• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

The Crooked House In Himley: The Pub Where Coins 'Roll Uphill'

Trevp666 said:
IIRC I did indeed read somewhere that the owners are millionaire business owners and also own adjacent land (a quarry I think) and have been pictured flying first-class in private jets etc.
Click to expand...
It has been reported that the owners have tried similar tactics at another pub and there are endless complaints about their conduct on planning issues at other sites. They clearly don't give a crap about anything other than making money. I've come across a couple of similar characters locally and they really do spit their dummies out when they don't get what they want.
 
Trevp666 said:
I predict the site will remain a rubble-strewn wasteland for years now.
The current owners will dispense with any responsibility for it. If they continue ownership they will be prevented from developing the site, and won't pay to clear up the mess. If they do sell it I expect it won't be for a long time.
Click to expand...

I hope so, local kids can then bugger about there and possible see a ghost or boggart or get electrocuted or whatever like they used to in those 70s infomercials.
 
My landlord is looking at buying the flat above, so he owns the entire property ... which includes an area of woodland in our garden. We're lucky in that our garden is massive - about 50m x 70m. If he gets the lot, I know for a fact that he wants to throw us out and sell the whole lot to property developers who are eager to construct small houses, which will be snapped up by holiday lets.
The worry about planning permission and land clearance is for the developers, not him.
And, as seen above, those are of no worry to the developers.
The country needs homes. The government favours the housing developers. The housing developers have plenty of profit to make, so the 'investment' in fines and public consultations (which can be ignored) is fine to them.
 
Stormkhan said:
My landlord is looking at buying the flat above, so he owns the entire property ... which includes an area of woodland in our garden. We're lucky in that our garden is massive - about 50m x 70m. If he gets the lot, I know for a fact that he wants to throw us out and sell the whole lot to property developers who are eager to construct small houses, which will be snapped up by holiday lets.
The worry about planning permission and land clearance is for the developers, not him.
And, as seen above, those are of no worry to the developers.
The country needs homes. The government favours the housing developers. The housing developers have plenty of profit to make, so the 'investment' in fines and public consultations (which can be ignored) is fine to them.
Click to expand...
It is true, the country does need homes. But builders also need to consider infrastructure. Near me there was an area of grassland just on the edge of the nearest (very small) town. Planning permission was applied for and denied about half a dozen times, but in the end it went through. So now there are about a hundred two (not many), three (more) and four (lots) bedroomed houses which is great for the local community's housing needs, but the school can't take any more pupils and children are having to be driven out to any local primary school with space, the doctor's surgery is overflowing and parking has become a huge issue. Although I can't say too much as we only got permission for our new big supermarket on the strength of the needs of the new community for shopping.
 
catseye said:
It is true, the country does need homes. But builders also need to consider infrastructure. Near me there was an area of grassland just on the edge of the nearest (very small) town. Planning permission was applied for and denied about half a dozen times, but in the end it went through. So now there are about a hundred two (not many), three (more) and four (lots) bedroomed houses which is great for the local community's housing needs, but the school can't take any more pupils and children are having to be driven out to any local primary school with space, the doctor's surgery is overflowing and parking has become a huge issue. Although I can't say too much as we only got permission for our new big supermarket on the strength of the needs of the new community for shopping.
Click to expand...
I think consideration of amenities plays little to no part in the average development scheme. Squeezing the maximum profit out of the available space is aim of the game.
 
hunck said:
I think consideration of amenities plays little to no part in the average development scheme. Squeezing the maximum profit out of the available space is aim of the game.
Click to expand...
Absolutely.
I keep seeing examples of whole new housing developments that at the stage when they are being 'displayed as models' in a (eg) local ex-shop, the house building companies will 'engage with the local community' telling them that the development will be a (eg) mixed residential area with open areas for recreation, shopping and leisure facilities, doctors and clinics, schools, good transport, and 10% 'social housing'.
And then they build a development which is 100% 3 or 4 bed 'detached' properties which are the same size as my garage, and only separated from each other by the narrowest of spaces, all squeezed into the footprint of the whole site as densely as possibly, with 'gardens' that are little bigger than an upstairs understairs cupboard.
 
