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Locks Inn


BITTERNBOY

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What a shame The Locks Inn is going to be closed for maintenance when we usually head down there on 20th / 21st Oct. It is usually the highlight of our week having the Sunday afternoon in a great atmosphere with musicians doing their own thing while we have a few jars. We have been visiting the Locks for many years....hope it doesn't change too much if at all. 

P1090877.JPG

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2 hours ago, BITTERNBOY said:

 We have been visiting the Locks for many years....hope it doesn't change too much if at all. 

P1090877.JPG

I reckon it has already changed, almost out of all recognition, over the last forty odd years. Still like the place, though not as much as the old days (early seventies).  :12_slight_smile:

Geldeston-Locks-History.jpg

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Following a conversation with Tim who owns the Triangle Brewery and used to have the Locks a few years ago, Grain Brewery have taken the place over from 1st October I understand so I guess they have closed to do some refurbishment. Colin who has been in charge for a number of years has left according to Tim

Boycee

:default_beerchug:

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Will be interesting to see how this pans out. After Tim got divorced his wife ended up with some of the pubs as part of the settlement, The Locks Inn being one of them. Colin stayed on as the tenant but for fairly obvious reasons was unable to offer Green Jack beers. Since that day The Locks Inn lost some of its charm for me, and the staple beer since then has been Grain, which if I'm honest I drink, but its not my favourite.

However the location and some of the events that Colin put on such as Lockstock still pulled me to The Locks on a fairly regular basis.

I'm assuming that Tim's ex wife has now sold the place to Grain. I assume that means the beer won't change much from what its been the last few years, but hopefully they don't mess around with the charm of the place too much. With little Winter trade, Colin used to keep limited hours in the Winter, I suspect it could be closed for quite a make over in preparation for next season.

This year I made a couple of visits to The Wherry and was very surprised at how much its improved in the last couple of years, with the food being very good. The Locks does have some competition there, although it can never win on the location.

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1 hour ago, Boatingman said:

Hi Ian

Those were the days Susan Ellis was a character

She was busy one night and summarily co-opted my two sisters

as acting barmaids for the evening

Ray

 

The first picture shows Susan at work. For me the days of Walter Coe took some beating!

Geldeston Locks Susan.jpg

Geldeston Locks-inn.jpg

Geldeston Locks Inn 1920s..jpg

Geldeston Locks Inn Joe Crowfoot.JPG

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I'm too young to have had the pleasure of knowing Susan Ellis, but remember Walter Coe. One year we were told Walter was having a barbecue night, so we decided this update was not to be missed. The barbecue was half a Castrol oil drum with a grid on top, and I'm not too sure whether the fuel was Castrol too! It was gruesome. But we had a wonderful evening anyway, plenty of singalongs with a chap called John (?) with an accordion. Anyone remember him from the late 70's? Used to get around a lot of pubs.

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Just catching up with this. Its a shame Colin Smith has gone, he was/is an excellent landlord and actually understood the unique nature of running a Broadland pub. Bit like John and Tracy at the Berney. You need to understand that you can be packed in season and virtually empty at quieter times. Mrs Nog and I often chatted to Colin when we the only customers in the pub.

I would certainly rate Grain as one of the better Norfolk breweries, they play it fairly safe with the beers but they are of excellent quality (IMHO of course). The Stanford Arms was part of the divorce settlement too I believe. Its gone from strength to strength since becoming a free house. Nothing wrong with Grain as I say but its nice to have a choice. I don't know if Colin left or was booted out but he will be missed, who else would run a pub where you can literally be surrounded by water for days on end!!

LocksFlood.jpg

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On 11/10/2018 at 23:15, EastCoastIPA said:

Anybody know if Colin is staying in the trade? Howard has it right when he says that Colin understood running a Broadland pub. A very seasonal one at that.

Apparently Colin has had enough and gave notice that he'd quit at the end of the summer season. I believe that the pub will remain closed at least until after Christmas. As for staying in the trade, I understand not, at least for the time being.

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I'm gonna head down that way in a week or so to take a look and snoop around.

 No chance anyone will think any area is becoming posh when I turn up :default_smiley-angelic002:.

I'll let you all know If I find any different or additional info to JM

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36 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Have a good one and any feedback welcome JF 

Like beers available (not that Kronenbourg stuff) :default_norty:

And where Colin Smith has gone. If he's got another pub I'd like to visit it! 

