The Old Globe was shut earlier in the year and the new management took over on the 30th June. I’ve been popping in and out to say hello to Syd since it opened on the 16th July.
The whole neighbourhood was buzzing with chat about who was taking over and what it would be like. Luckily running this website and the Instagram account meant that I had a good excuse for going in and having a look round just before it opened. I have to say I was impressed by the way Syd had turned a tired drinking place into a cosy community pub.
So who is Syd and who is his business partner?
Syd moved from Cheltenham to Bristol to manage Smoke & Mirrors in 2014. He stayed there 11 years and enjoyed working there but he must have also been an excellent manager because, and I speak as a former publican, if neither of those boxes are ticked then you don’t hang around.
Rob, his business partner, is a Bristol boy. One of his earliest memories is sitting in his dad’s car on Saturday mornings waiting for him while he did his shopping in Stan Butt butchers.
The pub is a good destination for televised football matches and those evenings go down very well. And did I mention that there’s free WiFi? There’s free WiFi!
They want to provide the community with a fun pub to spend when spending an evening there and the emphasis is on fun. There are a selection of board games for customers to play and a pub quiz beginning in September. Good dogs are welcome but not too many at the same time. My dog has been in and he liked the cuddles and attention that he got!
There’s no kitchen in the pub but if you’d like to take your own food in or get it delivered then Syd will provide you with cutlery and crockery and even do the washing up afterwards.
The pub is being promoted as a positive community asset with a comfortable and safe atmosphere being one of the aims. I like it there and I rarely visit pubs.
So what three things describe Syd to a ‘T’? Rum and ginger beer for one, the second is Cheltenham Football Club and the third is Frank Turner the musician – click on his name to hear one of his songs.