INTERVIEW: Regulars fearing for future of Morecambe's rock music pub

Monday, 31 July 2023 10:00

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Customers have rallied round Russell Sherwood from The Bath Hotel as he prepares to leave later this month

Customers are fearing for the future of a Morecambe rock music pub as its popular boss prepares to leave.

Russell Sherwood will depart the Bath Hotel on August 20 then the pub will temporarily close and may not reopen in its current form.

Mr Sherwood said he was "disappointed and annoyed" to be leaving after the owners increased his rent.

The pub is due to close for repairs, then is expected to reopen with 11 holiday apartments in the upper floors as part of a £200,000 investment in the building by the owners.

Co-owner Ben Robinson said there were "a number of interested parties" who could take over the Bath but it's not clear if the venue will still have a rock music theme.

Customers have rallied round Mr Sherwood and said it would be a "disgrace" to lose the Bath they know and love.

LISTEN to our interview with Russell Sherwood from the Bath, and customers Richard Green, Marilyn Toubas and Bernie Gray

"I can't afford to stay," said Mr Sherwood (pictured below), who has been in charge at the Bath since 2019.

"(I feel) disappointed, annoyed and everything else that goes with it.

"I'm passionate about it. If I had my way, I'd stay. But I can't afford it.

"There's no jobs around, not for me, I'm too old. There's no pubs for me to take over. So I'm a goner and I feel very disappointed. We feel strongly about this place."

The Bath was built in the 1930s and in recent years has been home to regular live bands, mainly playing rock, heavy metal and blues.

Popular band The Section (below) perform there regularly.

Here is rock band The 5th Element performing at the Bath at Morecambe Music Festival in July.

Richard Green, one of the Bath's regular customers, said: "The way they're treating the locals. It's a disgrace. We're losing one of the best live music venues in this town."

Bernie Gray, another regular customer, said: "It's always been an iconic Morecambe pub for local people. It's always been open for all sorts, people from everywhere.

"Russ has been a brilliant landlord, making sure there's no rough elements.

"It's so sad. There's nowhere for the real people of Morecambe."

Work began to renovate the upper floors into holiday apartments at the Bath earlier this year, with scaffolding around the building (see below).

The premises is owned by the Robinson family who also own the Royal Hotel on Thurnham Street in Lancaster, and Steph Howard.

In June, a vandal scaled the scaffolding outside the Bath and put a hosepipe into the building, causing between £10,000 and £20,000 worth of flood damage.

The pub was forced to close for a time for repairs. Police are appealing for information.

Mr Robinson said this week: "We have a number of interested parties (in taking over the Bath).

"But following the recent damage caused by someone breaking into the site and flooding the building and the pub, albeit we managed to get Russell up and running so he hasn't missed out, we will need to close to carry out the full repair works, over which time we will decide on which of the interested parties we move forward with."

Speaking to Beyond Radio in June, Mr Robinson said: "Our idea is to take on old buildings to provide accommodation and as a community hub, so yes, it will still be a pub but with rooms like we have at the Royal."

He said the idea would be to have an 'art deco theme' to the rooms and the exterior of the Bath would also be returned to its art deco appearance of the past.

Regarding Mr Sherwood's departure, he said: "We had the premises valued in terms of a market rental and it was significantly more than is being paid at the moment.

"It isn't something Russ thinks he can do, which is fair enough."