Greens Closing 31St December.

[sarahc]

This is a classic Manx Forums thread. Starts out well, expressing disappointment a popular eaterie is closing, then swiftly descends into an exchange of half-baked legal opinions which largely ignore the input of the one legally-trained poster, then creates a fact out of a suggestion and immediately turns into an attack on a company which, as far as anyone knows, has nothing to do with the subject of the thread.

All we need now is a debate about whether shoplifting is right or wrong, whether God is real or not and PK telling us how much better the UK would have done it all and it'll be the perfect thread.

 

I hate D's Leisure fare and take every opportunity to tell people.

[censorship]

I hate D's Leisure fare and take every opportunity to tell people.

But, if you ate and then left without paying, what would God say? If there is a God. Obviously the God in the UK is better than the one in the Isle of Man, according to PK.

[Mr. Sausages]

This is a classic Manx Forums thread... [snip]

...one legally-trained poster, then creates a fact out of a suggestion ...[snip]...

That's the icing on the cake.

[manx-person]

This is a classic Manx Forums thread. Starts out well, expressing disappointment a popular eaterie is closing, then swiftly descends into an exchange of half-baked legal opinions which largely ignore the input of the one legally-trained poster, then creates a fact out of a suggestion and immediately turns into an attack on a company which, as far as anyone knows, has nothing to do with the subject of the thread.

All we need now is a debate about whether shoplifting is right or wrong, whether God is real or not and PK telling us how much better the UK would have done it all and it'll be the perfect thread.

 

But it would appear that if the site is owned by a Government Department then the tenant wouldn't be able to take advantage of the suggested protections.

 

I don't think that decisions on matters of awarding leases should be made purely on financial grounds - What if the new tenant has no track record in food retailing and has bid too much and will be unable to pay the lease after 6 months?

 

John W said that the current owners had a potential remedy to being kicked out, but based on comments it is possible that they in fact might not.

 

So I think a follow up on this is point is entirely reasonable, and on topic.

[Kopek]

The Govt now offer the leases on these premises by the 'Tender' process and if they were to accept a low tender we would now be complaining about the loss of money to the Govt.

 

The Kermodes did indeed express 'shock', some months ago, at having to go through this process and whether through optimism or knowledge of the turn over were not able to put in the highest tender.

 

Perhaps it is not for the Govt to worry about the viability of the accepted tender, the new tenants may make it work through higher prices or a different range of fare. It could be that more money is required for the upkeep of the Building or simply, that it would be silly not to accept the highest tender.

 

It is a shame that the Kermodes did not get a new lease because, traditionally, it is 'Greens' as set up by them and we will all look back nostalgically on places like this as a loss to us.

 

Realistically, can the Govt always expect a commercially viable rent? Should there be some compromise when there is a 'Tourist' requirement for the business?

 

Earlier, I said the Laxey Pavilion is out to tender, the current rent is £12,000/yr but with the money being spent on the place, the new rent should be £30,000/yr to recover that cost. Will that be offered? Will they refuse any offers significanty below that figure?

 

If not, could they not have come to 'an arrangement' with the Kermodes?

[Lost Login]

Realistically, can the Govt always expect a commercially viable rent? Should there be some compromise when there is a 'Tourist' requirement for the business?

 

It should be a commercial rent but I think after that there needs to be some additional considerations where the site is asociated to a "Tourist" site or basically has a monopoly on a government premise. These should relate both to opening hours and also price and quality of product.

 

Since it changed hands The Sound Cafe has had an appalling reputaion but The Sound itself is meant to be a Jewel in the IoM's Tourism. The Cafe at the Hospital is basically a Monopoly and after it changed hands again the reports are not good and there was allegedly an immediate increase in price. In those situations in my view there is a balance between providing a service to the public and obtaining the best posible income.

 

I am sure if you asked Government they would say they do take these matters into account when reviewing tenders but in my view history has shown that the changes have frequently not been for the better. I doubt if Giovernment will accept this as recently when there were complaints about The Sound Cafe in the paper somebody from Government wrote in to defend it. I just thought had the writer not seen the comments on sites such as Where's Good to Eat

[Kopek]

There are usually conditions attatched to the leases, at Greens it would be to be open when the trains are running, at Laxey to be a sort of community centre, Jazz Fest and any event for the local community or to the benefit of Laxey but also some oddities like musical events and dances. All at reasonable prices.

