Legendary East End pub The Joiners Arms will not have its lease renewed in January 2015. Owners currently looking for a new venue.
By Patrick Cash
‘Life, Love and Liberty’ is the motto of The Joiners Arms, a hub of community for many queer people in East London. Yet it appears these values are not held up by the venue’s lease-holders, who are not renewing come January 15th of next year. Instead, The Joiners will be demolished to make way for another vitally necessary block of flats in Shoreditch.
This process is fairly ludicrous. Pubs like The Joiners, their warm, lively atmospheres and the kaleidoscope of the strange, wonderful and intriguing they draw through their doors make Shoreditch what it is (was). They also make Shoreditch trendy, which makes rents go up, which makes property developers, who sold their eyes for pound signs long ago, destroy those very pubs to build soulless flats for city boys.
Which makes Shoreditch boring; essentially these developers are hanging themselves on the noose of their own profit lust. The coiling serpent of gentrification eats itself until there’s nothing left but wildly expensive shit.
However, the beauty of The Joiners Arms is not locked only into its physical venue, however many happy memories – and even more vague, patchy or blurry memories – it might hold within its painted walls. Its spirit of freedom and friendliness is made by the people who run, work and visit The Joiners.
Therefore pub owner David Pollard, a venerable and much-loved figure on the gay scene, is currently searching for a new East London venue to take the people and spirit of The Joiners.
‘The Joiners Arms has won renown as a friendly, safe and welcoming venue,’ he said. ‘We were – and remain – the very first pub to sign up to the Living Wage as a minimum for all its staff, which means everybody is paid about £2 more per hour than the legal minimum wage.
‘We have been looking for new premises for some months, so far without success. We are still searching. If you know of any premises which may be suitable, please let us know – or if you have any other ideas, get in touch.’
Where the absurd prices of new flats are fixed into mercenary minds, The Joiners carries the values of life, love and liberty with it in its heart.
• The Joiners Arms is at 116 Hackney Road, Shoreditch, E2 7QL until 15th January 2015.
