Is State Management Scheme to blame for Carlisle's low number of pubs?

Carlisle Brewing Company’s Alison Davis asked if the State Management Scheme, which was brought in by the central government to curtail drunkenness among munitions worker in nearby Gretna and poor behaviour overall, is the reason why Carlisle has two distinct drinking areas at both ends of a city centre with few pubs.

Older clientele, or those starting their night, tend to find themselves around the historic quarter at pubs like the King’s Head or The Sportsman, but if you want to carry on your night it’s a one way trip to Botchergate, as Ms Davis said.

“Ever since I started drinking in Carlisle at the tender age of 18, the centre of town was always empty,” Alison explained.

“We used to go from the Howard Arms to the King's Head to the Sportsman and Caledonian, and there was only ever a handful of people going in the opposite direction.

“Going out now, it's exactly the same. The night-time economy is set around the outskirts of English Street and Scotch Street.

“Thinking about it, other towns and cities of a similar size to Carlisle have a number of pubs on their main streets but we don't.”

There is a distinction between Carlisle and other cities in the UK that it does not have a vibrant nightlife in its centre which mostly contains retail and daytime hospitality.

“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it,” Alison said.

Alison Davis (right) who runs the Spinners Arms with Alain Davis (left) (Image: Supplied)

“I’m sure some bars on Devonshire Street, Lowther Street, and Botchergate wouldn’t like me saying we need more, but how do you bridge the gap between these places, linking the Historic Quarter to Devonshire Street and Botchergate?

“The only way to do that is to bring some kind of night-time stopping point on that main place.”

Ms Davis said most of the ‘front room gin bars’ that were closed during the post-war scheme resulted in central pubs shut, taken over by retail, and little changed, resulting in a lack of ‘coherence of hospitality in the city’.

One thing she pointed to as a sign of potential change, however, is the opening of Bordo Lounge, but it’s not a return to what is traditionally associated with the UK – dimly lit boozers serving real ale and open fires – it’s continental café bar culture that a modern middle class is seeking.

READ MORE: Bordo Lounge opens in Carlisle with great success

It’s something that she said concerns the visitor economy more than the resident, particularly visitors staying in places like the Crown and Mitre, while near Fisher Street for drinks, it isn’t clear 'where the energy is' and therefore where to go, Alison said.

“The actual city centre is empty, and it's not a new thing, it's always been like that.

“It’s a strange city because it's obviously struggling, people are shopping online and in supermarkets rather than in the city centre itself, but to counter that and to bring people into the city, it's what do you do to give the city a bit of life, and really hospitality is the way.

“It seems somehow Carlisle is missing a trick.”

Stuart Campbell, brewer at Borderlands Brewery, shared thoughts on the scheme and its effect on the Carlisle district which extends to Annan.

“It is an unusual situation; Carlisle seems to be particularly quiet.

"It’s difficult with so many shops closing, but I do see a shift away from retail and towards hospitality and housing in city centres.

“We had an Amazon delivery yesterday and the van was chocka... he said he had 123 stops to make, that’s 123 people who didn't go to shops,” he explained.

For both, there’s not a clear solution, but a conversation had about the topic has to go somewhere positive.

There are economic impacts from tax on alcohol, the red tape of planning, cost of living, and drinking habits changing that could all be to blame, but with Carlisle’s unique history with the scheme, it’s potentially on the cusp of reversal.