Arriving back in Fenwick the other night I spotted a guy with a wee dog going into the King’s Arms and I couldn’t help but smile… that will be “I’ll just take the dog for a quick walk before tea!” Nice bit of business. Meanwhile Jock our star judger for Dog Friendly Pub of the Year, was featured in the Sunday Mail which led to a flurry of entries for this category. To date we have had more than 80 nominations for this category alone. Jock is going to be busy!
I’m extending our entry deadline by a week to June 7th – so if you haven’t entered your favourite customers, or you think that you ought to be in line for an award, head to www.scottishbarandpubawards. To date we’ve had just over 900 nominations…with pubs and hotels such as Markie Dans in Oban, The Cross Key’s, St Andrews; The Lord of the Isles, Lochgilphead, Orocco Pier, Edinburgh; Jinty Mcguinty’s, Glasgow; The Steadings, Edinburgh; The Lochside Hotel and The Ballygrant on Islay, The Douglas Hotel on Arran and Blue Dog in Glasgow up there with the most nominations to date… So if you haven’t got your customers voting, or you would like to nominate yourselves… now is the time!
Talking of awards I attended the BII Awards recently and was sorry to hear that Stephen McGowan of TLT is stepping down as Chair. He has done a great job for the BII in Scotland over the last few years so much so that the event was at capacity. It was also lovely to see May Jack (above) honoured for her contribution to the BII over the last 30 years. I’ve known this wonderful former licensee for about 23 years, she was one of my very first interviewees.
Stephen, when I left him was busy carousing, and not just celebrating another successful event, but obviously buoyed by the fact that he has managed to secure The Shed in Shawlands a permanent 3am licence for Fridays and Saturdays. It’s been a very long journey for Michele Pagliocca and his team, but all credit to him, others would have given up by now, and no doubt it will make a tremendous difference to his business.
Donald MacLeod and his colleagues at Holdfast have been fundraising for Nordoff Robbins in a Five Ferries Cycle Challenge… I initially had this vision of the team cycling up and down the decks of a Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry on its way to an Island, I was holding onto that thought because the other visualisation of the bold Donald in lycra wasn’t one that I could face! But he assures he wasn’t wearing lycra – well just a lycra top! Whew! Anyhow the race was around the islands to the ferry terminals and took in Arran, Rothesay etc. But he tells me the worst bit of the ride was the last bit up Hope Street to get his car at the office… as folk kept recognising him. But they did raise more than £7K. Well done. Meanwhile as we went to press Bob Taylor and his team of cyclists were fundraising for the BEN.
Did you see the article that John Niven wrote in the Sunday Mail last month about his experience of nightlife in Sydney, Australia? It’s no wonder so many Australians are flocking to Scotland! Check it out online but to summarise he found to his dismay that new laws have been introduced in the city… You cannot drink and smoke in the same area. You cannot enter a club after 1.30am. You cannot buy a whole bottle of wine after 10pm and you can’t order a shot after 11pm – even a whisky without adding a soft drink to it! And bar staff are legally required to refuse alcohol to someone they even suspect might be drunk… now it may be the law here too (the last one that is) but at least here you are allowed to get merry… there if you as so much as look at bit tipsy you are out! I won’t be going to Sydney any time soon! God forbid it happens here, as their new laws have killed off much of the trade there.
I headed to Glenuig to see the Glenuig Inn, and was most impressed by its ‘green’ credentials. I can imagine a time when everyone has a Waste food dryer… it just seems like common sense. It’s a shame that Steve Macfarlane is selling up, here’s hoping he stays in hospitality.