crazietalk.net

Tonight, my favorite pub in Charlotte will be closing it's doors. The poor economy finally wore them down. It may seem silly to some, but this sucks and it's got me and Kelly really down.

Sir Edmond Halley's (Sir Ed's) was the type of pub that you saw on Cheers. You always got a good feeling when you walked through the doors and yeah, everybody knew your name. It was more than just a pub though. It was the place where Kelly and I first had drinks after work almost ten years ago, that was the day that I remember knowing I had a major crush on her. I introduced Chris, one of the waiters and a good friend, to his future wife there. I was the Official Toast Master at for the Great Guinness Toast one year. I know the owners and business partners.

I had two "going away" parties at Sir Ed's, once when I moved to Greenville, SC to start my company and then again when I moved to San Diego. They gave me my barstool as a going away present, it has plaque on the back that says: "B-11 Retired in Honor of Jeremy Long". They retired my bar number and gave me bar stool; how cool is that. Damn, Kelly and I just went there Saturday for her birthday. When we walked in the door we didn't even say a word, two pints of Guinness were started immediately. This was our "go to" place, it never let us down.

And tomorrow, it will all be gone. Kelly and I will lose our neighborhood pub, and good friends will all lose their jobs. I'm really gonna miss that place.

That sucks, sounds like a cool place.

Miles wrote:Tonight, my favorite pub in Charlotte will be closing it's doors. The poor economy finally wore them down. It may seem silly to some, but this sucks and it's got me and Kelly really down.

Sir Edmond Halley's (Sir Ed's) was the type of pub that you saw on Cheers. You always got a good feeling when you walked through the doors and yeah, everybody knew your name. It was more than just a pub though. It was the place where Kelly and I first had drinks after work almost ten years ago, that was the day that I remember knowing I had a major crush on her. I introduced Chris, one of the waiters and a good friend, to his future wife there. I was the Official Toast Master at for the Great Guinness Toast one year. I know the owners and business partners.

I had two "going away" parties at Sir Ed's, once when I moved to Greenville, SC to start my company and then again when I moved to San Diego. They gave me my barstool as a going away present, it has plaque on the back that says: "B-11 Retired in Honor of Jeremy Long". They retired my bar number and gave me bar stool; how cool is that. Damn, Kelly and I just went there Saturday for her birthday. When we walked in the door we didn't even say a word, two pints of Guinness were started immediately. This was our "go to" place, it never let us down.

And tomorrow, it will all be gone. Kelly and I will lose our neighborhood pub, and good friends will all lose their jobs. I'm really gonna miss that place.

Sad. This economy still sucks. I'll hoist an ale tomorrow night as a tribute. I'd do it tonight but I'm on call.

What a shame. I hope your friends can land on their feet, and that you and Kelly can find someplace else. Of course, it won't be the same....

First, thank goodness your post only laments the loss of your favorite bar. Reading the thread title, I was fearful it was you and Kelly that were parting ways. I'm very glad that is NOT the case.

Second, you had a "bar number"? Was B-11 left over from brown bag days of old (over 25 years ago now. WOW! Where has time gone?) when you brought your own hard liquor and they put it in a locker cubby for you while you drank? Yes, it's very cool they retired your number and gave you "your" bar stool!

Obviously, you and Kelly didn't eat and drink there often enough to support Sir Ed. Don't let that happen again!

devildeac wrote:

Miles wrote:Tonight, my favorite pub in Charlotte will be closing it's doors. The poor economy finally wore them down. It may seem silly to some, but this sucks and it's got me and Kelly really down.

Sir Edmond Halley's (Sir Ed's) was the type of pub that you saw on Cheers. You always got a good feeling when you walked through the doors and yeah, everybody knew your name. It was more than just a pub though. It was the place where Kelly and I first had drinks after work almost ten years ago, that was the day that I remember knowing I had a major crush on her. I introduced Chris, one of the waiters and a good friend, to his future wife there. I was the Official Toast Master at for the Great Guinness Toast one year. I know the owners and business partners.

I had two "going away" parties at Sir Ed's, once when I moved to Greenville, SC to start my company and then again when I moved to San Diego. They gave me my barstool as a going away present, it has plaque on the back that says: "B-11 Retired in Honor of Jeremy Long". They retired my bar number and gave me bar stool; how cool is that. Damn, Kelly and I just went there Saturday for her birthday. When we walked in the door we didn't even say a word, two pints of Guinness were started immediately. This was our "go to" place, it never let us down.

