It would be fitting were this page edged in black.

Here we will document some of the many pubs that have closed in the last decade or so. A moment’s pause, maybe, while we do what we can to resurrect at least one of them…

Duke of Fife, Katherine Road, E7

 “Public house circa 1895. Frederick W Ashton. A richly ornamented corner public
house. 2 storeys with slated mansard and attic storey. Yellow stock brick with
painted stone or stucco dressings. Jacobean motifs. Balancing elevations to
Katherine Road front and to Stafford Road flank with 2-storey wing on flank. Front
has two segmental arches to ground floor, two 3-light windows to first floor, and
balustraded with buttresses gabled dormers above. Ornamental panels above and below
first floor windows with panelled pilasters between. Octagonal corner turret, (dome
now missing) with linked female caryatids to drum. Arched entrances between ground
floor, windows and to corner, with carytid-ornament above. Chimney stacks have
pilaster ornament, and thos on south side are gabled and buttressed like attic window.
Similar gabled window to slated wing”

(Source http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk)

Of course, the building is still there, which is all fine, but there used to be a thriving pub with a pool table and a function room out back, often hosting live music. The recent demise of the pub coincided with several betting shops opening close to the pub – their customers can now be seen huddled in groups around the off licence, drinking from cans until late at night. Not exactly an improvement.