Old Heatonian

Good News (for a change)

Regulars at the Kings heaved a huge sigh of relief recently…

It wasn’t the recent onset of warm weather, which has finally convinced certain members of the Grumpy Club that it was safe to take off their coats while sampling the wares of the pub.

It wasn’t the fact that Chantel McGregor has kept her promise, and looks likely to never play at the pub again.

It wasn’t even the fact that Fanackapan has finally had his ‘jewish adjustment’, and he no longer walks around with a look like a frightened rabbit in anticipation, although he is currently walking around a little bit like John Wayne – and that could equally mean Marion Morrison or John Wayne Bobbitt.

No.

After months of speculation and uncertainty and behind the scenes negotiation, it looks possible that we may finally get a Dyson Airblade installed in the gents.

Faced with a ludicrous 90+% increase on the rent of the pub when he came to renew the lease last year, Landlord Andy decided that he wasn’t going to stand for it. The options from the pub company were 2 fold and fairly straightforward – pay up or leave by the end of the year.

Andy chose the top secret third option – fight!

He sought advice on tenants rights and the rules and legality around rent increases, and concluded that the dastardly pub company just might be in the wrong with regard to the level of rent increase they were demanding. So he decided to take the company before an arbitration hearing, in the hope of resolving the issue in a legally binding way. The pub co responded by extending the deadline, possibly in the hope that Andy would just give in and pay up. But I’m sure anyone who has encountered Andy when he has the bit between his teeth will testify, that wasn’t going to happen.

The hearing was finally scheduled for 12th April, and as the day loomed, an air of despondency settled around the pub as locals contemplated the closure of yet another local favourite. It’s possible that the company would have installed new management, but on past experience it might have only been a matter of time before the Kings Arms went the same way as the Fountain.

So, it was with some surpise that the Grumpy Early Birds called in a couple of days before the deadline to find mine host whistling, skipping round the pub and contemplating turning the heating on. As the day was nice, he even threatened to sit out front and relax in the sunshine for the day.

The pub company had capitulated at the 11th hour!

Probably realising that they could not possibly win the case, they had pulled out of the hearing, made a sensible offer on the rent and agreed to extend the lease for 20 years.

So, with the future of his tenancy in the pub assured for now, it’s time for Andy to make good on his promise to install those Airblades ‘if and when I get an extension on the lease’!!

Uncategorized | Funk | April 16, 2010