And tomorrow, it will all be gone. Kelly and I will lose our neighborhood pub, and good friends will all lose their jobs. I'm really gonna miss that place.

Sad. This economy still sucks. I'll hoist an ale tomorrow night as a tribute. I'd do it tonight but I'm on call.

Thanks for the hoist. Sir Ed's had a decent selection on draught, including at one time Whitbread Pale Ale, one of my favorite beers on draught. I think you would've really appreciated their Guinness pour too. They were masters.

lawgrad91 wrote:What a shame. I hope your friends can land on their feet, and that you and Kelly can find someplace else. Of course, it won't be the same....

Thanks lawgrad91. I got the rest of the story this morning. Looks like the owner got behind on taxes. When the economy took a dive, the interest rate become unbearable. He was making payments, but it was too little too late. Now there are 25 unemployed people in Charlotte. I couldn't believe their faces when I walked in the pub after work.

I know he screwed up, and he must take responsibility for falling behind on taxes, but I think it's a damn shame our tax system is structured that it can cripple or even destroy a small business. It just seems to defy all common sense to eliminate that many jobs and to close a small business when we're hurting for money, especially the government. This small company could've been saved for a fraction of the bonuses paid to Wall Street executives after the bailout.

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:First, thank goodness your post only laments the loss of your favorite bar. Reading the thread title, I was fearful it was you and Kelly that were parting ways. I'm very glad that is NOT the case.

Second, you had a "bar number"? Was B-11 left over from brown bag days of old (over 25 years ago now. WOW! Where has time gone?) when you brought your own hard liquor and they put it in a locker cubby for you while you drank? Yes, it's very cool they retired your number and gave you "your" bar stool!

Obviously, you and Kelly didn't eat and drink there often enough to support Sir Ed. Don't let that happen again!

Aww man I hate that you were worried. Rest assured, there are no problems with Kelly and I. We are doing great! Just celebrated her birthday with a four day weekend including a four course meal prepared by me, an evening in Davidson and dinner at a remarkable sushi joint, a quiet dinner and pints at our favorite place and a trip to Carowinds.

I didn't really have a bar number. It was just the number of the seat in the computer. Whenever my tab would ring up, it would ring up under B-11 (for bar seat #11). I'm glad it to remember the place. One of the bartenders gaves us two Guinness pint glasses as well.

Like Ozzie, I also thought that this post might have contained news about you and Kelly. WHEW! I'm glad it didn't.

I think it's really cool that you had a neighborhood place to go and chill and relax with friends. I'm sorry that the owner didn't take care of his personal responsibilities. I'm afraid that more businesses are going to go the way of Sir Ed's. It's sad that so many people have lost their jobs.

Have you thought about contacting the Charlotte Observer to do a human interest story on Sir Ed's? I talked with one of their reporters two weeks ago about my nephew's Eagle Scout project. She was very attentive to details, going so far as to follow up with me a day later with several questions for background clarification purposes. I have her contact info if you're interested.

Miles wrote:

devildeac wrote:

Miles wrote:Tonight, my favorite pub in Charlotte will be closing it's doors. The poor economy finally wore them down. It may seem silly to some, but this sucks and it's got me and Kelly really down.

Sir Edmond Halley's (Sir Ed's) was the type of pub that you saw on Cheers. You always got a good feeling when you walked through the doors and yeah, everybody knew your name. It was more than just a pub though. It was the place where Kelly and I first had drinks after work almost ten years ago, that was the day that I remember knowing I had a major crush on her. I introduced Chris, one of the waiters and a good friend, to his future wife there. I was the Official Toast Master at for the Great Guinness Toast one year. I know the owners and business partners.

I had two "going away" parties at Sir Ed's, once when I moved to Greenville, SC to start my company and then again when I moved to San Diego. They gave me my barstool as a going away present, it has plaque on the back that says: "B-11 Retired in Honor of Jeremy Long". They retired my bar number and gave me bar stool; how cool is that. Damn, Kelly and I just went there Saturday for her birthday. When we walked in the door we didn't even say a word, two pints of Guinness were started immediately. This was our "go to" place, it never let us down.

And tomorrow, it will all be gone. Kelly and I will lose our neighborhood pub, and good friends will all lose their jobs. I'm really gonna miss that place.

Sad. This economy still sucks. I'll hoist an ale tomorrow night as a tribute. I'd do it tonight but I'm on call.

