BRANCH NEWS ARCHIVE - 2007

The Waiting Rooms, 181 Twickenham Rd, Isleworth will reopen this weekend as 'PaPa J's' Indian Tapas Restaurant & Bar. When the establishment was visited preparation work was still taking place. Inside was divided into a fair sized bar area and a larger partitioned eating area with frosted 'pj' engraved glass panel dividers. The long wooden bar included two traditional hand pumps.

The freehold on Captain Morgans of Brentford and the lease on The Royal Albion (Jalandhar Junction), Hounslow are up for sale.

The Duke, 2 Duke St, Richmond is now open. Not much has changed inside except a more formal table layout. Two hand-pumps on the bar serving Adnams and Pride. The external repainting looks to have left it in a 'grey undercoat' stage.

The Red Lion 49 High Street, Feltham, TW13 4AB re-opened on Friday 16th after a major refurbishment. The ambiance is now comfortable, clean, light and airy. There is laminate flooring around bar and a smart carpet with high tables and chairs. The new landlord Phil Coker says that cask beer will be on soon starting with possibly Ruddles Best or maybe Youngs Ordinary (c.£2.30 a pint). He plans to have a second stronger beer on later possibly Shep's Spitfire as Phil comes from Kent. Phil has run a pub near Sheffield which sold beers from micros and he's keen to promote real ale. This all good news for Feltham.

The Waiting Rooms at Isleworth is closed at the moment with a banner saying "Tapas Bar/restaurant opening soon".

Henry´s Cafe Bar, 4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond has been refurbished and is to open as Revolution Vodka bar on the 9th November. Revolution - Richmond Website

Members of the Teddington Police Liaison Group heard that a new Manager has been appointed at The Builders Arms, 38 Field Lane, Teddington. Read full story on teddington-online web site.

It has been reported that The Racing Page, 2 Duke St, Richmond has closed for refurbishment and will reopen as a gastropub called The Duke. The Larkins Cellar Bar, 113 High St. Hounslow is closed.

The Fountain (Beefeater), 152 Sixth Cross Rd, Twickenham, TW2 5PE is closed for a major refurbishment. There is a big banner outside proclaiming that it will re-open on 30th November.

The Roebuck, 130 Richmond Hill has been awarded branch Pub of the Year for 2007.

The Oak Bar & Grill, 172 High St. Teddington is now open and selling beers from Twickenham Fine Ales. Tel: (020) 8977 5001

Hussar, 495-497 Staines Rd. Hounslow now has a sign up stating 'Hussars Bar and Restaurant opening soon'.

Shannons, 32-34 High St. Hounslow is closed with To Let sign up.

The Dysarts Arms, Petersham Road, Richmond has been closed for two and half weeks for a major refurbishment and is planed to reopen 23rd September.

The previous gothic look inside is to go. The natural sand-stone walls have been painted light green.

Edwards, opposite Richmond Station has changed its name back to
'the bull' when it was well known in the 60s music scene.

Henry´s Cafe Bar, 4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond has been closed for a major refurbishment. It is planned to be reopened as (Vodka) 'Revolution' on the 5th Oct boasting 90 Vodka brands and a large range of foreign beers.

The Oak, Bar & Grill, 172 High Street Teddington that's been unopened for a year is now advertising for a Chef, Front of House Manager and Bar & Waiting Staff. Work is is now in progress to complete the interior where three hand pumps can be seen on the bar which is most promising, but looks to be more restaurant than bar. As yet there is no opening date.

Congratulations to Twickenham Fine Ales

The Champion Beer of Britain Awards 2007 were announced at the Great British Beer Festival today. In the Bitters category, Twickenham Fine Ales - our only real ale brewery in the branch area - won Silver for their Sundancer. The sub category results were:

1. (Gold) Castle Rock - Harvest Ale
2. (Silver) Twickenham - Crane Sundancer
3. (Joint Bronze) Surry Hill's - Ranmore Ale & Fyne - Piper's Gold

The Champion Beer of Britain was Hobson's Mild.

The Hussar, 495-497 Staines Road, Hounslow (rebuilt in 1833 and opposite Hounslow Heath) has been closed for two months. The present owners have a Temple in the back garden that they apparently wish to extend by changing the usage of the pub.

Triple Crown, 266 Twickenham Road, Isleworth has also been closed and is boarded up. The pub's future is uncertain.

The Rifleman in Hounslow is about to re-open as El-Shaam, a Lebanese restaurant. The external redecoration is done, the windows are still blanked out with paper.

Something's happening with the Albany Arms in Brentford - all the signage is still up, but the doors and windows have been blanked off on the inside with netting.

The "To Let" sign has gone from the Coach & Horses in Isleworth, which appears to be open as normal now.

The Prince Albert, 30 Hampton Road, Twickenham have announced that they will be holding a beer festival between 31st August and 7th September, featuring Twickenham Fine Ales, with 25 different real ales, ciders and perries in rotation.

