CAMPAIGN BATTLE WON - BUT FIGHT TO RE-OPEN PUB CONTINUES Dear all, At around lunchtime today, William McLennen of Camden New Journal rung Ruth and Robinson's Sarah Weir after seeing Trade Magazine Morning Advertiser's Nikki Sutton's scoop yesterday that Ruth and Robinson's position was wavering. http://mobile.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Other-operators/Camden-Black-Cap-pub-plans/ At lunchtime R & R were not confirming the story. However this changed by around 4pm. William then rang round our team and spoke to Ben Walters stating that Sarah Weir had now confirmed Ruth and Rominson were pulling out. Ben replied as follows: "Just had a call from Billy at the CNJ. He spoke to Sarah Weir and apparently she confirmed R&R are pulling out! He asked for a quote and I said more or less this: "The Black Cap Foundation has always been consistent on two main points. We want to see 171 Camden High St reopened as an LGBTQ venue called the Black Cap. While we appreciate Ruth & Robinson's willingness to enter into a dialogue with the campaign, they would not budge on those two key points. Now that they have withdrawn, we look forward to working with investors who have the interests of the LGBTQ+ community at heart and want to see the Black Cap reopened as the culturally and commercially dynamic space it always has been and we are confident will be again." He said Sarah Weir told him they expected the site now to be vacant for some time. I said something like: "We think it's a crying shame that a commercially vibrant venue was closed for no reason and it has been a crying shame that it has remained empty for so long. We are confident the Black Cap can and will be open again to serve the LGBTQ+ community and its friends." And of course we need those sympathetic investors to actually materialise! Any thoughts...?" So our collected fight against a very determined, but not actually dislikeable leaseholder, has been won. Jo Cox had said '‘We Are Far More United Than The Things That Divide Us’, and the Black Cap Foundation acknowledge that Ruth and Robinson did make an attempt to bridge the gap and we were looking for ways to do so as well. But the things that we could not reconcile was the high likelyhood of loss of pub, history, and LGBT+ space, and that was a divide too far. We do wish Ruth and Robinson well with their next, and hopefully much less contentious venture. I would like to just comment briefly on who the 'we' really are. It is YOU, the campaigners who donated to give us cash in the bank to do the essentials. It is YOU, the campaigners who signed the massively successful Change.org petiton, and avidly joined our very large Facebook Group. It is YOU, the campaigners who turn up with hangovers on freezing (and sweltering) days at the hugely colourful weekly vigils.. It is YOU, the passers-by, who stop at the pub, talk with us, and pass our flyers around. It is YOU, Sadiq, Carolyne, other London Assembley members, and Camden's Councillors, who have been forward and vigorous in your support of this vital cause. It is YOU, Stephen Fry, Paul O'Grady, Neil Stuke, and other stars of stage and screen who have spoken up for our Pub so often in the past And it is YOU, the Ruth and Robinson shareholders, who clearly spoke to Ruth and Robinson over their activities after reading the Shareholders letter promoted widely on facebook, web, Change.org, and social media. You all give this cause a Voice. All we did was channel it. So, this evening, pour out a glass (or 10) of your favourite poison to celebrate a great battle won. However, we must swiftly return to the war. We have a big, profitable, very well known, and not best well cared for pub in urgent need of a leaseholder willing to earn themselves a health profit working with an exciting cultural and high spending LGBT+ community. With your unwavering support, our work starts this Saturday. Thank you all for all you do. Chris