The Old White Swan

They've "refurbed" the "Mucky Duck" - they're clever guys these M&B experts. Take an old pub - chuck a load of dark wood and soft furnishings at it, rip out the Sky screens and dim the lights. Pack out the substantial front yard with tables to bring in families and bob's your fathers brother. They'll come in their droves

What do you mean a well stocked bar...? How's that relevant - as long as they come and buy plated meals and soft drinks with their 1000% markup what's the harm !!!!!

These guys are the living exemplification of "The Dunning-Kruger" effect. We see it in every facet of life, most alarmingly in high places, often in the very highest such as Government: people who have little knowledge tending to think they know more than they do - i.e. unconscious incompetents.

Please tell me - when you open a substantially refurbished public house in the centre of the European City of Tourism on a busy Bank Holiday - is there any possible way you can ever justify the tectonic mistake of running out of beer?

The hapless bar steward bleated that they had not ordered enough beer and that was why they had NO CASK BITTER in any of their 6 pumps and both premium lagers were not available either. So I returned 2 days later - the same pointless excuse. Anyone knows that you can supply a pub with a new full cask within 2 hours - The York Brewery is just 2 miles away for goodness sake...!!!!!!

It's so utterly transparently obvious - sheer, unadulterated avarice meant that M&B opened this pub in unnecessary haste and the public can put up with what's available until they get their act together. I'd be surprised if the handpulls are even plumbed in yet as the standard "we've run out" excuse was as readily trotted out by staff as a bunch of suspects getting their stories right.

So I'm having a rant - too right I am. When there are pubs within 100yds doing their level best to get things right and serve the public great food and drink and you have incompetence and cynicism on a scale this grand you can't help wanting to howl at the moon.

Little wonder that M&B have recently lost £274 million and effectively put themselves up for sale...