[player]

I've never actually eaten in Niarbyl because on the occasions I have gone (once walked from Port Erin) they were closed for a private function. Both times it was afternoon and they refused even to serve us drinks despite the sign outside saying they were open 7 days a week as does all their information. The same has happened at the Sound Cafe. I would never walk to either of these facilities and expect to eat or drink there without checking there was not a function booked but I doubt that visitors would think to do this.

[Barrie Stevens]

There are usually conditions attatched to the leases, at Greens it would be to be open when the trains are running, at Laxey to be a sort of community centre, Jazz Fest and any event for the local community or to the benefit of Laxey but also some oddities like musical events and dances. All at reasonable prices.

 

I worked there at Greens during the 1993 TT for my karmic debts I suppose. I was a kitchen porter making the salads and processing vegetables and washing up the pots and pans. And clearing tables. (Is there no end to this man's talent?)

 

I recall the Red Dragon Pie (?)

 

Nicky and Nigel were invited (ie begged) to take the place on when it was a dump and much of what looks like original woodwork such as the "antique" floor was actually hand done by those two.

 

Nicky showed me how to slice a large cabbage!

 

There was something about being open when the trains run as the area is still a railway waiting room. In those days I had to put ash trays on tables. People objected but it was a requirement being a railway waiting area (Pre non-smoking etc)

 

Bizarre sight! Big hairy German bikers all grubbing away at poofy vegetarian "nosh" (That's your actual Yiddish for food by the way)

 

Thurston Arrowsmith, Local environmentalist, tree lover and bunny hugger, also worked there and I was under instructions to liberate all of God's creatures (slugs etc) and not swill them down the drain. You see a lot of the Veg was organic and not sprayed with chemicals and all the waste (peelings, outer leaves etc) went to compost. Home grown it was!

 

Bizarre times dealing with steam buffs and Fred Dibnah types asking me about the steam to power traction ratio on a Mark IV Peacock locomotive and was it made in Gorton, Manchester or one of the Norwegian models made under licence. What sort of signal cables they used and where could they see Bertie the Bus and Clarabelle the Carriage.

 

"You don't know! You work here and you don't know!" (Fred Dibnah type chokes on salad)

 

I had them believe that Don Gelling was actually the Fat Controller and was always in costume complete with top hat at Tynwald Fair. (No I made that up!)

 

OMG! MF GURU and other fans might actually have eaten some of the food prepared by Barrie Stevens (They certainly choke on my words!)

 

Pass the sick bag Alice!

[Kopek]

 

Nicky showed me how to slice a large cabbage!

 

Do you think that she was imagining it was your Bollocks?

 

 

 

PS. thats how to avoid over quoting when pressing the quote button, highlight and delete. Leave the quotes top and bottom. Much like the syntax when programming a Sinclair Spectrum, you remember?

[buggane]

 

Nicky showed me how to slice a large cabbage!

 

Do you think that she was imagining it was your Bollocks?

 

 

 

PS. thats how to avoid over quoting when pressing the quote button, highlight and delete. Leave the quotes top and bottom. Much like the syntax when programming a Sinclair Spectrum, you remember?

 

Have it on good authority that it is D's leisure who are taking over, "freedom to flourish" aye kick out a business who have steadily built a great reputation for providing something different, reasonably priced, high quality healthy food and give the contract to the same company that have got all the other government contracts "freedom to flourish" what a joke !

[Ringwraith]

"freedom to flourish" aye kick out a business who have steadily built a great reputation for providing something different, reasonably priced, high quality healthy food and give the contract to the same company that have got all the other government contracts "freedom to flourish" what a joke !

 

It's not "Freedom to Flourish", it's "FREEDOM TO FLEECE", when will you people ever learn?

 

This sucks by the way!

[censorship]

Don't tell anyone, but I have it on the BEST authority, that Pizza Express are moving in and will have a Starbucks concession as well, for those wanting snacks and drinks rather than a sit down 'meal'.

[buggane]

Don't tell anyone, but I have it on the BEST authority, that Pizza Express are moving in and will have a Starbucks concession as well, for those wanting snacks and drinks rather than a sit down 'meal'.

 

I do so hope that isn't true, if it is then it makes my comments about 'Freedom to flourish' even more appropriate, government supporting a UK chain who sell crap food to take over from a local business who have spent years providing a unique service and healthy food

 

Please tell me it was a wind up / spam ?

[censorship]

Please tell me it was a wind up / spam ?

Everyone else was making stuff up, so I thought I would join in. sorry.