James Clarke: Facing the same challenges – The Church and The Pub
Hook Norton Brewery MD James Clarke thoughts on the similarities shared between the church and the pub.
We are fortunate to have lots of facilities here at the brewery, including meeting and reception rooms. We recently hosted a meeting of the Deanery Synod, and I was asked to give a brief introduction and overview of our business. As I stood up and regaled the history of the business, went through the socio-economic changes, and then talked about today’s challenges, it became very clear there were so many parallels.
I tend to relate the changes I have seen in the pub trade to my direct experience. I started full time work at Hook Norton in 1991, the first task being to improve hygiene, and set up an in-house laboratory facility. In 1991, around 90% of beer consumed in the UK was consumed in a hospitality setting – predominantly a pub or club. Sundays were still sacrosanct – and most people followed a pattern of church, then pub, then family dinner. Church attendances were much higher, as was pub going; and the family Sunday lunch was a real highlight of the week, proper family time with little to distract. So where has it all changed? Church wise, I prefer the 1662 BCP service, which in our parish is at 8 o’clock. Just my preference; back in 1991, the congregation would have numbered at least a couple of dozen; now we are lucky if it is one dozen. Likewise, The Sun Inn opposite the Church in Hook Norton would have people queueing up before noon, waiting for the pub to open. So where did it change? Was it when Sunday opening was extended? Was it when shops were permitted to open on Sundays? The internet? Probably all of these.
The demise of pub going and church attendance is probably linked, and it is in large part due to competition for leisure time. We all have so much choice now as to how we spend our free time. And modern communication tools make it very easy to speak to people. Think back to when you needed a plumber or electrician, you probably found out where they drank on a Sunday and went to catch them in person.
How do we try and stem the decline of attendance, and indeed reverse it? So many village and rural pubs have closed, and you cannot help but notice so many churches and chapels have gone the same way. Only this morning our congregation was just five; hardly sustainable, and if it were a business, the writing would be on the wall.
But there is definitely something about the personal, human interaction. At heart, we are social animals, and we need to have the opportunity to meet, chat and debate. I often say I don’t go to the pub for beer, to which many look incredulous, but I go for the beer and the company and the environment, and the occasion – whether that be just a beer, to watch a game of sport, to meet friends, or just to go out. And I think Church needs to be the same – it isn’t just a religious reason, but one to meet people, maybe the opportunity for some quiet time; of course it may be for a specific occasion – happy or sad, but all part of the circle of life.
So sometimes we need to take stock and reflect; The Church and The Pub are inextricably linked as they are both about people, and ultimately about making people feel better. They are so much more than buildings and offer a huge part of our wellbeing opportunities. Social fabric, tradition, history – all important, all hopefully valued, but it is that social space, that opportunity for dialogue, that place just to be together, and maybe share both good and less good times. Lose it, and it is gone forever. Cherish it, use it, and it might just survive, and continue to do what The Church and The Pub have done for centuries – provide a place for social cohesion. A place where we are all one, where we are all on the same level, and where we find a sense of real community. Believe me, it is very important.
