What's in the News?

A famed 18th Century building once known as "Britain's wonkiest pub" has been completely gutted by a fire.




Smoke was reported coming from The Crooked House at Himley, near Dudley, at about 22:00 BST on Saturday.

Pictures from scene showed the property, which drastically subsided in the 19th Century, engulfed by flames.

Last month, it was confirmed the owners, Marston's, had sold the popular Black Country landmark to a private buyer for "an alternative use".

Nightjar wrote:Someone's demolished what's left of it now.

Curiouser and even more curiouser.

Former Labour MP for Dudley North, Lord Ian Austin, an independent peer, tweeted it emerged during Saturday's events the "lane to the pub" was "apparently blocked". Such circumstances appeared to be corroborated by comments from a firefighter.

Station commander Liam Hilton of Staffordshire Fire Service said "[there were] mounds of mud and soil placed in the centre of the road and covering the whole of [it]", which meant, he added, that appliances could not gain direct access to the incident.

someone on reddit wrote:Today 2 blokes in a 360 levelled it. Videos are available online. Unbelievable. No hi-vis, no fencing, no dust suppression, no safety glasses, no hard hats, no masks. Gone. 270 years of history reduced to a pile of rubble in half an hour.

someone else on reddit wrote:Its a god awful place for houses though, it's like 200 metres from the sewage works for the area. We looked at it as a wedding venue and the entire are absolutely reeked of s***

West Midlands mayor calls for Crooked House pub to be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’

Andy Street issues plea after Britain’s ‘wonkiest pub’ reduced to rubble after being gutted by fire

Fangirl Three wrote:

Former Labour MP for Dudley North, Lord Ian Austin, an independent peer, tweeted it emerged during Saturday's events the "lane to the pub" was "apparently blocked". Such circumstances appeared to be corroborated by comments from a firefighter.

Station commander Liam Hilton of Staffordshire Fire Service said "[there were] mounds of mud and soil placed in the centre of the road and covering the whole of [it]", which meant, he added, that appliances could not gain direct access to the incident.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Fangirl Three wrote:

someone else on reddit wrote:Its a god awful place for houses though, it's like 200 metres from the sewage works for the area. We looked at it as a wedding venue and the entire are absolutely reeked of s***

Nightjar wrote:Incidentally, it can be done.

This is one of my go-to locals...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/21/rising-from-the-rubble-london-pub-rebuilt-brick-by-brick-after-bulldozing

There is a mystery surrounding the fire and subsequent demolition of the pub just two weeks after it was sold to a private company.

The Guardian has learned that the new buyer was a property firm called ATE Farms Ltd, owned by Carly Taylor, 34, a director of multiple companies.

ATE Farms is registered to the same address as Himley Environmental Ltd, which runs the 15-hectare (37-acre) quarry and landfill site next to the pub. The Guardian was unable to reach ATE Farms for comment.

A spokesperson for the brewery Marston’s, which previously owned the pub and put it up for sale in January, said the sale was completed on 27 July.

On Tuesday, South Staffordshire council confirmed it was investigating planning breaches, saying officers had spoken to a representative for the landowner after the fire and before diggers were moved on site and the building was completely demolished.

“At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure, nor was this deemed necessary. This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers.”

ATE Farms is registered to the same address as Himley Environmental Ltd, which runs the 15-hectare (37-acre) quarry and landfill site next to the pub.