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Landmark Blackpool pub closes its doors
ONE of Blackpool's oldest pubs has been forced to close its doors.
Landmark North Shore venue Uncle Tom's Cabin has shut after owner Herald Inns and Bars went into administration.
The famous Promenade pub, built in the 1850s, has been closed since last Tuesday after licensee Keith Slater received a call with the news.
Last orders
Mr Slater said he and partner Barbara Savage – who ran The Pump & Truncheon on Bonny Street for seven years – were left "heartbroken".
Mr Slater said: "It was just so sudden, we had only just started a few weeks ago and then we got the phone call saying there was bad news, the company had gone into receivership and we were out of work. It's an awful shame. It's a pub with history, a real community pub. It's a landmark.
"You wouldn't close down Blackpool Tower, so why close down Uncle Tom's Cabin?
"It breaks our hearts as we can see what potential this lovely pub has and a great asset for the community.
"There were about 10 staff, six of whom were full-time – they have lost their jobs of course. It's not that bad for Barbara and I because we have found work elsewhere."
Pubs buck downturn
Dave Daly, of the National Association of Licensed House Managers, said: "The way these pubs are being closed, it's a travesty. Our industry is being decimated. It's a loss for the community. It's a popular pub and part of the history of Blackpool."
Pubs firm Cougar has taken on 21 outlets but 16 former Herald Inns sites remain with administrator Ernst & Young, including the flagship Mood bar in Preston. Herald Inns was originally formed by tycoon Trevor Hemmings, of Leisure Parcs, but he is no longer associated.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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