Tragic news in this week's Middy...

www.midsussextimes.co.uk/mid-sussex-news/Popular-Burgess-Hill-landlord-.4610401.jp

Front page news: the landlord of the Windmill (Ray McCarthy) was found dead in his car early on Wednesday morning and is believed to have died from fumes from the car exhaust.

It is particularly shocking when reading the circumstances ("Ray was in dispute with his landlords Punch Taverns for about £6000 just before his tragic death"........and......."Mr McCarthy stood to lose not only his job but his home because he lived above the pub")

The article goes on to add later that "takings at some pubs across the country have been dropping because of the recession, and loyal regulars of the Windmill have said trade was slow there. There was talk of Ray "working some days for 12 hours only taking as much as £6".

Ray deserves our deepest sympathy and our thoughts go out to his family and friends that he has left behind.

[Sparky]

Although I did not get to know Ray I would still like to add my condolences to his family and friends in awful circumstances.

[chellster]

punch taverns are aggressive, cold people who are only interested in money and do not care about people. This is disgusting nd they should be brought to task over this. I have luckily just managed to sell one of my pubs the other I am handing back they are both with this company. My thoughts go to this family but I can imagine how distraught this made him as I know how they treat people x x

[Sparky]

Hi Chelle, I am not surprised to hear you say that as i had heard second hand reports about them before.

see you soon
Sparky

[H]

Pub Co's aren't the friendliest of the bunch. I know a lot people have their reasons for not liking Greene King, but they have been nothing but good to us since we've been running the Fish - I guess since they are the only major "pub co" that still brew beer, they still have a bit more of an understanding of the industry beyond money. I've never really heard anything good about the big non brewing co's such as punch and the spirit group etc etc

[Chris_Sav]

What's been said to me on several occasions by landlords of the less endearing companies is that newcomers are encouraged to take on pubs fairly cheaply. Two or three years down the line and a lot of their own money invested in improving the pub, the landlords see the other side of the coin when it comes to agreement renewal. Suddenly they have to pay through the nose or lose their investment and home.

A contracting industry that we depend upon to keep our game going.

Sav.

Yes,
In the case in question I understand that the landlord invested a lot of his own money into building a smart patio and beer garden.

In normal circumstances and fine weather that would attract the punters, but with the squeeze on the economy and the rotten summer we've had..............

And with unsympathetic bosses, no wonder he was brought to the end of his tether.