Aston Hotel

[dave shelley]

Something I've just remembered about the Aston Hotel.  It was used as the branch headquarters of our union.

[clash city rocker]

Sign of the times isn't it. Not just around the ground but all over pubs have been closing for many years. Around kiddy so many pubs have closed in the last ten years..will there be any left in 20 years time apart from wetherspoons.

[Percy McCarthy]

A lot of inner-city pubs are being revived by people of Indian descent turning them into nice curry pubs. The Railway and the Soho Tavern in Handsworth were absolutely on their arse until recently, but look great now.

[Jimbo]

A lot of inner-city pubs are being revived by people of Indian descent turning them into nice curry pubs. The Railway and the Soho Tavern in Handsworth were absolutely on their arse until recently, but look great now.

Dead right. With hard work and a bit of imagination there's no reason why these places can't be turned around.

[Legion]

The Royal Oak in Rushall has had the same refurbishment. Quality.

[sickbeggar]

Smoking laws killed pubs. Who wants to go outside every 30 minutes in the middle of winter? Unfortunately the biggest drinkers tended to be the biggest smokers and lets face it sitting at home with some cans is a better idea than freezing your knob off for most people, so they left and the wholesale closure of pubs began. Now you get laughable pub/restaurants. well i'd go to a restaurant if i want a meal as i don't want people walking round me while i'm sitting at a table eating. That's why the whole seperate concepts of restaurants and pubs evolved, rather than pub/restaurants. Worst still are places that welcome kids so you get them running around causing mayhem because their parents can't deal with the inconvenience of giving up some pastimes in exchange for reproducing. I know when i was young my parents would never have dreamt of taking me near a pub but what the hell lets have them eating their kiddie menu's meals next to a load of builders swearing at the bar. Inevitable that real "pubs" will disappear totally in the next 10 years

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

Would you believe there are even pubs these days that don't provide spittoons? I mean, fancy having to hawk your loogies on the floor! It's indefensible.

[robbo1874]

Its been 10 years since I last went to VP, so having a bit of trouble remembering which one the Aston Hotel is. Is it the one on Witton Lane near the roundabout that used to be the Cap and Gown for a while?

[DaveD]

Its been 10 years since I last went to VP, so having a bit of trouble remembering which one the Aston Hotel is. Is it the one on Witton Lane near the roundabout that used to be the Cap and Gown for a while?

Yes and no. IIRC, the Cap and Gown was on the other side of the roundabout.

[PeterWithesShin]

Cap and Gown is the Witton Arms.

This is the Aston Hotel.

[PeterWithesShin]

When I was looking on Google for that image, seems the Aston Hotel was sold for £430K a couple of years ago.

[Dave Cooper please]

Good pubs don't shut.
I live in an area similar to Aston if we are talking ethnicity, we have had several pubs shut down in the last few years but they were all the ones that refused to move with the times. I'm all for your traditional boozer but if the punters are no longer drinking there then they must be going somewhere better, if that is home then the pub has failed to make their pub better than sitting in front of the TV, their fault.

Of all the pubs that have closed within a 2 mile radius of my house just about all of them have been the sort of average boozer I wouldn't bother to go in because it  has nothing to offer apart from a lager and John Smiths. the age of the "local" has gone, we want more from our pub than just being down the road.

[robbo1874]

Ah, ok got it now. Just behind the Witton End? I think I only went in there once as it was never really on my way to the ground. I used to usually head straight to the ground and go in the bar upstairs in the Holte, McGregor's is it? And to the Harriers- chico Hamilton III has relatives that live round the corner from it- for a few seasons. That was a really good pre and post-match pub. Stella and and smoke outside.

Seems a shame that these pubs are going to the wall, for whatever reason. It's all cyclical though I suppose- some close as they can't stay relevant to their location, others find new ways to become viable businesses.

At least if the Aston Hotel will no longer be a pub, it will be providing a valuable service to the area as a homeless refuge. Better that than it being flattened and used as a car park once a fortnight.

[The Edge]

Ah, ok got it now. Just behind the Witton End? I think I only went in there once as it was never really on my way to the ground. I used to usually head straight to the ground and go in the bar upstairs in the Holte, McGregor's is it? And to the Harriers- chico Hamilton III has relatives that live round the corner from it- for a few seasons. That was a really good pre and post-match pub. Stella and and smoke outside.

Seems a shame that these pubs are going to the wall, for whatever reason. It's all cyclical though I suppose- some close as they can't stay relevant to their location, others find new ways to become viable businesses.

At least if the Aston Hotel will no longer be a pub, it will be providing a valuable service to the area as a homeless refuge. Better that than it being flattened and used as a car park once a fortnight.

Aston hotel has gone as it wasn't viable as a pub any longer. Villa Tavern is still going strong.

[Jimbo]

Good pubs don't shut.
I live in an area similar to Aston if we are talking ethnicity, we have had several pubs shut down in the last few years but they were all the ones that refused to move with the times. I'm all for your traditional boozer but if the punters are no longer drinking there then they must be going somewhere better, if that is home then the pub has failed to make their pub better than sitting in front of the TV, their fault.

Of all the pubs that have closed within a 2 mile radius of my house just about all of them have been the sort of average boozer I wouldn't bother to go in because it  has nothing to offer apart from a lager and John Smiths. the age of the "local" has gone, we want more from our pub than just being down the road.

I agree with most of this, but I would say there are plenty of people who just want a pint of Carling and watch Sky Sports or whatever. They are usually quite lazy, though, and if the pub is handy for them it will still flourish.

With a place like the Aston Hotel, or the Bartons for that matter, they have to offer something special to get people to consider going there. And with Birmingham's public transport being so bad, it has to be something special to warrant the journey. Great beer, food and a nice building usually swings it.

The Aston Hotel could be a success with the right owner, just like another crumbling old institution in the vicinity.