Saturday night in Downtown Stafford....

Attaboy!

Attaboy!

Well-Known Forumite
Having left Stafford for pastures new a couple of years ago, it's not often that I have the pleasure of spending a Saturday night there. So I was looking forward to showing Mrs Attaboy the delights of the town last Saturday when we came over to see Dave Spikey at The Gatehouse. Oh dear.
Following a drink in The Post House, which is a delight and deserves to succeed, we decided to have something to eat before going to the theatre. Unfortunately, both of Staffords eateries, Bella Italia and Pizza Express (both chain restaurants) could not seat us, despite both being less than half full and, errr, that's it really. Nowhere else to go (we didn't want a curry or a burger), so it was a quick pizza in the bar of The Swan. It was nice, though.
On to the Gatehouse, and joined the queue to get a drink. Unfortunately, neither of the two staff serving seemed to be making much of a dent in the queue, so after 10 minutes we dashed to the Rose and Crown. Good decision. I did manage to get a can of luke warm Fosters at the interval though, then back to the Post House before heading for home.
I love Stafford, but being away from it has opened my eyes to it's limitations. Little choice of places to eat, limited number of decent bars, and a theatre which, despite consistantly attracting some decent performers over the years, has a bar which has the look and feel of a working man's club from the 1970's and struggles to serve its customers.
Stafford: could do better.
 
basil

basil

don't mention the blinds
You a
Attaboy! said:
Having left Stafford for pastures new a couple of years ago, it's not often that I have the pleasure of spending a Saturday night there. So I was looking forward to showing Mrs Attaboy the delights of the town last Saturday when we came over to see Dave Spikey at The Gatehouse. Oh dear.
Following a drink in The Post House, which is a delight and deserves to succeed, we decided to have something to eat before going to the theatre. Unfortunately, both of Staffords eateries, Bella Italia and Pizza Express (both chain restaurants) could not seat us, despite both being less than half full and, errr, that's it really. Nowhere else to go (we didn't want a curry or a burger), so it was a quick pizza in the bar of The Swan. It was nice, though.
On to the Gatehouse, and joined the queue to get a drink. Unfortunately, neither of the two staff serving seemed to be making much of a dent in the queue, so after 10 minutes we dashed to the Rose and Crown. Good decision. I did manage to get a can of luke warm Fosters at the interval though, then back to the Post House before heading for home.
I love Stafford, but being away from it has opened my eyes to it's limitations. Little choice of places to eat, limited number of decent bars, and a theatre which, despite consistantly attracting some decent performers over the years, has a bar which has the look and feel of a working man's club from the 1970's and struggles to serve its customers.
Stafford: could do better.
Click to expand...
you are spot on with your description of the bar service at the gatehouse and the R&C is ideal for drinks both before during and after a show.........
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The bar in the Gatehouse used to do a pre-ordered interval drinks arrangement - perhaps they still do..

It surely isn't beyond modern technology for the 'Please resume your seats' announcement to be relayed into the R&C...
 
Wormella

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
Gramaisc said:
The bar in the Gatehouse used to do a pre-ordered interval drinks arrangement - perhaps they still do..

It surely isn't beyond modern technology for the 'Please resume your seats' announcement to be relayed into the R&C...
Click to expand...
I believe that's in the works...
 
Attaboy!

Attaboy!

Well-Known Forumite
You can still pre-order, but you have to get to the bar in the first place to do so!
I hope they link up with the Rose and Crown, or better still, improve their own facilities.
 
My Name is URL

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
Attaboy! said:
Unfortunately, both of Staffords eateries, Bella Italia and Pizza Express (both chain restaurants) could not seat us,
Click to expand...

I did LOL at the above, you make it sound like there are only two restaurants in the whole of stafford :)

Anyway, on the drinks at the Gatehouse thing, you've got me started now!!!

Only been there about 2 or 3 times but I have to say it is RIDICULOUS!!! The queue's are always HUGE, the bar upstairs always sells out of drinks or at best has some but they are never cold. How blinkin difficult is it to keep a load of drinks cold... the fridge is tiny.... FFS just buy a few Trugs from Wilkinson's, fill them with a bit of water and some ice (from Iceland, or make your own) and hey presto, enough chilling for hundreds of beers all for a few quid.

Then there is the queues... at peak times why don't they just sell cans and bottles, or at least have a section for just cans and bottles and then another section for other drinks. Would be much, much quicker... and while we're at it, charge whole amounts for drinks to keep money handling to a minimum....

I think next time I might just take my own.... :munch:

EDIT:

Forgot to add, when so many businesses are struggling in Stafford, the problems at the Gatehouse put a lot of people off bothering with drinks... its a licence to print money for crying out loud, so they should be doing all they can to make it as quick and painless as possible.
 
ChrisLewis

ChrisLewis

Well-Known Forumite
Very much agree, with what has been said, but fantastic work has been done recently at The Gatehouse on the artistic and entertainment programme.

As a company we do all we can to work with The Gatehouse and will say with a huge amount of success, our Pre Theatre menu is posted on the Gatehouse and facebook page on our own site http://www.facebook.com/theswanstafford
The Lewis Partnership have a superb working relationship with the Shakespeare festival team - Romeo & Juliet 28th June - 14th July tickets on sale now if you didn't know - Our restaurant on the hill, BBQ and bar

But it is a case of us all supporting and them helping themselves, as you have rightly said.
 
