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Pub giant planning a town centre move
2:24pm Friday 25th April 2008
Comments (16)PUB giant J D Wetherspoon has made a surprise bid to move to Calne.
The company confirmed it was interested in buying a town centre property.
It is believed the chain, which has 692 pubs in the UK, wants to buy and renovate a listed building in Church Street.
Wetherspoon, known for knockdown booze prices, had expressed an interest in H M Furniture on Church Street.
Owner Barry Lane said: "We first heard they were interested in July last year and they told us to stop trading in January so we sold all our stock.
"But three months later we have heard nothing and have lost that time in trading. Now we are just waiting to see what happens.
"It is a lovely building with plenty of space and would make a great pub. But at this point nothing has been agreed and no contracts have been signed."
Mr Lane, who also owns H M Foam on Shelbourne Road, said he had heard that Wetherspoon was looking at other properties in Calne.
Richard Snell, landlord of The Kings Arms, welcomed the news. He said: "I think this is fantastic for Calne.
"If there were more attractive pubs in Calne it would mean people would stay in the town for a night out and healthy competition is always good in a town centre.
"We might lose out on some food trade but all that means is we will have to think up new and exciting ideas for our menu.
"With a Wetherspoon's people would be more encouraged to go on a pub crawl in Calne and there would be more of a vibrant nightlife."
Coun John Ireland said a chain pub would mean stepped-up security in the town centre. He said: "Wetherspoon's employ regulated door staff and would keep trouble to a minimum. These plans might even mean more police would patrol the town centre."
Frankie Durham, 20, of Kingfisher Court, said: "It would make a great social meeting place for Calne, especially for young people.
"At the moment there is nowhere for people in their late teens or early 20sto drink and this would be great."
A spokesman for JD Wetherspoon said: "We are actively seeking premises in Calne and hope to find a suitable place in the future."
Your Say YourThe Wiltshire Gazette and Herald
markman, chippenham says...
10:54pm Tue 29 Apr 08
realistic, chippenham says...
4:15pm Wed 30 Apr 08
spooks, calne says...
5:52pm Wed 30 Apr 08
realistic wrote:it will do calne good for it to come i agree.
Totally up for this... Calne does not really have enough to attract outsiders into the town... I live in Calne and try to do all my shopping locally, sometimes this is impossible with the current shops in our town. Bring on some of the bigger companies, hopefully others will follow, whether they are pub chains, department stores or just your everyday shop. Let Calne become the up and coming town it so craves to be and create healthy competion with the other larger towns who have stole our local shoppers..
it will be nice to have a pub what is family orientated rather than the drinking holes of pub s in calne.
for calnes only discussion forum
www.calnetalk.com
walter, wilshur says...
9:38am Thu 1 May 08
"At the moment there is nowhere for people in their late teens or early 20sto drink and this would be great."
Is there sod-all they're interested in except getting paralytic?
spooks, calne says...
11:40am Thu 1 May 08
walter wrote:most of the younger ones go into the kings arms or the wheatshef dont they?
Frankie Durham, 20, of Kingfisher Court, said: "It would make a great social meeting place for Calne, especially for young people. "At the moment there is nowhere for people in their late teens or early 20sto drink and this would be great." Is there sod-all they're interested in except getting paralytic?
www.calnetalk.com
Calne Girl 1, Calne says...
12:16pm Thu 1 May 08
quotemost of the younger ones go into the kings arms or the wheatshef dont they?
quote
Kings Arms or the Wheatshef?! im 19 and i go to Chippenham most weekends. Calne is 100% Crap. Kings arms is now full of middle aged people and i wouldn't dare step foot in the Wheatshef over fear of being stabbed or something. God i hate Calne! Cant wait to move out of Calne!
spooks, calne says...
3:31pm Thu 1 May 08
Calne Girl 1 wrote:when i was younger every one used to go in the kings arms or the jolly.
quotemost of the younger ones go into the kings arms or the wheatshef dont they?quoteKings Arms or the Wheatshef?! im 19 and i go to Chippenham most weekends. Calne is 100% Crap. Kings arms is now full of middle aged people and i wouldn't dare step foot in the Wheatshef over fear of being stabbed or something. God i hate Calne! Cant wait to move out of Calne!
i se quite a lot of the younger ones also in the football club and the north star.
in reply to your comment you have more chance of getting stabbed in chippenham than calne.
for calnes only discussion forum
www.calnetalk.com
Calne Girl 1, Calne says...
3:55pm Thu 1 May 08
spooks, calne says...
4:21pm Thu 1 May 08
There are more incidents in chippenham though than what there is calne.
havnt been to chippenham for ages.
kathy27, calne says...
7:24pm Sat 3 May 08
spooks, calne says...
12:46am Sun 4 May 08
kathy27 wrote:To be fair to chippenham,there are a lot of police about when it comes to kicking out time.
LOL ive never heard such a load of rubbish... i used to drink in the wheatsheaf, as with any pub in calne or else where if you go in with an attitude trouble will follow, i havent been in there for awhile but i wouldn't have a problem going there again, Chippenham is far worse for trouble because of longer drinking hours.
something which we can not say the same about calne.
WWW.CALNETALK.COM
kathy27, calne says...
8:31am Fri 9 May 08
chipper, chippenham says...
8:47am Tue 13 May 08
tmnorris, Calne says...
9:12am Thu 15 May 08
mind your own, calne says...
5:48pm Thu 12 Jun 08
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geddi, calne says...
11:39am Tue 29 Apr 08
Calne is many things and has good and bad as anywhere, but one thing we have always had is character. Introducing more and more multis into this great little market town is set to do more harm than good. Money handed to Wetherspoons goes where? Back into Calne's economy? I think not. Think on planners. Which way are we heading in?