Two pubs that are currently subject to changes are: White Swan, Riverside, Twickenham is up for sale (June). The pub is owned by the Massivepub group, and Queen Dowager, 49 North La. Teddington - a Youngs pub - is advertising a To Let sign.

The Hand and Flower, Upper Ham Rd. Ham Common, TW10 5LA is now under new owership. It has been renovated and renamed the Legless Frog.

New Controlled Drinking Zones (CDZ), aimed at keeping Richmond and Twickenham town centres enjoyable for all, will come into force from Friday, June 29th. The CDZs will give police the power to require people to stop drinking alcohol and/or surrender their drink in the event of anti-social behaviour. If people refuse they risk a fine of up to £500.

The Swan, Swan Road, Hanworth is up to let. New Moon, 50 Main St, Hanworth, Feltham, has lost its licence after a Police search recovered a substantial amount of drugs from the pub, following complaints from local residents on 10th May.

The Bloomsbury, (previously known as the Five Oaks), 209 Staines Rd, Twickenham is due to reopen in about a week after another major refurbishment. They advertise home cooked food, cask ales, live sports and a beer terrace. Beers expected are Courage Best and Bombardier. This a large spacious pub with plenty of seating. As previously reported in January 2006 The Bloomsbury had to close after its recent refurbishment because of a fire on New Year's Day which gutted the ground floor bar area.

28th May - Pub now open.

The refurbished of the Rose & Crown, High Steet. Feltham. TW13 4HS has been completed and the pub reopened as The Mansion on 5th April 2007. Now under new management, it has a bigger kitchen, new menu etc. Two handpumps on bar appear to be without clips.

The Rifleman, 50 Hanworth Road, Hounslow has closed down.

The Hook Line and Sinker, 29/31 York Steet, Twickenham has been taken over from Fullers by the Mint Group and renamed The Ranch.
Tel:0871 2239542

The Railway, 3 Victoria Road, Teddington, has reopened on Sunday 1st April after extensive refurbishment as The Bloated Mallard. The pub which has attempted to preserve its Victorian origin has a Dining room that will be serving quality food. There are three hand pumps (behind American c1920s ornate metal screens) serving - on opening - Directors, Harvey's Sussex bitter and Bass.

The Railway, 3 Victoria Rd, Teddington
This pub is still covered in scaffolding with lots of refurbishment going on.

A board has recently appeared in the window saying "Coming soon - The Bloated Mallard". The word is that it will be opened as a high quality Steak Restaurant and Bar.

The original quirky sign left may now not be seen again.

The tenancy of The Castle pub in 18 Upper Square, Isleworth has been put up for sale by Youngs & Co. It is understood that Youngs intend to offload 22 pubs from their estate.

The King's Arms pub and surrounding frontage in 33 South Street TW7 7AL, Old Isleworth is subject to a redevelopment application (01031/33P5) by owners Cross Pears.

This is similar to one for 15 flats which was refused by Hounslow Council a year ago. This large pub and garden is recognised as Georgian but parts of it may be older. The pub is a dominant feature of South Street and was at the centre of the commuity in its hay day. It has now been derelict for at least five years. The Isleworth Society and The Four Roads Residents Association are also concerned about the current dereliction of the pub which has become an eyesore.

The application calls for the retention of Class A3 Retail use and ground floor of the existing building together with conversion of upper levels to form 2 self contained flats, together with the demolition of rear annex and outbuildings. The erection of one residential block comprising four 2-bed houses, two 1-bed flats and one 2-bed maisonette with associated parking.

A planning application (07/0299/FUL) has been lodged with Richmond Council for The Waldegrave PH, 209 Waldegrave Rd. The proposals call for the refurbishment of existing public house retaining the A4 use class at ground floor with 3 flats at upper floors. Construction of two new 3 storey buildings comprising of 19 flats with associated parking for 20 cars.

Because of an ongoing legal dispute The Oak, 170 High St Teddington, is not likely to be open for months.

The Hook Line and Sinker, 29/31 York St, Twickenham has been sold by Fullers and is to be a Bar. The Grand Union Cocktail Bar (ex Hobgoblin & Filthy McNasties), 11 London Rd, Twickenham is now selling two Real Ales.

The Ailsa Tavern, 263 St Margarets Rd has been sold to the Braziers who formery ran the Turks Head in Winchester Rd.

The Rose (formerly Rose of Denmark and about 3 years ago Gouramy's Restaurant), 28 Cross St, Barnes is to reopen as the Brown Dog Bar & Dining Room. Dining room available lunchtime and evenings weekdays, all day Sat, 12-4 on Sun. May be selling Adnams Bitter and Fullers London Pride.

Bar Estilo in Barnes - it is now a restaurant and has been deleted from our branch pubs list.

Its been reported that the Oak (replacement for the demolished Royal Oak) in Teddington will not open until Febuary owing to flooding.