Loss of George will be a blow for Wanstead

Many local people will have been disappointed to learn that the George pub in Wanstead is soon to cease being a Wetherspoons outlet. There are fans and foes of Wetherspoons pubs. They provide food and drink at reasonable prices. The George has been typical over the years, providing a place to go and socialise for young and old alike. Service has always been excellent. The pub has been particularly good with it's choice of beers on offer - always a good choice, sourced from local breweries. A number of snobs look down their noses at Wetherspoons pubs, most probably having never honoured such establishments with their presence. What the loss of a pub like the George does do is take away a basic rubric of the community. The pub is a community focus. Pubs generally are under pressure, with countless closures announced everyday across the country. Inflationary pressures have seen the price of drink and food head upwards. The prices have put many pubs beyond the means of some people already struggling to survive Yet, pubs are needed, especially in an increasingly atomised world. Somewhere to go and be with other people, rather than just the phone or laptop. Having a drink and some reasonably priced food. A hub, that should host local groups and community events. The appetite for such provision was evidenced with the Wanstead Beer Festival last October. Sold out early, there was certainly a great appetite for reasonably priced food and drink Hopefully, there will be similar support for our second festival this October. But can there be more? More community based pubs, prefaced on food and drink that most people can afford. Pop up pubs are a concept successfully run in many parts of the country. Maybe, there time has come here? There are ofcourse a number of local pubs in the area, offering a good service - they need support. But there needs to be more choice, especially at the lower end of the price bracket. It remains to be seen what will happen with the George. Many will miss the old place. But other new alternatives could emerge, that help foster that vital community spirit.Somewhere we can all go to eat ,drink and be merry at a reasonable price? Petition to Dave the George https://www.change.org/p/save-the-george