This blog has benefited greatly from the warm welcome offered by Anna Quick at the Rose and Crown. The pub is effectively “the local” for anyone of a libertarian disposition regardless of where they live. We meet, we drink, we argue, we learn, we form friendships and even form romances within the walls of that pub, and under the care of Anna our land lady.

It is therefore unwelcome news that the operation there is bust. High taxes, the smoking ban and massive alcohol duties are the obvious factors, as are the regeneration and development of hotels apartments and offices locally. Anna tells me that many of these buildings remain empty.

Anna’s last night as landlady will be May 2nd, the day after Richard Carey talks on the English revolution of the 1640s. After that event, a new manager will be parachuted in by the brewery and there will be a two week closure at some point as the venue is refurbished. I’m told the bar staff will retain their jobs, and Anna herself will be well looked after.

Good News

Anna has us pencilled in our booking carved in stone for the whole year, and we expect that since our business is highly valued the booking will be honoured. That said, talk of a refurbishment and new management does make me nervous. I do love the venue as it is so I’ll have to keep on top of the situation and will announce any changes in plenty of time.

Let’s celebrate

For now though, I think the priority is to celebrate the hard work Anna put in to make the place a cosy home for libertarians and I am hereby announcing Libertarian Home’s first writing competition. I am offering £50 for the person that best achieves the following:

A short story exploring a libertarian idea, set in a pub – anywhere in space and time, fictional or otherwise – that is called the Rose and Crown.

The winner of the £50 will be determined by placement of more cash into pint glasses at the Rose and Crown. At the end of the evening the fattest pint glass wins and the pint glasses will be returned to the landlady (I don’t suppose anyone will remember to empty them first). I hear Anna has a fondness for real ale, and a soft spot for the Royal British Legion. So yes that does mean a competition with two winners: win-win, you might say.

Entries should be submitted by email or the usual route for content, and will be published here as they arrive.