Mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand I am absolutely terrified for the future of anything touched by Larry Ellison. On the other hand, there is definitely scope for it to be improved- last time I went there (which was a long time ago admittedly) it was cool to be there because of its history etc but it wasn't that great an actual pub. Like if you're into historical drinking places somewhere like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese near fleet street in London where Pepys and Boswell used to drink is a much better actual pub than I remember the Eagle and Child being at least the one or two times I went there.
I am glad to see they are planning to keep the pub's weird layout of different rooms. A large part of the charm of drinking there was how it is/was laid out.
I wonder if Ellison will also buy the Eagle in Cambridge - which also has an interesting history:
The other idiosyncratic pub in Oxford is the Turf Tavern to be found down some twisty passages off Holywell Street. But my 1970s Oxford undergrad experience was daily pie, beans, and chips in the much more normal Kings Arms opposite the Bodleian.
Did not realize it was closed. When I was there maybe 15 years ago it was in quite a lot better state. Re-opening it at all, given all the pub closures, is a good thing. That it will more or less be kept intact is a big bonus.
Check out the fingers on the AI generated images!
I've been there once, and it was quite cozy and nice; I would have liked it a good bit even if there had been no Inklings in its history (although that certainly added something). Their plans for it sound good, I hope they follow through!
Glad to see it'll still be around just as weird and charming as it was.
the USENIX YouTube link took me down quite the rabbit hole
End of an era. Used to go there in the 90s. Now everything belongs to shitty, worthless Silicon Valley adventurers.
A non drinking billionaire to take over a pub, it will be suprising if this goes well.
This is the pub where Tolkien and Lewis met with their literary group the Inklings before moving across the street to the Lamb and Flag.
Title made it sound like it had reopened, but “The Eagle & Child will not reopen before 2027. Planning permission has not yet even been granted for the building conservation work, let alone the extensive restoration and revival.”