My Name is URL

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
@Chris Lewis,

Thanks for the heads up RE: Shakespeare at the Castle... have just snagged the wife and I tickets. Never been before so really looking forward to it.

The wife will be 1 week away from giving birth to our first-born at the time (if its on time) so lets hope we don't have a mid-play Shakesperian baby and have to call it Juliet... :D
 
Attaboy!

Attaboy!

Well-Known Forumite
Why is R&J being staged this year? It was on only a few years back, and I thought that recent productions of The Bard's comedies have been superb. I had hoped that The Castle productions would concentrate on this format and become noted for them, rather than compete with numerous other Shakespeare productions. Shame, but maybe they were getting to be expensive?
 
Four Candles

Four Candles

Newbie
Attaboy! said:
Having left Stafford for pastures new a couple of years ago, it's not often that I have the pleasure of spending a Saturday night there. So I was looking forward to showing Mrs Attaboy the delights of the town last Saturday when we came over to see Dave Spikey at The Gatehouse. Oh dear.
Following a drink in The Post House, which is a delight and deserves to succeed, we decided to have something to eat before going to the theatre. Unfortunately, both of Staffords eateries, Bella Italia and Pizza Express (both chain restaurants) could not seat us, despite both being less than half full and, errr, that's it really. Nowhere else to go (we didn't want a curry or a burger), so it was a quick pizza in the bar of The Swan. It was nice, though.
On to the Gatehouse, and joined the queue to get a drink. Unfortunately, neither of the two staff serving seemed to be making much of a dent in the queue, so after 10 minutes we dashed to the Rose and Crown. Good decision. I did manage to get a can of luke warm Fosters at the interval though, then back to the Post House before heading for home.
I love Stafford, but being away from it has opened my eyes to it's limitations. Little choice of places to eat, limited number of decent bars, and a theatre which, despite consistantly attracting some decent performers over the years, has a bar which has the look and feel of a working man's club from the 1970's and struggles to serve its customers.
Stafford: could do better.
Click to expand...
 
Four Candles

Four Candles

Newbie
Sorry about that, Iam pretty new to this.
I was interested to read the comments above about the bar at the Theatre and how it can be frustrating for people to have to queue for their drinks. I wonder how many of those who have commented have ever worked in a theatre bar. As an ex - licensee myself I know that it presents different challenges than working behind a town centre bar or hotel bar.

The bar is open an hour before every performance, this is on par with other theatres and 60 mins is ample time to serve over 500 customers. Unfortunately not everyone is able to arrive in good time so the bar usually have to deal with hundreds of audience members arriving 10 mnutes before the performance and then frustrated at the length of the queue. I would recommend that people arrive earlier, decide what they would like before arriving at the bar and having your money ready so that you can be served quicker and pre-order your interval drinks. The bar is very quick at serving customers, considering that most shows have a 20 minute interval, everyone gets served.

The Gatehouse can have nearly 700 people in at once when the MET and the Auditorium are open, There is a MET Bar for most shows (some performers don't want a bar in the room) the coffee shop is open , the main bar is open and there is also a bottles and cans only stage bar open for shows in the main theatre. This information is relayed to the audience over the in house PA system at regular intervals before the show commences.

Finally, the theatre has benefitted hugely from investment by the Borough Council which has helped to renew all the seating, sound and lighting and temporary staging which makes the Gatehouse one of the most well equipped venues in the West Midlands, something for Staffrd to be truly proud of. The Bar however hasn't had any investment in the last 25 years and as social evening trends have changed the bar is in need of much renovation and modernisation.

The Gatehouse isn't just a theatre, it holds conferences, wedddings, parties which some forum members/ businesses also benefit from. It has a unique Box Office and TIC combined (Visitor Information Service) and staffed by a team who are genuinely pleased to serve and it has recently had the coffee shop refurbished with leather sofas, relaxing music and modest redecoration. The coffee shop is popular in the week and on Saturday mornings with probably the best home made scones in Stafford and at a price that is affordable to all with ethical Fairtrade and Rain Forest Alliance refreshments on offer.

I work at the theatre and appreciate, as many others do how fortunate the County Town is to have such a premium arts venue and I hope if people are better informed of the services on offer they will support the theatre more, the theatre is one service and one team.
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
My most recent experience of the bar was during a MET event. None of of the serving staff knew how to work the device to settle Guinness from a can! It definitely puts me off buying a drink.

Off topic, I agree with Attaboy! This is the first time in six years I will have missed the play at the Castle and it's due to a combination of high ticket prices, the best seats ALWAYS being sold out seemingly before the tickets go on sale, and the fact that I thoroughly enjoy a good comedy but Romeo and Juliet has been done to death.
 
Trumpet

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Last time I was at The Gatehouse we nipped next door to the R & C in the interval. Even at 'prime time' on a Saturday we were served almost straight away. Better beer and cheaper to boot!
(Edit. Not knocking The Gatehouse as a venue, but, as Four Candles said, the bar service does need sorting.)
 
John Marwood

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
The Rose and Crown pub sign is bigger than five double decker buses laid end to end and six football pitches sat on top of each other, with an owl
 
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