Enjoy! (you lucky person) :default_beerchug:

I'll see what I can do Mr Nog, but it won't be long before you are back on the rivers surely.

You know i'll be finding out about the beers more than anything, but there's nothing wrong with a drop of Kronies, Export, or Stella. I even changed my avatar in their (and your) honour :default_smiley-angelic002:

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31 minutes ago, Jayfire said:

Grain Brewery Taking Over. Is everyone aware of this already?

I think it has been in the pipeline JF but not heard anything recently

It could be a lot worse, it could have been Greene King

Grain do some good beers but if they have let Colin Smith go than I think that is a mistake 

However the Cottage and the Plough are OK 

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33 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

I think it has been in the pipeline JF but not heard anything recently

It could be a lot worse, it could have been Greene King

Grain do some good beers but if they have let Colin Smith go than I think that is a mistake 

However the Cottage and the Plough are OK 

Sorry I didn't get down there on my last visit as promised Mr Nog, but never fear I am back in a few weeks and I'll head down there at some point, although I'm assuming a visit from the Nogs can't be too far off either :default_norty:

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4 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

I think it has been in the pipeline JF but not heard anything recently

It could be a lot worse, it could have been Greene King

Grain do some good beers but if they have let Colin Smith go than I think that is a mistake 

However the Cottage and the Plough are OK 

If I understand my sources correctly Colin decided that he'd had enough some months ago but agreed to stay until the end of the season. Don't think that his moving had anything to do with Grain, more likely that Grain became involved because he was moving on. Apparently the pub will remain closed until a suitable replacement is found, and that will, I'm sure,  be a problem!

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12 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

If I understand my sources correctly Colin decided that he'd had enough some months ago but agreed to stay until the end of the season. Don't think that his moving had anything to do with Grain, more likely that Grain became involved because he was moving on. Apparently the pub will remain closed until a suitable replacement is found, and that will, I'm sure,  be a problem!

Not sure that is entirely correct. Colin was a tenant, not a manger. The freehold was with The Green Jack Brewery until Tim got divorced from his wife and then she got The Locks Inn and a couple of other pubs as part of the divorce settlement and inherited Colin as tenant of The Locks Inn.

It looks like Tim's ex wife has now sold the freehold to Grain brewery who will look to install a manager or maybe in the future another tenant. I'm assuming that Colin's tenancy was either coming to an end, or he has just decided that it was time for pastures new and wasn't prepared to go through another change of landlord.

A shame really because he had the right temperament for that pub in that location, which could be very challenging at times. I'm not a great fan of Grain beers, however they obviously see a future in the pub to have invested in buying the freehold. At least it's future as a pub looks to be secure for the foreseeable and whilst I would rather have seen Green Jack involvement, Grain is better than seeing it closed.

I wish Colin well in what ever endeavour he undertakes next, his departure from The Locks is a sad loss along the lines of John and Tracy from The Berney Arms. Five years or so ago they were probably the best two pubs on The Broads.

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17 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

Five years or so ago they were probably the best two pubs on The Broads.

I wont disagree with that!!

I think JM and ECIPA have it pretty much covered between them. Running the Locks must be a heck of a challenge and if Colin did decide enough was enough I suppose you can't blame him. Equally he will be extremely difficult to replace. For security I guess someone would have to live there all year round. It will be very interesting to see what happens.

Ironically I understand that there was a point where John and Tracy were paying twice as much in rent as Colin. But then look who was their landlord.......

4 hours ago, Jayfire said:

although I'm assuming a visit from the Nogs can't be too far off either

Not sure that we'll get that far down in winter JF - usual train to Beccles job from JM land I suspect......:default_beerchug:  besides I don't want to get shot going through Beccles :default_norty:

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9 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

Not sure that we'll get that far down in winter JF - usual train to Beccles job from JM land I suspect......:default_beerchug:  besides I don't want to get shot going through Beccles :default_norty:

Well whichever way you wind up down there, enjoy Mr and Mrs Nog.

Shot going through Beccles, it sounds like a gentle Sunday morning stroll through my neighbourhood that, I do hope you are referring to a camera shot Sir :default_biggrin:

I'll have long gone by the time you are around, if my estimations are correct of your proposed visit, so no need to panic at all :default_biggrin:

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