The Station Pub

Day16: Opening Night

2009-12-01T10:51:00.001Z

Wow - what a massive improvement. We were greeted with canapés and wine before touring the new establishment. Such a huge difference! You really MUST go and see for yourself! I got a picture of the new menu and noted that wifi is now available for free :)

Day14: No Entry

2009-11-29T23:04:00.005Z

Hmm - that's it guys, went back tonight to try and get some 'final' pics but my usual entry was barred. Guess they finally figured out how I was getting in.... So, my secretive two weeks of snooping is over. Still, the new look pub opens on Tue so you can see for yourselves! Who knows, I might even be standing next to you at the bar :)

Thanks for reading...
/rakh1

Day12: Furniture and wallpaper

2009-11-27T19:13:00.000Z

The pub looked deserted so I snuck in once more this evening. Some significant changes have occured. There is now a lot of furniture in place - most covered in dark brown leather. The carpets (red) are ready to be installed and the wooden flooring covered up for protection as they finish off painting. Most notable though is the wallapaper - bold flowery patterns! Best of there are numerous pictures on the wall depiciting Knebworth - the church, the house, etc etc. It looks fantastic. There are pumps behind the bar but no sign of the new ales yet...

Day10: Carpets Arrive

2009-11-25T17:51:00.001Z

I managed to sneak in for a few moments tonight before noise from upstairs made me beat a hasty retreat. My guess is that they *must* be on to this blog by now and are trying to catch me. Even so I managed a couple of quick snaps to show the work done today. You can see most of the flooring is down and the carpets have arrived. The boxes of flyers from yesterday have vanished - wouldn't be surprised if they hit the high street tomorrow on a promotional charge! I'm not going to be around, but if you see them grab a pic - let me know in the comments with a contact email and I'll get it from you for the blog.

Day9: Flooring and Promotions

2009-11-24T21:42:00.001Z

Another evening's success and I've gathered a fair amount of information this time. You can see the oak flooring going down and I also found a box of wall paper which gives an idea of the final look. They've also done a lot more painting and fitted a disabled toilet. The prize bit of info tonight was the finding of some promotional leaflets detailing an upcoming 'cook off' competition and confirmation that the pub quiz will be staying - see the first image :)

Day8 - Structually complete

2009-11-23T23:17:00.001Z

Last night my usual entrance presented itself and I snuck inside for an update. There has been a huge amount of work completed over the weekend. I think that all the structural changes now look complete and they are starting to paint and decorate. The ladies toilets are nearly complete and the main wall, that you see when you first enter the (now reversed) main doors, has been filled in. Still no sign of what will be behind the bar but I snapped an updated set of plans taped to a wall. I also saw a load of boxes piled in the middle of the back bar area. I tore open a corner and took a photo of what looks like the new flooring - oak I think.

Day5/Day6/Day7: No News

2009-11-23T10:28:00.003Z

Apologies to all - I got tied up over the weekend and did not manage to pay a visit. Rest assured that will soon be put right though - I hear there have been quite a few changes over the weekend! Check back tonight for Day8.

Day4: New Bar

2009-11-20T08:59:00.001Z

Found my usual way in again last night :) Construction is still steaming ahead at the Station with the gents now tiled and a new smaller bar being put on the end. The back to the main bar has also been revamped. You can also see the new toilets taking shape very fast. Still no pumps or any clue as to what beers will be new - you can see from the sneaky shot I got of behind the main bar. Will try and get back in some time over the weekend to update the site...

Day3: Walls

2009-11-18T19:56:00.002Z

My usual way in was blocked with building materials tonight so you'll have to make do with some shots from the windows. Not a lot has changed - it appears that some more of the wall work has been done and the place has been cleared a little more. You can see the wall separating the main bar from the front bar is now a 3/4 wall and not completely across. Re: "anonymous's" comment from yesterday - the bar has no pumps on it at the moment so I guess we'll have to wait to find which beers are going to be on tap. If anyone else has questions that you think I might be able to find let me know through the comments section at the bottom of the post.

Day2: More chaos

2009-11-17T19:46:00.000Z

Day2 of the Station revamp and my 'secret' way in appears to have gone unnoticed as I was still able to squeeze in after hours (although it is a bit hairy - am sure he is upstairs watching TV whilst I tip toe around downstairs). It looks tidier than yesterday with a few stud walls put up and some of the rubble removed. The old gents is taking shape and you can see the outline of the new toilets and gaps for the large doors to the outside seating area. Did a quick look around for paperwork but nothing near as good as the plans from yesterday. Hopefully more tomorrow...

Day1: Dissasemble

2009-11-16T23:24:00.000Z

Late this evening I managed to infilitrate the Station to see the results of Day1. Needless to say the extent of the work is amazing. The lower bar has gone, as have most of the toilets. All of the carpeting is up and most of the furniture is removed. Before I had to run I managed to grab a shot of a set of plans resting on the bar. From this we can see the magnitude of the change the Station is undergoing - including a paved garden area, comfy seating and a large food area. I'll try and nip back in over the next few days and get some more photos as the work progresses...