Has Humphrey Smith gone?

[DarkieBoy]

New website!!  Has Humphrey Smith gone?  Is Oliver Smith and/or his nephew now running Samuel Smith's Old Brewery?

When was the last time that someone saw Humphrey Smith working?

DB.

[Coriolanus]

His whereabouts hasnt been mentioned on here for some time, and it would be interesting to track his movements to see how he is getting round his empire now that he is trying to cover the entire country solo.
I have also heard a couple of rumours about him recently which I wont repeat just yet for fear of spreading idle gossip, since their truth would depend upon how much he is getting round his pubs. So perhaps a Humphrey spotters club could be organised? If nothing else it will give some idea of how much of the country he is covering weekly and how great a workload he is putting himself under.

[OldBreweryDrinker]

His car was outside the distribution department early Friday afternoon, so i assume he was at the Brewery then.

[DarkieBoy]

What I was thinking is whether he is not at the company any more, hence a new website commissioned by someone who is more open to modernity.  I am personally not asking Samuel Smith's to bring back fruit machines and the likes in all of their pubs, I am just asking for them to be more open minded and be sensitive to local conditions.  My local Samuel Smith's pub, Widow Cullen's Well in Lincoln, doesn't have music, it's certainly not needed as it is usually a busy pub in a busy location in the historic cathedral quarter of Lincoln.

However, I am sure that there are other pubs, like Nellies, that would benefit from a music license as this may bring back it's folk club.  Some Samuel Smith's might even benefit from TVs.

I do though like traditional pubs, and TV, music, etc have their place (in some pubs at certain times).

DB.

[DarkieBoy]

His car was outside the distribution department early Friday afternoon, so i assume he was at the Brewery then.

This might suggest that he is still at the helm...but why the sudden leap forward to a one-page website?

DB.

[sovsuppa]

The fact that his car was there during a working day may mean different things.  Apparantly the car he drives is a pool car, so it could be that he was at the brewery, or it could be that he isn't working at all, hence the car being there.
(Hope it's the latter).  The web site and a different attitude to bonus payments could hopefully mean either a change of attitude from him, or a different person in charge.
We live in hope.

[Tadcaster resident]

I popped into my local near York last night. Humph paid a visit to them last week. Locals were laughing about the state of his clothes etc.

[DarkieBoy]

I popped into my local near York last night. Humph paid a visit to them last week. Locals were laughing about the state of his clothes etc.

I have only seen Humphrey Smith once and he did have his blue folder, but his clothing was okay and nothing greater nor lesser of someone of his generation.  Saying that, I am a charity shop raider!

DB.

[BlackDog]

And I assume he is still around because we have no TV or Jukebox.

[DarkieBoy]

And I assume he is still around because we have no TV or Jukebox.

Funny!

My friend Eve runs the "Dog & Bone" in Lincoln - it's a Bateman's pub with no jukebox nor telly or any modern thrilss.  She has won "Best Community Pub in Great Britain 2009"...just shows that it's not necessary to have Sky and fruit machines...however, Eve does have soft background music and live music every now and again.

This is her website: http://www.dogandbonelincoln.co.uk/

[passedit]

Where is the Hump,was in a Sams pub the other night and in walked a guy selling cockles,mussels,prawns etc.is any other pub allowed to do this.

[bigjim]

in walked a guy selling cockles,mussels,prawns etc.

Blimey - I haven't seen that in a pub in years - just like the good old days - do the Salvation Army come in with the War Cry as well? In my view it all helps with Humphrey's desire for the perfect pub set in that time period 1936 - 56. Wish I knew which pub............. 

[BlackDog]

He is about, just heard he sacked relief managers on the spot in a Rochdale pub for closing an empty pub early - out same night apparently.

[andrewtwelvetrees772]

Where is the Hump,was in a Sams pub the other night and in walked a guy selling cockles,mussels,prawns etc.is any other pub allowed to do this.

I remember it being a regular thing at one time selling all of those mentioned above and also whelks but for some reason you don't see it anymore.

[sovsuppa]

I seem to remember that they got more and more expensive and bags got smaller and smaller .
Same as most things though I suppose.  I wonder if Humph would be happy to see them in his pubs!!
He's obviously still about, though I hear he is a shadow of a man nowadays.