hunck said:
I think consideration of amenities plays little to no part in the average development scheme. Squeezing the maximum profit out of the available space is aim of the game.
Click to expand...
I wonder how long this headlong dash to build homes will last in view of the high cost of buying a new home, high interest rates and the high cost of renting. Interest rates are nowhere near what they were in the late 70's and early 80's at 12% plus, but housing was very considerably cheaper. Perhaps this will eventually eliminate these speculative "entrepreneurs" from the scene and avoid the repetition of what happened with the wonky pub.
 
It's a 'supply and demand' thing. We are already seeing the high percentages on 'fixed rate' mortgages that have been available over the past few months starting to come down again already.
As soon as the housing market became unmanageable because the number of first-time buyers were being dissuaded by increasing mortgage costs, the big lenders started feeling the heat and reduced the rates some.

Burning down and then demolishing our 'wonky pub' might have seemed like an extremely good idea when the owners thought that they could make a quick buck off of the increased buoyancy of property prices that we saw over the past 18 months, but it probably now seems a little less sensible when we see the property market stagnating.
The longer they leave it before redeveloping the site the less chance they'll have of making anything like 'a killing'.
 
Trevp666 said:
It's a 'supply and demand' thing. We are already seeing the high percentages on 'fixed rate' mortgages that have been available over the past few months starting to come down again already.
As soon as the housing market became unmanageable because the number of first-time buyers were being dissuaded by increasing mortgage costs, the big lenders started feeling the heat and reduced the rates some.

Burning down and then demolishing our 'wonky pub' might have seemed like an extremely good idea when the owners thought that they could make a quick buck off of the increased buoyancy of property prices that we saw over the past 18 months, but it probably now seems a little less sensible when we see the property market stagnating.
The longer they leave it before redeveloping the site the less chance they'll have of making anything like 'a killing'.
Click to expand...
But what if they burned it down to extend their quarrying activities?
 
I think the areas to the North, East and South have all had quarrying done and then been used for 'landfill' by the 'waste service' shown on the map. So purchasing the pub and the land it stands in would open up that central area to more digging I expect.
1691998293373.png


Ahah, as per this sign on the road that leads to the (ex) pub.
1691998623231.png
 
My missus follows an amateur meteorologist online.
She turned up at the Crooked House ruin to take part in the protest, wearing her website's logo on a t-shirt. She just happened to appear on a local TV news film, which was covering the wreck.
Almost immediately she was bombarded by hostile, critical commentary, claiming she was exploiting the scandal to promote her website.
She endured this for only so long until she felt forced to address this in a video.
1) She wore the T-shirt to be 'spotted' by any fans of her site - there was no attempt to advertise.
2) She feels deeply about the scandal as she had been a victim of such 'building sabotage.
In short, she and her ex-husband was thrown out of the pub they managed by the brewery wanting to 'sell'. It had been all locked up, and yet it became the victim of mysterious floods - y'know, the 'mystery' of how the door was unlocked, glue poured down the sink drain, water supply turned back on and taps left to run, the door being locked after. In the end, the resultant flooding eroded the foundations and the building had to be demolished.
 
Trevp666 said:
I think the areas to the North, East and South have all had quarrying done and then been used for 'landfill' by the 'waste service' shown on the map. So purchasing the pub and the land it stands in would open up that central area to more digging I expect.
View attachment 68707

Ahah, as per this sign on the road that leads to the (ex) pub.
View attachment 68708
Click to expand...
Can't get more suspicious than that.
It's like an old house in the middle of an industrial building development, the owner of which doesn't want to sell.
"Nice old house that, mate. Looks very flammable. Hope you've got fire insurance."
 
