It is always sad to see the closure of a pub. Even when it's those dangerous looking ones where you suspect the music stops when you walk in, I think of times past and what an area and a community must have been like. A long forgotten way of life that has been made obsolete by the demands of modern living. Sitting on prime real estate, only the best can survive. The writing must have been on the wall when photographer Stefan Czapski took this photo below in 2013 along with a caption "Not open for business on the day I took this photograph. You can't fancy its chances when there is a large and thriving pub - The Greyhound - just a minute's walk away."
Fast forward to 2017 and we found ourselves in Thames Ditton where the premises are available to let for residential use - what a shocker! However, we are not talking six new flats as you might expect. This plot has been converted into two very decent sized houses and many of the architectural features have been kept. The stained coat of arms in the front windows in particular were pleasing to see retained. And I'm sure the cricket team still plays!
Who knows, in 100 years perhaps someone will convert it back to a public house!