Steamboat (Trent Lock)

[norman18grp]

Most Saturday evenings I take a walk (or a cruise) down to Trent Lock for a pint in the Steamboat .

Saturday nights the Steamboat have had live music and the place has been packed all year round.

But since just before Christmas this has stopped and the place is dead.

I had a chat with the barman last week and he informed me they have temporary managers in at present while the landlords(BW/S&N) look for someone permanent .

This struck me as Odd as while on Holiday last September I called into the Barge inn at Keadby and found I was the only customer I have been in a few times in the past and its always been busy .

I was talking with a resident of one of the boats at Keadby lock and he told me there has been a string of managers in there since (BW/S&N) bought the pub and things have gone down since then , they used to have live music and food and real ales and customers but not anymore !

 

So is this happening at any other pubs acquired by the British Waterways / Scottish and Newcastle partnership ?

[Yoda]

It's money grabbing. They want their investment to pay off very quickly but that won't happen as they can't run pubs.

[norman18grp]

It's money grabbing. They want their investment to pay off very quickly but that won't happen as they can't run pubs.

The barman told me during the winter on an average night with a band they would take £500 pay the band £200 so takings of £300.

Since there has been no band the takings average £70

 

I suppose they will blame it on the smoking ban

[Dr Bradley]

What a pleasant thought, a pub with no loud music or crowds where you can chat quietly with a few regulars.

[zenataomm]

The barman told me during the winter on an average night with a band they would take £500 pay the band £200 so takings of £300.

Since there has been no band the takings average £70

 

I suppose they will blame it on the smoking ban

 

Do your sums, to pay the band £200 they have to make £200 net profit, not just take £200. To make £200 gross profit they have to sell close to £500 of drink, so net profit would be nearer to £700 of sales. And that's to just draw even.

To sell £70 worth of booze, you'll need no staff, no bands, peace and quiet, no fights, no kids and still be able to make £20 profit. Not much help when the the owners want their cut, or when the VAT is due or the utility bills want paying admittedly but at least you go bust quietly!

[tillergirl]

Theres a new manager in the Barge at Keadby who has brought his chef with him from the Anchor at South Ferriby. We've not had the opportunity to go down to the Barge and see whats what though we plan to when the weather get better as we like to walk the dogs along the canal bank. I know this because the guy who took over the Anchor at South Ferribly was my youngest daughters karate instructor in his spare time - that and I happen to work in Licensing at the local authority offices Not sure who oens the Barge I'll have a sneaky peek on the licence next week.

[norman18grp]

Do your sums, to pay the band £200 they have to make £200 net profit, not just take £200. To make £200 gross profit they have to sell close to £500 of drink, so net profit would be nearer to £700 of sales. And that's to just draw even.

To sell £70 worth of booze, you'll need no staff, no bands, peace and quiet, no fights, no kids and still be able to make £20 profit. Not much help when the the owners want their cut, or when the VAT is due or the utility bills want paying admittedly but at least you go bust quietly!

So electric , heating and barman cost nothing do they ?

You should see the place in the summer.

Once they have lost their following they will have no future .

[Sam]

The barman told me during the winter on an average night with a band they would take £500 pay the band £200 so takings of £300.

Since there has been no band the takings average £70

 

I suppose they will blame it on the smoking ban

 

Seems quite a lot to pay a band in a pub for a night......

Would be suprised if it is that much IMHO

[norman18grp]

What a pleasant thought, a pub with no loud music or crowds where you can chat quietly with a few regulars.

You can sit on your boat in the middle of nowhere and get all the peace and quiet you can handle !!!

Seems quite a lot to pay a band in a pub for a night......Would be surprised if it is that much IMHO

He wasn't the manager so he might not have got his facts quite right.the quality of bands in the Steamboat has been very goodOnce a year in the summer they have held a charity music festival and raised thousands of pounds for local charities .

Theres a new manager in the Barge at Keadby who has brought his chef with him from the Anchor at South Ferriby. We've not had the opportunity to go down to the Barge and see whats what though we plan to when the weather get better as we like to walk the dogs along the canal bank. I know this because the guy who took over the Anchor at South Ferribly was my youngest daughters karate instructor in his spare time - that and I happen to work in Licensing at the local authority offices Not sure who oens the Barge I'll have a sneaky peek on the licence next week.

