My overwhelming reaction would be one of huge sympathy for the guy who apparently invested his heart, life, soul and finances in a dream to give Stafford something to be proud of. And who has probably now had to pay the horrible heavy price of bankruptcy, criticised mercilessly by people who haven't got a clue how difficult it is to launch and run a business, grapple with the 2,000 pieces of sometimes petty legislation, and pay the wages of a good number of local people in the current economic climate. If someone knows something different about this perception, please let us know...
This guy in my book is a hero - and OK, those of you who have no concept of local trading, safe in the anonymity of a forum may want to kick the guy for his overly-broad business plan of trying to cater for too many markets.
Well...shame on you.
Yes, tumbleweed does blow down the High Street, whilst I would guess the majority of forum commenters sit at home drinking their cheap supermarket alcohol, and contributing zero to the local hospitality trade.
If you're not careful, you will lose all the pubs and individual businesses that made England what it was, and we will all be eating plastic food & drink sat in a McDonalds, Greggs or Pizza Hut, or whatever chain store you can think of, whilst local businesses like this go to the wall for lack of local support.
Thank God for local enterprise, and people like the Swan (and they are to be applauded) and the Post House, who challenge this and think there is local life, spirit and a reason for local people to want to go out to their high street.
So, Post House critics: what's your excuse for not getting off your arses and going to support your local traders, instead of sitting in your pompous insulated email shells and venting your bile at anything you disagree with, safe in the knowledge that you won't be challenged face to face?
Perhaps you don't drink, or perhaps they don't serve the food, beer or cider that you want, or perhaps you cannot afford to go out - OK not everyone can afford to go out, but at least the Post House tried to give Stafford something different?
So what do you all want? - To see it closed-up with metal shutters?
Will that make you all happy?
I say Bloody good luck to the Post House - I hope it survives the doubters, and I for one will continue to walk through their door, (even though their management style is sometimes a bit daft and questionable)
On a positive note - what would be local reaction if the Post House turned itself into a really good self-service buffet with World cuisines - take a look at the Cosmos model
http://www.cosmo-restaurants.co.uk/ - not a huge leap and these places are always rammed and turning over millions.
I'll sit here ready to be shot down - let's discuss.....