City Diary — 6 August

Wedding day blues

Oxford Hotels and Inns, the £60m turnover-a-year company owned by the Khalastchi family that emerged after London & Edinburgh Swallow Group (LESG), operated by the colourful Alan Bowes, imploded in 2006, runs some great wedding venues within its estate. Most recent Companies House filings show the company, which employs 1,800 people, has been doing the right thing by honouring deposits paid to LESG. It added up to a chunky £665,596 in 2007 and cost a further £301,102 last year. Some people don't half plan weddings a long way ahead.

Bolton's other fame claim​

Bolton's only claim to fame in pub circles up to now has been that it served as the home town of kamikaze pub company Provence, which made a killing in the auction markets by selling over-priced pubs to gullible investors. Keen to move on, they've latched on to something else. Two of its pubs, the Bob's Smithy Inn and Sally Up Steps, have made the top three of a list of the UK's most unusually-named pubs. Bob's Smithy Inn was named after a boozy blacksmith called Bob Howell, who spent so much time with a pint in his hand that his name became linked with the bar.

The Sally Up Steps was renamed after its licensee — drinkers had to climb steps to enter the pub. But here's a sign of the times — it's now a Thai restaurant.

Back to the future on the tie​

As we all know, the tie comes under scrutiny at pretty regular intervals. Peter Thomas, director of franchise development at Mitchells & Butlers, drops City Diary a note with the Bass Lease Company submission in support of the tie in 1997 attached. As Thomas says: "Some well-known faces and many similar issue albeit more than 10 years ago."

Life after Mitchells & Butlers​

There's life after Mitchells & Butlers. Business partners Kingsley Webb and Joe Baio have spent the last four months refurbishing the Cork at Westgate Buildings in Bath, a former M&B boozer. In March this year the pair set about renovating cellars under the Grade II listed building, which had previously been used for storage. The project has also seen the creation of an outdoor terrace area and a conservatory connecting to the cellars, which are now known as the Cork Vaults bar. Webb said: "We thought there was a lack of decent external drinking space in Bath. "It is a serious investment and we think it is a great concept."

Planning — a life of strife​

Here's a unfortunate casualty of modern planning laws. A pub may have existed for centuries but when new houses or flats are built next door, woe betide you. Take Enterprise's Cooperage on Newcastle's Quayside, which has fallen victim to the noise police. It's a 14th century building, which stood by the River Tyne since before Shakespeare's time. Problems arose when flats were built next door and residents began to lodge noise complaints about the Cooperage which hosts acoustic nights along with fiddlers. Planners have demanded unaffordable sound-proofing, forcing the pub to close its doors. What a shame.

London — a world of its own​

There's no doubt that the London pub property market is its own economic micro-climate. The London Evening Standard reports that the 4,600sq ft Archery Tavern in Bathurst Street, near Hyde Park, went on the market for £1.5m. There were no fewer than 200 viewings and 23 rival bid. The winning bid — a lumpy £2m — was from upmarket French brasserie Angelus.

Ask Tim, age is no bar​

Nobody could accuse JD Wetherspoon of being ageist. Turns out it has no compulsory retirement age. The oldest-serving employee seems to be Emily, 90 this year, who has worked over four decades in the same building in Nottingham where she was once a bank clerk, but now helping out in the kitchen. City Diary supposes it's all in line with founder Tim Martin's aim to work at the company until he drops.

Luminar boosts balance of trade​

Nightclub company Luminar is helping the export push after trialling a winning idea. It provided space at six nightclubs for entrepreneur Matt Horan to locate his Rollasole vending machines. These dispense flats to ladies whose feet can't take another moment in their sky-high, toe-pinching heels. In about a year, he's sold 60,000 pairs. Now he's expanded the idea into the American market. Rollasoles, which come rolled up in a shoebox, are available in a variety of shimmery colours, and will be priced at $8 to $10.

Magnall says cheers to fire heroes​

Greene King's terrible run with fires continues. No fewer than four of its top tenanted pubs have seen devastating fires in the past two years. Last week, there was a fire in the brewery boiler house. This time, fortunately, it was a small one that will have no impact on orders. Steve Magnall, brewing and distribution director, said: "I'd like to thank our engineers who followed all the correct emergency procedures and the fire crew who arrived within minutes, swiftly extinguished the fire and made the area safe."

Revealed: the retail genius behind blockbuster Taybarns​

At last the Whitbread retail brains behind blockbuster all-you-can-eat concept Taybarns is revealed. Step forward, operations director Simon Ewins, who admits travelling the United States and taking an interest in the Golden Corral chain. The seven-strong Taybarns does 1,000 covers a day per site. Is it the UK's busiest pub restaurant? Says Ewins: "There is a branch of TGI Fridays in the Haymarket in London that will do 1,200 covers a day whatever the conditions, because it's in the tourist trap by Leiceser Square. But, apart from that, I know of nobody doing this kind of business." And for the record the Wigan branch has the record for covers in a single week — 9,642 — and punters record an average of 3.67 platefuls each.