Wireless haircuts

I've recently convinced my barbers to offer free wifi,  because when I'm sat waiting for my few remaining strands to be trimmed it would be nice to browse, slightly selfish I suppose. It was already inplace and he was paying for it, so why not offer it to his customers, so my wait is a little more bearable during busy periods. 
Originally he had concerns of people downloading big stuff or hacking etc.  I said if you change your password regularly, you know your customers as they need to ask for the password, so I would be amazed if anyone sat waiting for a haircut could do any damage in 5 to 10 minutes.
I'm quite chuffed with myself on converting my local barbers. I can google to my hearts content.

Frustratingly...

I'm sitting in the cafe area of the local sports centre waiting for my son to finish his swimming lesson. I've just paid best part of a fiver for a soggy oatmeal biscuit and a cup of tea that needs an industrial press to squeeze any sort of colour out of the tea bag let alone any flavor.
So this experience is dull to say the least (bit like my tea) so what do I do?  I dig out the iphone and do some browsing, maybe check some emails, twitter or facebook.
Can't get a 3G signal so let's see what wifi is on offer... it then proceeds to tell me it's £3.50 for an hour of browsing ... Three pounds bloody fifty are you havin a tin bath? I don't understand it. I don't understand when any type of "public sit down relax cup of tea" environment doesn't offer free wifi. I've been offering free wifi for nearly 3 years now.  I've always needed it for the business, broadband was an overhead we had even before it was available over wifi and it's dramatically come down in cost over the years.  So to charge £3.50 is a blatant piss take.  So I'm sat watching that small white catherine wheel of a timer going round and round and round...

The Sky at Night

I rang Sky the other day to ask about how much it costs to have Sky Sports etc. installed into the pub.  Now Sky base all their charges on your pub's rateable value so bearing in mind my rateable value has gone up to £49,000 from £29,000 the previous year I thought this could be interesting.

After checking a few details the very nice Scottish sales lady quoted me for a minimum 12 month contract a cool £1040.59 per month for the base package. Yep the base package. For that sort of dosh you would think they could call it something better than base. 

So what does the base package get me? Well you get all the usual crap but as for the important stuff, you don't get Sky Sports 2, ESPN, or any Euro sport channels and no 3D.  Which I'm sure as a lot of you sports fans would know, is pretty useless, as an example the Champions league match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which is a great game to watch is broadcast on Sky Sports 2, but don't be disappointed on Sky Sports 1 is Masters Tennis and if that didn't bring in the crowds how about the British Rally Championship on Sky Sports 3.

Right to get the full package called Sky Ultimate its going to cost a bit more dollar, add £210 more a month.  Yep a total of £1250 quid a month! £1250? Yes £1250 a month.  That's a whopping £15000 a year... man I've gotta sell some beer to cover that cost.

The main draw is football and that is only played Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and sometimes on a Wednesday, so you have 3/4 occasions to make the money and when a Monday night game is Newcastle v Blackburn it ain't gonna get the lads trotting my way.  So it's a no brainer for me, it just doesn't add up.  Shame.

(all prices quoted do not include VAT so slap on 20%)

The nice Scottish lady did add that the ultimate package did include all the adult channels tho...

Valentine blues

Personally, I don't look forward to Valentines day.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against being romantic to the other 'alf  I just don't like to be told when I should be romantic and then having to pay through the nose for anything that looks remotely like a rose.   As my wife knows only to well I am constantly spontaneous with romantic gestures! Ahem!  All joking aside if I'm honest if valentines didn't exist I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to pay a shed load of money for a bit of folded card, stuff it in a red envelope and lick that disgusting glue.  Yum!

New York, Paris, Slinfold

Blimey, has it been since May I wrote some gibberish on here? The only reason I'm writing today is because Ms Winsbury of Slinfold, commented that it needed updating. (btw. that's 2 people I know have read my blog)

Well a few events came and went over the summer; 4 weddings, 3 funeral wakes, 2 outside music events (usually 4 but 2 got axed), 2  40th birthday parties and 2 noise complaints.

I had a fantastic 10 days in Wales in the summer at my Dad's place.  I think that Pembrokeshire is a seriously underrated place for a holiday.  This is a beach down the road from his house.  Truly beautiful.

And whilst on holiday this was parked outside my pub....

Oh and Enterprise Inns have agreed not to increase my rent! Bless!

Soo much to do soo little time.

A lady came into my pub the other day and mentioned I hadn't written anything on my blog page for ages.  I realise I haven't but didn't think anyone read it!  But there is one person that does, how exciting!  So this blog is for you, my one and only reader. (that I know of)

Been a tough few months since my last post, with trade being being on and off like a light switch but tragically my Mum passed away suddenly back in March, a day after my Dad's birthday.  A fine lady, fine, fine lady and she always had some ciggies.
So with so much time spent in Wales with my Dad I had left the pub in Danny T's capable hands and what a fine job he did, couldn't of coped without him, thanks Dan.

I guess some of you may of heard that my head chef and I parted company last month after starting this business 9 years ago together. I guess he decided it was time to move on. I wish him luck. I've had a number of interviewees but no-one fits the bill just yet. I am sure that the right person will come along soon.

Had our first BBQ of the year Wednesday night and the sun came out to order bloody good timing, I hope the weather holds for Saturday with our first outside music event , I've fixed my gas patio heaters just in case though.

I am staggered with all the pubs closing around Horsham, The Fountain, The Queens Head, The Crabtree (Lower Beeding), The Nelson, The Dragon (Colgate), Bridge House (Copsale) & The Boars Head seems to be a bit of a pattern emerging? They are all owned by Hall & Woodhouse.  How can a brewery allow this to happen?

Still, we are still going strong with all the help and support from Enterprise Inns (sorry I dreamt that bit).

I love you Mum.

Suicide Pact?

Now this picture I love. So much so I thought I would share it. The chap on the left is responsible for serving the beer, the other, for cooking the food. I guess at some point they decided enough is enough, but somehow they are both still in the land of the living.

Please feel free to add your own caption I think this picture has some mileage.

Maybe it was their take on the new EHO guidelines! Best caption deserves a bottle of wine me thinks!