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The Glass Works reopens today after a makeover |
‘Last chance saloon’ pulls plug on DJs
Pub where mass brawl erupted switches to real ale
A POPULAR dance venue, threatened with the loss of its licence because of fighting and theft, is to become a traditional “oldies” pub – dubbed “the last chance saloon”.
Out go the DJ, the loud music and the dance floor at The Glass Works, in the flagship N1 Centre in Parkfield Street, Angel. In come tables and chairs, real ale and “quiet” background sounds.
Instead of appealing to young, sometimes rowdy types, the pub will attract an older “more responsible” clientele and close earlier.
The transformation at the JD Wetherspoon pub comes after police said there had been more than 20 incidents, mainly involving young people under 25, including a violent mass brawl, fights, assaults and theft, in one year alone.
In one incident three youths were injured in a brawl at about 1.30am on August 22 when a table was thrown at bar staff, a bouncer was hit over the head with a glass bottle and another was left with a broken arm.
At Wednesday’s licensing committee meeting, police called for a review of the pub’s operation under the 2003 Licensing Act, which could have resulted in the venue forfeiting its right to sell alcohol.
But on behalf of Wetherspoon, Stephen Walsh QC said The Glass Works was now completely changing its character, after a £100,000 makeover.
He added: “We no longer have a DJ. We have got rid of the dance floor where several incidents had taken place. We have replaced it with fixed tables and chairs and booth seating to create a more traditional ambience.
“We’ve introduced proper pub food and brought in a new, more experienced management.”
The pub, due to reopen today (Friday), was one of the few owned by the chain which had music and dancing.
It has now been brought into the traditional real ale fold, and will close an hour earlier.
Lib Dem committee chairman Councillor George Allan said members were satisfied that the venue had changed its operation to avoid the kind of disturbances and incidents previously experienced.
“We hope that under this new operation we will get no more problems,” he added. |
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