• another in Queen Street itself : Orgasmic, which is
      another instance of primarily restaurant status.

Wetherspoon's
This national firm, as well as reviving two old pubs, has
also opened three new outlets, beginning in September 1999
at the City Gate and, later, the Glasshouse in Wensum Street.
Lloyd's No. 1, mentioned above (Riverside), is the third case.

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6. : Pub Control

They are members of the self-proclaimed leisure industry;
and this status applies to a (very) few local cases.

However, there are honourable exceptions,
which feature in this final paragraph.
Firstly, there are regional breweries, as follows :-

• Bateman's of Wainfleet, Lincolnshire; and
• Elgood's of Wisbech, Cambs.

Secondly, the ultra-rare independent "start-ups" are
to be found amongst the items in the separate list
referred to in paragraph 5 above.

However it should be noted that new owners or lessees
of old pub premises are not included.
'Old' is defined as closed for, say, up to 5 or 6 years.