Our locally much-loved and relatively famous leaning olde pub, The Crooked House, burned down last night. It made yesterday's national news.

Quote :

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".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66421163

*destruction girl meme, but with Su Pollard

I saw that. What a terrible ‘accident’.

Someone's demolished what's left of it now.

Curiouser and even more curiouser.

Nightjar wrote:

Someone's demolished what's left of it now.

Curiouser and even more curiouser.

Yesterday:






Today:




I really have no idea what's going on. I, and many others, had wondered if the shell was salvageable in some way, but before any questions were answered it turns out that someone unspecified has gone and demolished it - a relatively famous and locally beloved 18th century building - little over 24 hours after it caught fire!

Quote :

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.

Quote :

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

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/08/west-midlands-mayor-calls-for-crooked-house-pub-to-be-rebuilt-brick-by-brick

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

Lock 'em up! lock 'em up!

Fangirl Three wrote:

Quote :

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.

Yes, the firemen apparently had to use half a mile of extended hoses to reach the fire as they couldn't get the fire engines close to it.

As it's a dead end lane to a then-closed pub I presumed these dumped mounds of mud were put in the road legitimately to *stop* fly tippers - like natural bollards - as for as long as I can remember it had been a fly tipper's paradise. But some of these rumours are suggesting they were dumped there for far more sinister reasons.

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***

True though! My dad grew up not far away and said there was a smell when the wind was blowing in a certain direction.

Sewage plant on the far right; The isolated Crooked House on the far left, where it says "(Biffa) Himley".

It must be said that, although I'd not heard of the Crooked House before all this hit the news - and although the Carlton Tavern is a lovely Arts and Crafts building (that was actually listed) and which was scandalously and cynically flattened by greedy scumbags, The Crooked House is clearly a more historic and famous pub.

Unfortunately, despite it's fame, it's exactly one of those pubs that actually fall into disrepair and end up derelict because people don't actually go there for a drink or food (indeed have probably mostly forgotten about it) but then profess affection for it once they find it's been destroyed.

The community and wider demographic need to get to together and get behind this case and take it to the courts, as did the relatively tiny community around the Carlton.

Especially since the whole affair seems to be as shady as swarthy chap wearing a sombrero under a parasol on beach in Finland in December.

Biffa Himley is the official school bully of the Nu-HotW.

More Crooked House news.

Quote :

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.”

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/08/you-will-be-missed-locals-seek-answers-about-destruction-of-crooked-house-pub

This footage shows a bulldozer demolishing the Crooked House. It looks hurried and highly unprofessional.

Main bit from 2:00

Quote :

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.

Is that associated with Biffa Himley?

Absolutely dreadful. One might go so far as to say absolutely criminal, but that would be speculation.

How very strange that the bulldozer and everything was booked and ready to go just hours after the fire.

In the video, there’s a man hopping about without a hard hat or mask - seems unwise in the circumstances.