I hope its good new's at the Barge as its a proper boaters pub

[redfastlad]

The Steamboat was the last time i went in run by a lady Manager and whilst she was doing her best the que,s for meals and drink were quite long she informed us that the Harrington arms was under refurbishment and so all the trade had come to the Steamboat ( i would have thought good news but she seemed put out by it all) The food situation seems to have gone downhill since the reopening, as for the bands i love the live music and its a rare thing today in most pubs. The bank holiday bands have been excellent and we have had some great weekends down there,but without a committed manager the place will sink (Pun) so i do not know the answer to BW problem but if i was a younger man and wanted a great job with a great customer base i would be applying for the managers job ASAP the potential of this pub is unlimited in the summer this tourist attraction is a gold mine, i do hope BW get someone with an interest in boats and the trade in there soon otherwise me and the current mrs redfast plus all our Westies will have nowhere to drink and dine this summer! ( Went in one Saturday night last year with the two westies and got a pint sat down to watch the band with a older lead guitarist who was playing a surf blue original strat but the sound was too much for Rosie and she was frightend by the noise so i took her back to the boat only to return to my wife and the other westie" cassie" yes we named the dogs after roses and castles to find my pint all over the floor !!! asking what had happend the wife said it was the bass it rattled it off the shelf and onto the floor!! well i went and bought another pint and didnt grumble as a bass That loud is a bit good these days.

[Hairy-Neil]

Once they have lost their following they will have no future .

 

I believe the place was shut up for a while once before......Was that when BW took over the place?

 

I know that before BW took it on there were problems over the charges BW made for access by the delivery drays across their property.

 

At the end of the day its one of those pubs that will do wonderful takings on a sunny sunday in August, but on a cold wet wednesday in January is never going to pay its way. It has next to no locals and no passing trade.....

[Big Steve]

I was stuck at Trent lock in the floods this summer (LOL) Both the Navigation and the Steamboat were mobbed out in spite of the rain at the weekend. Must admit I preffered the Navigation, a bit more rough and ready than the Steamboat, food was more in keeping with the weather too, could only get salad in the Steamboat. Funny thing, none of the local boaters liked the Navi, don't know what the landlord had done to upset them.

 

Couple of weeks later at Keadby, couldn't stand the noise in the Barge, found peace and tranquility in the T'owd South Yorkshire about 100 yds downstream.

 

Another pub that looks like it should be a goldmine is the , name fails me(Black Horse?), pub on the Aire & Calder at Rawcliffe Bridge. It's got a marina in the back, large beer garden, temp. moorings, only one other pub in the village about 3/4 mile away, and it's been shut for ages. If it was the right price I'd even consider it myself.

[norman18grp]

I was stuck at Trent lock in the floods this summer (LOL) Both the Navigation and the Steamboat were mobbed out in spite of the rain at the weekend. Must admit I preffered the Navigation, a bit more rough and ready than the Steamboat, food was more in keeping with the weather too, could only get salad in the Steamboat. Funny thing, none of the local boaters liked the Navi, don't know what the landlord had done to upset them.

 

Couple of weeks later at Keadby, couldn't stand the noise in the Barge, found peace and tranquility in the T'owd South Yorkshire about 100 yds downstream.

 

Another pub that looks like it should be a goldmine is the , name fails me(Black Horse?), pub on the Aire & Calder at Rawcliffe Bridge. It's got a marina in the back, large beer garden, temp. moorings, only one other pub in the village about 3/4 mile away, and it's been shut for ages. If it was the right price I'd even consider it myself.

I last went in the Black Horse at Rawcliffe about 4/5 years ago it seemed as though it was Karioki night every night and the landlord drank more than the customers . but a very nice pub and pint .

The moorings are known locally as the "Blast site" something to do with the nature of the chemical works on the opposite bank . at that time you wern't supposed to moor there but you did (Can't keep a boater away from a good pint)

[Big Steve]

I last went in the Black Horse at Rawcliffe about 4/5 years ago it seemed as though it was Karioki night every night and the landlord drank more than the customers . but a very nice pub and pint .

The moorings are known locally as the "Blast site" something to do with the nature of the chemical works on the opposite bank . at that time you wern't supposed to moor there but you did (Can't keep a boater away from a good pint)

 

I was trying to get a mooring at Rawcliffe Bridge in the marina opposite the chemical works, very cheap moorings, but not allowed to moor overnight, don't know how they police that, and there are obviously people on site who are living on their boats. Seems an odd rule to me, is it less devastating if the factory blows up during the day? Are the houses all around less important than the boats?

Edited January 16, 2008 by Big Steve

[norman18grp]

I went in the Steamboat on Saturday night

 

New temporary managers (Tony & Gill) have taken over untill a new tennant can be found.

 

Good news :

1, Guinness / John Smiths and Kroenberg were all half price £1.45p

2, Live music starts again on Saturdays (after Valentines day)

3, Quiz to return on Fridays

4, The return of the open fire

 

They are a very nice couple and seem to know what they are doing

So go along and see for yourselves I recomend it

[denboy]

bet your pleased then simon all this time without a drink

[Neil.A]

bet your pleased then simon all this time without a drink

You devil, you

[denboy]

You devil, you

trents gone down a lot thought he`d drunk it