The End Of A Broads Icon

[Paul]

I don't remember the first time we hired a boat from Loddon, it's just something that we have always done. Likewise, the visit to the inimitable Rosy Lee's Tearoom in its quirky, oddly misshapen shop opposite the staithe. I used to visit with my Mother, now sadly some time passed. I introduced my wife to it once we married and Caroline is like an aunt to both of our boys. It's been in our lives for a generation or more. 

It has received numerous awards, from broads-focused societies and cycling groups to name a few. It was named in the top ten tearooms in the country in a feature by the Times newspaper.

Sadly the diminutive little teashop will shortly close its doors for the final time, an all too common dispute over viable rent bringing an end, at least in the current form to a waterside trader who has been a part of the southern rivers experience for decades. 

Rosy Lee's will live on. The Angel Inn at the top of the village will now play home to Caroline and her team. From the staithe, turn left through the village and you'll find it at the far end of the village opposite the outstanding Pearl Garden Chinese takeaway. 

I wish Caroline and her team every success in their new home, but Loddon Staithe will never quite be the same again without that little shop and it's welcome reaching out to all who pass by 

 

[Cheesey69]

Real sorry to hear this. 
The Broads death by a thousand cuts

[trambo]

As you say a true Broads icon, such a nice, genuine person and a unique establishment that will be missed. Wish her well at her new home and hope to visit in August.

Fred

[CeePee1952]

Rosy Lee's tea room was our very first port of call when we reached Loddon on our first broads holiday way back when.  We couldn't get there last year due to tide timings to cross Breydon.  We have booked this year in October and the tide timings suit us to get across to the southern end (weather permiting!) Thanks for the heads up on the relocation - we will definitley be paying a visit!!

Chris

[FlyingFortress]

Surprised to hear this.

It was certainly unique and a fixture in Loddon.

Had a good breakfast there a week or so ago in the strange garden area across the road.

Did notice competition just up the high street but did not try it.

Will be interesting to see how things pan out at The Angel. 

That was another place that is sadly missed as a good old fashioned boozer. Although the folk who re opened it a couple of years ago did seem to have the right ideas for this day and age and it was sad to hear of it's demise.

[jeffbroadslover]

There should be a law against  profiteering from a small business that is so good at what they do and become so popular and successful !!!!!

It's a matter of "They are doing very well so I want a share of their success"

Jeff 

[Troyboy]

What a shame. We've used it many times over the years. Them having to close, due to what will probably be a disproportionate increase in rent, is everything that is wrong with the modern world. I will walk to the Angel Inn in future to support them.

[ranworthbreeze]

Yes it a new location about half a mile from the moorings.

I wish Caroline and her team all the best with the new location.

[annv]

Hi I Blame the letting agents first! every year they try to get me to agree to up the rents,   this year (June) they told me the retail property market prices have increased by 10% and would i like to increase mine by 8%.they dont appear to want to reward good tenants by not increasing the rent. Plus how can they substantiate that amount, it hasn't cost me no more this year than last year to rent them.just one of them has cost me £124=00 for four fence panels result of high winds . I suspect this tea room property will now be empty,the owner will now have to pay council tax on it, electricity meter rent plus water rates along with the likely hood of the property getting vandalized, all for being greedy. Its the rental market that is increasing prices.the ball then just rolls on. I will stop now  before blood pressure rises Gr!Gr1. John

[dnks34]

I wish Caroline all the best and I sincerely hope the current unit remains empty and ends up costing the landlord money.  
 

what a world we live in

[Bluebell]

Sorry to hear of another business being pushed into closing or relocating. I will visit Rosie Lees when next in London.
It resonated with me what John (Annv) posted. When we rented our office, the landlord, who was really a very good landlord, suggested a rent increase. My argument went along the lines of if you have a mortgage on the property, rates are at an all time low, and if you own the building outright then you’ve had no increase in costs. We eventually agreed an increase of about half the suggested one to cover other “administrative “ costs.

[MauriceMynah]

At the risk of getting too political, may I remind people that if "rental income" is the landlords only income, does he not have the right to put his prices up as his bills have gone up?

I feel that referring to him or her as greedy is a tad unfair as we are unaware of the details.

 

[Meantime]

I cannot agree with MM strongly enough. We do not know the full details of this case, but a landlords lot is not a happy and greedy one! in lots of cases. There are increasing overheads, accountants and managing agents have put up their prices, which in turn gets passed onto the landlord. Believe it or not they also pay tax, which appears to be at an all time high. Add in the various bits of legislation regarding gas and electrical certification, who by the way have put their prices up, the need for an EPC certificate, which costs. Some local authorities require you to register as a landlord, which unsurprisingly is not free. I've just had my landlord insurance renewal in, it's gone up by 20%. Then there is the future prospect of having to improve the energy rating of the property to a minimum level else it cannot be let. Again this work isn't cheap or free.

