Sarah Todd: Hard to be bullish about prospects of our country pubs

EVERY so often, if there's nobody else in the house, the radio is tuned in to The Archers. Last time this happened there was a lively scene in The Bull, with locals angry about the quiz questions being too highbrow. Since the sad death of landlord Sid Perks there's been a "We Love The Bull" campaign launched, with regulars volunteering to help out devastated landlady Jolene.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Oct 2010, 17:05 BST
Updated 15th Oct 2010, 17:05 BST

The reality for many country pubs is less rosy – they have ghostly empty bars – certainly not enough punters to run a quiz. Almost 900 were forced to call time for good last year according to figures in a report by the National Housing Federation and the British Beer and Pub Association.

Together, they are calling on councils to include village pubs in development plans. This has to be good, although it might conflict with another issue which councils are also being urged to take action on – signage clutter. The Campaign to Protect Rural England started the ball rolling on this back in 1996 with its report The Cluttered Countryside.

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It's a tricky one. So many pubs, shops and other rural businesses are struggling and surely what they need are signs to attract customers off the beaten track. Just the other day it was difficult to pull out of a nearby road because of a van emblazoned with advertising parked near the junction. In my mind this is what the campaign should be tackling. It's cheeky. The business had no base in this area, was giving nothing to the local community, it just saw a busy thoroughfare and parked up. But what about A-boards for the likes of pubs and shops? Do they distract drivers or bring much-needed passing trade?

Just a funny aside, thinking about travelling. Our daughter is taking some hens to Countryside Live at Harrogate next weekend. When we took Ralph the cockerel to our local show earlier in the year we borrowed a neighbour's cat cage. But she's taking three feathered friends this time, so it seemed sensible to buy her something larger to carry them in. Hoping to get a bargain from eBay, we typed "hen transport" into the computer and ended up with a list of wild and wacky ideas for getting girls to hen parties.

One of the Countryside Live classes we've entered is "young exhibitor" and we're busy shortening a white stockman's coat last used by my brother.

Thinking aloud, the preparations could be a storyline from The Archers. Whether or not she wins a prize (and I believe all young, under 10, exhibitors, whether showing pigs, cattle, sheep or whatever, should be given a memento to encourage their efforts) we'll take her to the pub. So long as there's a sign to point us in the right direction…

Countryside Live, October 23-24, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. www.countrysidelive.co.uk

CW 16/10/10