The Old Bank is the latest pub to close its doors in Merseyside
The Old Bank in Page Moss(Image: LDRS)
The Old Bank pub in Page Moss is set to close and it’s far from the first Merseyside pub to shut its doors this year. I decided to have a drink with the locals and ask them what they thought about it.
Old Bank regular Chris Guy, 70, has dropped in for his daily visit. Chris looks after his wife, so when he comes to Page Moss to do his shopping, he’ll pop in to The Old Bank on his way home to say hello to everyone, have a bit of a chat and then catch the bus.
Chris says: “They always make you feel welcome in here. I live in Stockbridge Village and every pub is closed down over there now. I’m an ex-soldier and there’s lots of old veterans that come in here and we have a conversation, and then with other people who come in, everyone seems to know each other and we’ll let on and say hello.
“After doing 14 years in the army, I came out and I used to be assistant manager in the Barley Mow in Stockbridge Village, and then had my own pub in Wales, so I know the game inside out and I know what the pubs are going through.
Chris Guy, 70, is a regular at The Old Bank(Image: LDRS)
“Once this goes it will be a crying shame, because we’ve got nothing around here now, especially for people of a certain generation who rely on places like these.
“The Farmer’s Arms has gone, The Eagle’s gone, The Bluebell’s gone, The Hillside’s gone, everything around the area has closed down. If you look about in here now and watch the people popping in, there’ll be nowhere for them to go, that they can get to, there’s nowhere to have a pint around here anymore, catch-up with people and have that little bit of community connection.
“I grew up here and when I was younger, you could walk from pub to pub to pub and enjoy yourself, but that way of life seems to be dying out.”
Earlier this year, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents more than 20,000 pubs in the UK, said it expects 378 pubs to close in in 2025, continuing a long trend resulting in approximately 15,000 pubs closures in England, Scotland and Wales since 2000.
According to research commissioned by the BBPA, one in three people surveyed said they, or someone they know, have experienced increased loneliness as a direct result of losing their local pub.
A mural tribute to the 97 people who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster(Image: LDRS)
The data also shows two out of three people see pubs as “vital” in the fight against isolation, and highlighted how 60% are concerned about pub closures in their area, and 70% consider the pub “important” or “very important” for their area’s social life.
Chris adds: “The landlord Linzi and the staff, I don’t know how she does it to be honest. Look at what she’s done here for Christmas, the parties she organises, the effort she puts in. Even now, as they’re planning to close, it would be easy to give up, but they’re still putting so much in, and it’s for the benefit of the customers.
“They’re trying to make it the best Christmas and New Year, because there’s nowhere else for these to go once Christmas is over, people are going to struggle and you’re not going to see these people again.
“All that type of community will fade away, and it happened in Stockbridge Village when we lost The Harvester, we lost The Thatcher, we’ve now lost The Ploughman and what else have we got?
“If this goes, the community goes, and I mean that.”
Old photo of The Boundary Pub on the border between Huyton and Dovecot(Image: LDRS)
Announcing its closure at the start of December, The Old Bank’s landlady, Linzi explained the decision was down to personal circumstances, posting a heartfelt message on Facebook: “Every smile, every shared story, every toast raised in this pub has been a reminder of the power of the Huyton community. Closing this chapter is bitter sweet for us as a family.
“While the doors will soon be closed, the memories of all those we have lost, the laughter, the celebrations and the quiet moments of comfort will stay with us forever.”
There are no concrete plans on what the The Old Bank building will be turned into, but there is little hope it will be retained as a pub. Naturally, there is a profound sadness about the loss of such a much-loved community hub, but also a desire to focus on the positives.
Val has worked behind the bar at The Old Bank for ten years, and it’s clear she has a very close connection, not just to the pub, but the customers and her colleagues.
Val says: “It’s a community pub, we’ve seen people come and go, including those who’ve sadly passed away over the years, as you see with the ‘Memory Tree’.”
Val is referring to a tree at the back of the pub, which has baubles hanging on it with the names of former patrons who have now passed away.
She adds: “That’s important because it shows respect and shows that we remember, and that people are not forgotten, and that’s what this place is all about.
The Memory Tree at The Old Bank which pays tribute to former regulars who have passed away(Image: LDRS)
“We want people to feel welcome here, because everyone can have a bad day, but coming in here, they will have people asking them if they’re ok. People talk to us and we talk back, there’s a bit of banter, and people feel a bit better, because we are like a family and we care for each other.
“Here’s an example, which is my best and saddest memory of this place. I lost my partner Mark in March 2024, he was just 57 when he passed, and we had the wake here, and Linzi done everything for us, I couldn’t have done it without her.
“When we come out of St Luke’s Church, and pulled up outside here, all the customers were outside and they started singing ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ by Dionne Warwick. That’s my fondest memory.
“Then Lindsay got me this pendant, with Mark’s handwriting engraved on the back, and I wear it every day.
“This place means an awful lot to me. I’ve lived around here all my life, so I know the majority of the customers and their families, and that’s why I call this place the ‘Coronation Street pub’. Lindsey would be the Bet Lynch, which tracks because she loves a bit of Leopard skin.
“But seriously, when I think of this place, I think of Linzi because she does so much, she is a giver, not a taker. We’ve got big plans for the Christmas and New Year and the goodbye which we’re calling ‘The Last Dance’.
“It’s for the customers, to make a memory for them, and there won’t be a dry eye to be seen, including me.”
The Old Bank in Page Moss
Addressing some of the general concerns raised about pub closures in Knowsley, a council spokesperson told the Liverpool ECHO: “We understand the impact of pub closures within local communities – they provide social hubs and their decline reflects changes in consumer habits and the hospitality sector nationally.
“Our role as a local authority is around the premises license to sell alcohol, rather than the operation of premises, but recent statutory guidance includes a focus on considering the wider economic benefits of a license application which has been welcomed by the licensing trade.
“In Knowsley, a key priority for us is to ensure there are vibrant and inclusive spaces where people can come together and we have significantly invested in our town centres to support this including the delivery of the Shakespeare North Playhouse (which has attracted and created Shakespeare-themed bars in Prescot), along with the shop front improvement project which is helping to attract operators.
“We are continuing to work with our partners to encourage new investment in hospitality, leisure and community spaces that are aligned to the community’s needs, with the ultimate aim of creating vibrant places for people to meet and socialise.”
The Old Bank will continue trading as normal until New Year’s Eve when a big night of festivities are planned. An update will be shared at a later date when the Old Bank will cease operations.