By "experienced" I hope it's not one of the McDonald's style pub chains :/

I used to love the HOB It had real charcter, I particularly loved the 'Hobfest's" and Rock nights there was a really diverse crowd and quirky decorating touches.
I looked in a couple of weeks ago after the new owners took it over and it just looked GRIM.
big fruit machines in pride of place where once a funny wooden Pew sat.
It just looked like a real 'geezer' pub a bit like the Bird In Hand.
Bored woman behind the bar-just Meh!
I really hope it doesn't become some awful football pub, I loved having a rock pub and comedy club place.
I'll be gutted if the makeover involves playing generic music (muzak)
fruit machines and other grimness.

I notice the shoe repair shop next to the Hob is also closing down. Very sad as he is superb and a very nice man.

Edit: Putting my tin foil hat on now, the Hob is closed (for refurbishment), the shop next door (shoe repair) is closing and the one two down (From the Forest) is closed. Wonder how The Jolly Bee is?

This post was last modified: 16-07-2015 11:18 AM by Londondrz.

I've passed the HOB several times in the past week and there is no evidence of any sort of building or refurbishment work going on.
Any ideas about whats actually happening?
I must add that the new owners sign boasting cheap booze did make me wonder if they are aiming for the Weatherspoons punters, well that and the prominant placing of the fruit machines made me feel a sense of sadness as to what will become of the place, its in a great location, a lovely building and has so much location.

I echo the Butchery's comments,
Sad to see so many empty shops lets hope we get some interesting new buisinesses in there.

I can let all know that a friend was due to take over "From The Forest" but on day of completion "Kollier(owner)" paid all backdated rent but has done nothing about this and a court case will take a long time due to the lease agreement. As far as I know he is now paying the rent but nothing is happenning which I think is a shame!

This post was last modified: 19-07-2015 10:12 PM by P1971.

Also as far as I know 500k is being spent on the New Hob so maybe a new Gastro Pub?

It will be a real shame if The Hob ceases to be a live music and comedy venue. It offered something different - what we want is variety. The Dartmouth, The Sylvan Post and The Perryvale are all great and each has its own charm and place in FH but we don't really need another "gastropub". I really hope the new owners of The Hob understand it's tradition of live entertainment and keep that alive.

P1971

Re From the Forest - if the tenant paid all the back rent and is continuing to pay rent as it falls due then there is no Court case to proceed (if the sole reason for the landlord terminating the lease was non payment of rent). The tenant is entitled to get back into the property and start trading - if there were other breaches of the lease that might be a slightly different matter but on the face of it, from what you say, the tenant should be legally entitled to re-enter the premises and start trading.

It is a brave landlord who allows a new tenant in before the relevant period after termination (or forfeiture as it's properly known) has expired.

That said, it seems odd that the tenant would pay all the arrears and not get straight back into the building with a view to getting everything all up and running again so he can trade and keep on paying the rent going forward.

Hi AMFM

My friend didn't take on the lease in the end because the backdated rent was paid, so the original owner still has the shop. It's just such a shame that nothing is being done with it as it's such a great location and is what people see when they come out of the station.

I know that P1971 - I meant the original tenant when I said it was odd to pay the arrears (and apparently keep paying rent as it now falls due) but not move back in to get trading.

The landlord shouldn't really have been marketing the property when there was a possibility of the old tenant remedying the situation (there is a statutory time limit - working on the assumption that the landlord had a possession order)

Hi AMFM

Yes I find that odd too. Don't know if you noticed that some writing appeared on the window from the inside quite recently, that day the original tenant was in FH (as far as I'm aware he has other businesses in East London). This was also just after backdated rent was paid.

I'm not to up on legal matters and don't know what the lease agreement was with the original owner, but my friend found out who the landlord was via land registry and hand delivered a letter to his doctors surgery to say she would be interested in taking on the lease as it had been closed for so long. As far as I know the property wasn't being marketed.

Am slightly perplexed by this:

Is this information really publicly available? Even if it is, strikes me as a morally questionable approach for what is just a commercial proposition. Naive of me perhaps but does kind of let the landlord off the hook re marketing the property.

Not sure re the reference to doctor's surgery but the freeholder's address would be publicly available from Land Registry.

I can totally understand a landlord wanting to re-let the property if he's not getting rent and it looks unlikely that an original tenant is ever going to pay. It is a perfectly reasonable and understandable approach but it's a risky one, that's all. Sometimes the risk is worth taking but sometimes it backfires, as it appears to have done here.

My best guess is that the landlord is also a doctor, and his surgery is the address listed. Or, he is also the landlord of premises that house a doctors' surgery so that's a way to get hold of him. I can't believe the letter was delivered to the doctor with whom he is registered. That would be weird.

rshdunlop, yes that makes sense. Still, a bit too much revealed on a public forum methinks.

Sorry I didn't explain it properly, the landlord is also a doctor and it was his surgery address that was on the land registry.

I hope that Marks and Spencer will open; either in the Wetherspoons pub, or in M&Co. It will bring a lot of people into the area.

M&S? Surely you mean Waitrose?

No. I already have Waitrose deliver. Marks and Sparks will bring in a lot more footfall. You will have people coming from Catford, Dulwich and Sydenham.