There’s a precedent for rebuilding - The Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale

It was bought by Israeli property developer CTLX and they lodged an application to convert the building into 10 flats. In January 2015 Westminster Council refused permission and two just days before Historic England was due to recommend the pub be granted Grade-II listed status, it was reduced to rubble. The act sparked fury and a campaign was launched to force CTLX into building the pub back.

Polly Robertson, from the Rebuild the Carlton Tavern group, told The Observer: "We had a suspicion before the demolition that they (the developers) would do something, so we asked English Heritage to think about listing it. They took a plaster cast of every tile, they took pictures and documented everything.”
Westminster Council issued an enforcement notice to CTLX which required them to “recreate in facsimile the building as it stood immediately prior to its demolition”. James Watson, the pub protection adviser for the Campaign for Pubs, who advised campaigners, said: “I never imagined that I would see a planning inspector order a developer to put back what he’d just knocked down, to look exactly as it was.

"I thought the developer would get a slap on the wrist, a £6,000 fine. But I was flabbergasted – and it has set an incredibly useful precedent. Other planning inspectors will remember it, and so will developers.” The pub was built back 'brick by brick' and six years after being demolished the boozer's new owners Tom Rees and Ben Martin reopened its doors once again. Fixtures and fittings that were in the original pub were salvaged from the rubble to help the interior look the same as it was before.
Click to expand...
Before demolishment

1692130996735.png


The rebuild

1692131036213.png
 
What I always find fascinating is that these characters appear to have no insight as to the obvious finger pointing which inevitably ensues after their activities come to light. Or maybe they do and just don't give a toss.
 
PeteS said:
What I always find fascinating is that these characters appear to have no insight as to the obvious finger pointing which inevitably ensues after their activities come to light. Or maybe they do and just don't give a toss.
Click to expand...
They do know. But they think it will just be a fine and then they can carry on with what they were going to do with the site in the first place. They think it's a price worth paying (and is probably cheaper than trying to bribe an entire planning committee individually).
 
Yup. Most developers look at any fines or 'inducements' as a small price to pay for their gain in the property.
I'm sure they'd include it in the final accounts to their shareholders if it was tax deductable.
 
Very Nearly Interesting has just published a very good video to put this recent situation into context ..

 
Last edited:
I asked myself this question:
This was 'Britain's Wonkiest Pub' and is now no more. So was/is there a 'Britain's 2nd Wonkiest Pub' which has now usurped the previous title holder?

And it seems the answer is yes......
Pub called The Tilted Barrel is now Britain’s wonkiest boozer following loss of Crooked House.
A Victorian Black Country boozer called The Tilted Barrel where pool balls ‘roll uphill’ is now Britain’s wonkiest pub following the loss of the Crooked House.
Yorkshire Post article.
1692348767836.png
 
Trevp666 said:
I asked myself this question:
This was 'Britain's Wonkiest Pub' and is now no more. So was/is there a 'Britain's 2nd Wonkiest Pub' which has now usurped the previous title holder?

And it seems the answer is yes......
Pub called The Tilted Barrel is now Britain’s wonkiest boozer following loss of Crooked House.
A Victorian Black Country boozer called The Tilted Barrel where pool balls ‘roll uphill’ is now Britain’s wonkiest pub following the loss of the Crooked House.
Yorkshire Post article.
View attachment 68852
Click to expand...
Hmmm...very suspicious... Has he got an alibi?
 
Trevp666 said:
It's curious that it is only 4 or 5 miles up the road.
A bit of local 'beef' and a can of petrol and some matches. Jobs a goodun.
Click to expand...
And nobody would ever suspect a thing...!
 
Related ...
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/major-response-fire-derelict-glasgow-054207757.html
Yet another historic building - this time in Scotland - which seems to have been purchased, granted permission to become 36 flats and an underground carpark, yet left abandoned until it 'mysteriously and unaccountably' suffered from spontaneous combustion.

Perhaps this is a good thing - the media are highlighting this strange and *ahem* unexplainable phenomena of buildings up for development suddenly becoming more flammable than an oil terminal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top