It is no surprise that at present record numbers of landlords are looking to sell and get out of the business. There is a need for rental property and the pool of available properties is shrinking, (different subject, but AirBnB have something to do with it as well) with the resulting pressure on rental prices going up even further.

I am speaking as a residential landlord, but many of the pressures are the same for commercial landlords. Everybody is entitled to a fair increase in their income to cover the rising cost of living, why should landlords be any exception? I wonder how many establishments have put up the price of their mugs of coffee or cups of tea, or a full English? I bet quite a few with the justification that they need to cover the cost of price increases to them. Why is the landlord any different?

 

[YnysMon]

I think we can empathise with both landlords and their tenants during the current economic woes. I can quite see that landlords are being forced to put their prices up, but it's a shame that some of their tenants feel they can't afford the rent any longer. I'm afraid the harsh reality is that most tenants with cafe businesses are having to pass on those costs to the customer. 

[Meantime]

11 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

I'm afraid the harsh reality is that most tenants with cafe businesses are having to pass on those costs to the customer.

Unfortunately its a fact of life and they should be. We all moan about the increase in prices in supermarkets, but what we are seeing is the result of price increases all the way back down the line from the field to the shelf with everyone in between wanting a pay increase to help them cope.

Only recently I sat down the pub with my Brother who moaned about the local pub putting the price of Guinness up by 35p a pint. Whilst it hurts I reminded him that the bar staff are only on minimum wage and also deserve an increase, (he agreed he wouldn't do the job) and also reminded him about his recent £15 a day increase in pay as a carpenter. He hasn't mentioned the increase in beer since, but still moans about the price of diesel! 

[Smoggy]

The opening times sign in the window says we're back at the top so things may have changed, couldn't ask as not open Wednesdays. 

[Meantime]

As is often the case where only partial facts are known, it would seem there will be more to this than initially meets the eye. As of the 8th July the potential purchasers of The Angel Inn have yet to complete the deal to purchase the pub, though it would appear to be imminent and I wish them all the best with their project. They also mention on their Facebook page that Rosy's will be joining them, until she retires, so how much was that a factor in negotiations at the previous premises?

More on this exciting project can be found HERE

[ExSurveyor]

I had commercial and residential property, I got out of residensial 5 years ago as I couldn't see much of a future in it.

I am in the process of reducing, and eventually getting out completely of  residential.

Rather than relet to new tenants, as they become empty they will be sold. Landlords are seen as greedy capitalists who exploit renters. They need to speak to my tenants, one who is 87 and is paying £300pm less than market value as I know she can't afford it and has lived there for 15 years. All my rents are below market level but I am still classed as greedy.

The legislation, threats of huge tax penalties from potential future governments and social pressure will drive others out and then we will see problems arise for local authorities.

Sadly, these days people are envious of others ability to put the effort in, take risks and to do well, they want to rip it to pieces without any thought of what will replace it.

 

[MauriceMynah]

5 minutes ago, ExSurveyor said:

 

Sadly, these days people are envious of others ability to put the effort in, take risks and to do well, they want to rip it to pieces without any thought of what will replace it.

 

I sort of agree with that final sentence but feel there isn't the malice it implies. Too many people will read a headline in the Express, and run with it without thinking about what that headline might actually mean.

 

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, Meantime said:

As is often the case where only partial facts are known, it would seem there will be more to this than initially meets the eye. As of the 8th July the potential purchasers of The Angel Inn have yet to complete the deal to purchase the pub, though it would appear to be imminent and I wish them all the best with their project. They also mention on their Facebook page that Rosy's will be joining them, until she retires, so how much was that a factor in negotiations at the previous premises?

More on this exciting project can be found HERE

That throws a completely different light on things. I did think that people were once again rushing to speculative judgements. Two local teachers setting up a business; what better start than to "borrow" the goodwill of a long established and well loved local business, which in a small way could also be seen as future competition? Smart move, hiding under a blanket of niceness? My guess would be that the old cafe may open as another cafe or would another shop go well there? I don't know the place. 

[Meantime]

3 minutes ago, floydraser said:

That throws a completely different light on things. I did think that people were once again rushing to speculative judgements. Two local teachers setting up a business; what better start than to "borrow" the goodwill of a long established and well loved local business, which in a small way could also be seen as future competition? Smart move, hiding under a blanket of niceness? My guess would be that the old cafe may open as another cafe or would another shop go well there? I don't know the place. 