Thanks for the hoist. Sir Ed's had a decent selection on draught, including at one time Whitbread Pale Ale, one of my favorite beers on draught. I think you would've really appreciated their Guinness pour too. They were masters.

I have not had a draft Guiness in years. It really does take patience and experience to serve one properly. Those bartenders sound like masters, in more ways than one.

CathyCA wrote:Like Ozzie, I also thought that this post might have contained news about you and Kelly. WHEW! I'm glad it didn't.

Add me in the club that was fearing the worst.

WHEW!!

Okay... the transhemispheric vibes have been recalled. Sorry to read about your pub loss, but glad you and Kelly are OKAY.

devildeac wrote: I have not had a draft Guiness in years.

I haven't had one since yesterday ;)

Tetley's on tap is very very good too.

It really does take patience and experience to serve one properly.

They do a great job of pouring them in Britain. They also have Guinness Extra Cold, which hasn't made its way here yet - it is awesome! Damn, I wish I could afford to head over there for a few weeks.

Thanks for everyone's concern with Kelly and I. I've changed the thread title so hopefully nobody is worried.

I am watching the clock, anxious to get out of the home office and walk over to Sir Ed's for the last time. I'll be closing the place down.

Miles wrote:Thanks for everyone's concern with Kelly and I. I've changed the thread title so hopefully nobody is worried.

I just noticed that.

I am watching the clock, anxious to get out of the home office and walk over to Sir Ed's for the last time. I'll be closing the place down.

I've done that a couple of times in the past, it is always very very sad.

How does that rule go?
Pour to the harp, let rest, top it off.
Does that sound right?

Miles wrote:Thanks for everyone's concern with Kelly and I. I've changed the thread title so hopefully nobody is worried.

You know, my second thought was that this thread was going to be a trash talk thread about colchar's lead in the NASCAR fantasy league. colchar has a massive lead for the full year, given his stellar performance in the spring. He also holds the lead for the summer rankings, but only a few points ahead of Miles.

In the back of my mind, I was sort of thinking that Miles was laying down some Kyle Busch-like smack at colchar. ;)

Shame, shame, shame. As I'm certain Lavabe and Wilson can attest to, Atlanta's once-vibrant Buckhead region has also turned somewhat desolate. I drove through it tonight and it was like a ghost town. Used to be, every night it was packed with pedestrians and party-people. It's not just the bars. Even many of the businesses and restaurants have gone the way of the death ass. Kind of sad really.

-EarlJam

Lavabe wrote: You know, my second thought was that this thread was going to be a trash talk thread about colchar's lead in the NASCAR fantasy league. colchar has a massive lead for the full year, given his stellar performance in the spring. He also holds the lead for the summer rankings, but only a few points ahead of Miles.

In the back of my mind, I was sort of thinking that Miles was laying down some Kyle Busch-like smack at colchar. ;)

I will not engage in any smack talk over the NASCAR pool as I've been lucky thus far and am nowhere near stupid enough to do anything that might catch the attention of the weaufgods (or however you spell that). Y'all can trash talk me to your heart's content, but I will not participate. Besides, I am only three points ahead of Miles in the summer session and those three points can disappear in the blink of an eye. My overall lead would take longer to lose but one or two bad races and that lead will also disappear.

EarlJam wrote:Shame, shame, shame. As I'm certain Lavabe and Wilson can attest to, Atlanta's once-vibrant Buckhead region has also turned somewhat desolate. I drove through it tonight and it was like a ghost town. Used to be, every night it was packed with pedestrians and party-people. It's not just the bars. Even many of the businesses and restaurants have gone the way of the death ass. Kind of sad really.

-EarlJam

I'll attest to EJ's summary of Buckhead.

I believe it fell apart with the overspeculation and collapse of the Buckhead condo developers. YEAH... people will buy $1Million 1 BR condos, so lets make large investments in condo high rises in Buckhead. The developers started grabbing up land in the region, and in the process tore apart most of its flavor. Add in the lack of discretionary income, the collapse of the Atlanta economy, and lingering effects of incidents such as the Baltimore Raven All-Star Ray Freakin Lewis incident (and whatever happened at the Cobalt).

Whatever happened to Club One-Tweezy?

Sorry to be late to the thread. And sorry you had to close down a favorite haunt. Here's hoping the best for your friends from Sir Ed's and don't forget that wherever you and Kelly are, THAT is your place and new memories are waiting to be made.