Islington pub Compton Arms' future secured following licence review
The Compton Arms, which has been located on Islington backstreet Compton Avenue since the mid 16th Century and was the inspiration for George Orwell's 1964 essay The Moon Under Water, called on its customers and locals back in the summer to support it against a review of its licence after complaints were made about it to the council by four of its neighbours.
At the time, the pub's landlord, Nick Stephens, said that if severe changes were made to its license then the pub would no longer be financially viable.
The review eventually took place late last week on 12 October with the outcome confirming that the pub will be able to continue operating, although some operational changes will come into force.
They include limiting the people standing outside the front of the pub to 20 people; and restricting the garden to being a seating-only area.
Writing on Instagram following the decision, Stephens said: "We received over four thousand emails and letters of support (over two thousand made it through), from up and down the country and across the world. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to write in not only to support, but to tell tales of nights here, relationships made, championships celebrated, first pints drunk, wives and husbands met. This is what pubs should be about, we will never forget it.
"Our license has now been updated and amendments made, but nothing we feel is unfair. It is a firming up of practices we have been performing for a long time anyway."
