The son of England 1966 legend Jack Charlton is backing the Mirror crusade to save the Great British pub.
John Charlton, 66, has been landlord of Charlton’s bar and cafe by the beach in Cambois, Northumberland, for almost 15 years. He told how his gas bill there has risen to £2,000-a-month, while his buildings insurance is £900-a-month. Government changes to the minimum wage and NI have added thousands more to his monthly outgoings, depending on hours worked by his nine staff.
The dad-of-three is on duty himself six or seven days a week, including late evening shifts and weekends. He spoke as the latest figures reveal 300 bars closed across England and Wales last year, with 4,500 job losses, as the Mirror calls for help for landlords. John, who is also paying back Covid loans, said: “If something is not done, pubs will keep on closing and at an even faster rate. The bills have just gone through the roof. It is ridiculous and adds so much pressure to make ends meet.”
His pub has become a community hub, with an adjoining fish and chips shop for customers, especially popular at weekends. John added: “We have good food here and people come back on a regular basis. But that has gone from visiting three or four times a week to once or twice because people cannot afford it. They are under pressure to pay the bills as well. So they cut back. If we are not careful, this pub will be an Old People’s Home or a site of two or three houses. High Streets are disappearing, they are now full of charity shops, and the pubs are going with them. The Government has to act.”
We launched our crusade on Feb 10, calling for action from No 10 to help save locals up and down the land. Our demand for action includes a fighting fund for pubs from government; recognition for landlords who go above and beyond in their community; and support for community groups wanting to buy their local. John is hoping plans for local housing, and a data warehouse, will help boost business for the pub, which is full of photos and tributes to Leeds Utd and England legend Jack Charlton, who died in 2020. Local resident Sue Lidstone, 64, has been visiting Cambois since childhood, when she came to see her grandad; she now lives there and works in Charlton’s kitchen.
“It is more than just a pub, it is vital for our community,” she said. “I don’t drive, so if I needed to find another job, I would have to get the bus, and the service is very limited. If we lose the pub, there will be nowhere for people to go.” Both the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner have pledged their support to our crusade. Ms Rayner said: “Community spaces like pubs have been decimated for over a decade, and local people have been ignored for far too long.”
But Lib Dem Daisy Cooper, named 2024 Pub Parliamentarian of the Year for her campaigning, warned jobs tax and business rates bills are pushing some pubs “to call last orders for the final time.” Emma McClarkin, chief of trade body British Bar and Pub Association, said closures were ‘completely avoidable’ because pubs are doing a brisk trade. “Consumer demand is there, however profits are being wiped out with sky-high bills,” she added
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