That is one possibility, although I had a slightly different view on it myself. Commercial leases normally have rent reviews at a regular period, normally three or five years. After three years you would expect a reasonable rent increase and your business should be budgeting for it before it occurs. IF, the tenant is looking to retire sometime soon, then perhaps it is more favourable to move to a new premises, on a more favourable short term rent until they retire. In return the new landlord would eventually receive the goodwill and possibly continue the business thereafter.

We don't know the facts, and it is even possible that the lease is nearing the end and the tenant didn't want to entertain renegotiating a new lease on new terms with plans for retirement.

Again reading between the lines, if the purchasers of The Angel have still to complete, and bearing in mind Smoggy's post above, it maybe possible that the "greedy" landlord has agreed to a revised rent increase, or even a short term extension so that Rosy's can stay where it is until retirement.

[Meantime]

1 hour ago, ExSurveyor said:

Landlords are seen as greedy capitalists who exploit renters. They need to speak to my tenants, one who is 87 and is paying £300pm less than market value as I know she can't afford it and has lived there for 15 years. All my rents are below market level but I am still classed as greedy

In my experience that is often the case. A tenant goes in at market rate and after 12 months you are keen not to upset them, so no rent increase. You don't want the hassle or expense of a turnaround and finding new tenants or any down time. Then at some point you decide a modest rent increase is needed, but that still leaves you at below market rate. The gap grows ever bigger and it is very hard to recover the situation. The situation continues until they eventually decide to leave and you can relet at the market rate again.

I know of friends who are renting from someone else at £1100 per month. The landlord wants to sell up so has given them a section 21 notice to quit as is his right. They are really upset with him because the average rental on a like for like basis is now £1450 per month and they will have to find extra for the deposit. The Government is looking to remove section 21 otherwise known as no fault evictions and this is one more reason why many landlords are looking to move out of the business. Many bought property to fund their retirement rather than invest in personal pension plans. The extra hassle of being able to recover their money when they want to retire is making many reevaluate their plans. Myself being one of them.

[BroadAmbition]

Both my daughter and her fiancé owned second properties that they rented out.  The time came for them to sell, on both occasions it cost them a packet going through the legal route with the sitting tenants digging in then accusing them of being 'Greedy' 

There was no mention of the years they had enjoyed paying a below market value rent at both properties

Greedy? - Erm, no they weren't, they were just selling their respective properties at the going rate as is their legal right.  It has put both of them off ever renting out properties ever again

Griff

[Meantime]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

Both my daughter and her fiancé owned second properties that they rented out.  The time came for them to sell, on both occasions it cost them a packet going through the legal route with the sitting tenants digging in then accusing them of being 'Greedy' 

There was no mention of the years they had enjoyed paying a below market value rent at both properties

Greedy? - Erm, no they weren't, they were just selling their respective properties at the going rate as is their legal right.  It has put both of them off ever renting out properties ever again

Griff

An all too familiar story. Add in the fact that depending on how much the property had gone up by during the time it was rented out they would possibly have had quite a sizeable capital gains tax bill to pay on any gain, minus the usual allowances. Something else that the Government is looking at increasing for the future. With the lack of new council homes being built, this and future Governments need private landlords to supply the demand for rental properties. Sadly there is a diminishing pool of private landlords waiting for the next kick in the teeth.

It's so ironic that landlords as a whole get a bad press, yet in my experience and others I've spoken to, private residential and commercial landlords tend to do a good job. It is the few private landlords with ***'s (homes of multiple occupation) and more often Housing Associations, often supported by local authorities, that do an appalling job. 

Large commercial landlords are also often berated by their corporate tenants, think of Debenhams or BHS. Yet these same companies were bought by venture capitalists who sold of their property assets and removed the capital as dividends and then left the stores locked in to long term unfavourable tenancies for short term gain at the long term risk to the future failure of the business. We are in the process of witnessing the exact same thing happening to Morrisons supermarkets. The VCs have taken over and immediately sold and leased back all the property relating to their own inhouse food production facilities, therefore leaving Morrisons with a higher bottom line expense which ultimately it will probably never recover from. Aldi is about to move into fourth place amongst the big supermarkets with Morrisons being relegated. I'd be very surprised if Morrisons lasts longer than 10 years before you see the group sold for a pound once all the other assets have been stripped.

[Wonderwall]

Just read this , that's quite sad the tea shop closing.

It has been a tradition for many a year , that my wife and daughter would go for tea and scones and me and the young lad would go to the pub for beers ( juice for him back in the day but beers now 😄) and a few games of pool while in Loddon.

The ladies raved about the p!ace.