1. : Historical Juncture
Ken Chapman visited, during 1984, almost every
pub and hotel (if the latter had a public bar) in the
Greater Norwich area.
Looking back, this was a very useful time
to have done so, because :-
- the peak of closures had been reached in the 1960s;
- most of the remaining pubs were still
in the ownership of major breweries.
We will examine these points in turn, with a particular
emphasis upon the emerging free house Sector.
2. : The Closures
In the last three years of the 1950s, twenty pubs
were closed, i.e. approximately 7 per annum.
1960 and 1961 both saw 8 closed, which is
hardly statistically significant.
However, an unprecedented (in post-war terms) number
of a dozen followed in 1962. This number was seen
again in 1965, with ten in 1968 and 1970; and eleven
in 1969.
Only in 1966 (just 4) did the figure fall below 8.
The total of losses for the period
1960 to 1970 (inclusive) was 101.
Although, unsurprisingly, there were "bad" years
thereafter (7 in 1974 and 8 in 1989); things soon
quietened down a lot; with only two closures in
each of 1972 and 1973.
So, by the time Chapman's survey was conducted,
the storm was over, and things had steadied numerically.
Also see separate notes on brewery closures
in the 1960s and early-1970s.
3. : The Big Breweries
However, another storm was brewing (forgive the pun !)
in the late-1970s and early 80s, on account of the
stifling effect of the tied-houses of 3 major brewers :-
Norwich Brewery (Watney's), Courage and Whitbread.
Whitbread had arrived in 1966, having taken-over all
the former Lacon's houses. Their list was the smallest
of the three breweries, simply because Lacon's had
'always' been at the foot of the league table
(in more than one sense !).
Courage finally arrived in February 1972, as a result of
Government action, and were "awarded" some 43 pubs.
Nevertheless, Watney's (1963, under their innocent
alias) were still in a dominant position, both in relation
to their two competitors and in relation to the small,
but growing, Free Sector.
The Survey gave the following results for 1984,
the total of houses surveyed being 233.
All but one of the original Courage houses were
accounted for, although one had already been
demolished : the Jolly Maltsters and two closed.
Of these : 7 had been released to the free sector,
3 to Adnam's,
and one each to Ind Coope and
Greene King.
Whitbread started earlier, and 22 of their
original houses were accounted for. Of these, one
'problem pub' had been ceded to Ind Coope;
and two pubs to Greene King.
The most significant case was the release of the
Ten Bells, between 1970 and 1975, to the free sector.
Hopefully avoiding double-counting : we can proceed
to deduct free houses and other ties - to arrive at the
number still held by the so-called Norwich Brewery.
4. : The Free Sector
Hotels had been the bedrock of this sector since the
Year Dot; but we should not gloss-over the merry
band of 'free' pubs, some of whom had soldiered-on
for decades.
However, what was of greater interest - at the time -
was the creation of new free outlets; specialising in
"Real Ale".
As described elsewhere, the main gripe re the
big breweries was their concentration on
producing keg beers.
Happily this was, in the end, a self-defeating strategy;
and their market dominance began to crumble.
Continued . . .
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4. : The Free Sector (contd.)
Courage, who - we must remember - had been forced to
come to the City, were the first to start off-loading pubs
in any quantity, including the 7 free houses mentioned above.
However, by 1984, two of these had reverted to
Greene King tied houses (see 5. below)
The remaining five are, in probable date order :-
Merchants etc. - 1980
Hanover House - 1982
Rosary - 1982
Forge - late-1982
Bread & Cheese - by 1984
Whitbread's, as we have noted, had made just one
concession to the free sector. Nevertheless, an official
CAMRA report of 1977 gave the accolade to the
Ten Bells : The first of a new generation of
real-ale free-houses in the City.
Watney's could scarcely remain immune,
and were 'guilty' of ceding six houses.
Bizarrely, the Gardeners' Arms
had left Bullard's
portfolio three years before the Watney takeover.
The 6 Watney pubs are :-
James the First - 1975
Plasterers' Arms - 1975
Alma Tavern - 1976
Kett's Castle - late 1970s
Pineapple - 1978
Reindeer - 1983
However, in a "snapshot" survey such as this,
the broader picture can get confused.
There were, in fact, three more pubs released to the
free sector by Bullard's/Watneys; but, sadly, by 1984
two had reverted to Greene King tied houses
(see 5. below)
Moreover, after 1984 (and aside from the Pineapple
closure ) the Plasterers and the Reindeer eventually
became tied also.
The odd one out was the White Lion,
Oak Street;
which has had a very chequered history (before and since) !.
In total, the 1984 survey found 30 existing hotels
and other free outlets. Hotels totalled 8; whilst
5 of the 'pubs' were ancillary to other public provision,
e.g. in transport, education and entertainment.
5. : Minority Breweries
Tolly Cobbold of Ipswich had a small, but longstanding
presence; which was still, apparently, at exactly the
same level : viz. four pubs - listed at the foot of the page.
Ind Coope had been persuaded to relieve Whitbread's
of the white elephant mentioned in para. 3; and had
acquired (from Courage) just the one extra outlet.
However, the Lansdowne Hotel,
untypically, appears
to have tied itself to the brewery. Hence, probably 5
outlets in all, including the Lawyer and Queen's Arms.
Adnam's were at a low starting point, with just the
three pubs generously ceded by Courage.
The freehold
of the Horse & Dray was retained by Courage in 1977.
The Mill Tavern and the
Rose were apparently
handed-over/leased in the same year.
Greene King somehow bucked the trend, by persuading
Watney's to part with the King's Arms on Hall Road.
They also had both pubs transferred from Whitbread's :
the White Cottage and the Windmill.
The four others in their 1984 portfolio present
a different, and highly disturbing, picture :-
- The Brown Derby was a freehouse in 1975
(ex-Courage).
- The Ferry became free not long before 1984
(ex-Watney's).
- The Golden Star had been a freehouse probably
since the 1960s (ex-Bullard's/Watney's)
- The Lillie Langtry became a freehouse c. 1981
(ex-Courage)
Undermining the fledgling free market in this way
was to be repeated in later years; and is currently
giving Greene King the ghastly title :
"The New Watney Mann".
Sadly, Adnam's had also - since 1996 - increased their
portfolio in much the same way; but to little benefit
in the longer term.
In all, there were 19 outlets tied to the smaller
regional/national breweries in 1984.
6. : Summary
Starting with a figure of 233 cases, we can now deduct -
- 30 free outlets = 12.9 % and
- 19 miscellaneous ties = 8.1 %
The breakdown between the Big Three
breweries is then as follows :-
- Courage : 32 = 13.7 %
- Whitbread : 19 = 8.2 %
- Norwich Brewery (Watney's) : 133 = 57.1 %
There was still plenty of room for improvement !.
Tolly Pubs
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