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The
Aston Hotel
Tom Lacey & Kim Billingham
By
Joan Cunningham
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Achill
Singing Star, James Kilbane |
Picture
the scene. He’s a restless, bored, 16 year old Co. Galway
lad who’s in need of a change and a chance to prove himself.
He’s torn between staying in his beautiful home town of Clifton
or crossing the Irish sea to seek his fame and fortune in an industrialised,
unfamiliar and possibly lonely place they call Birmingham.
Like so many men and women before him, Tom Lacey plumped for the latter
option and, he says, it was the best decision of his life.
He said: “I suppose it was a daunting choice for one so young
but that’s the way it was back in those days. You made the decision
to leave your home and make a new life for yourself. I managed to find
work on the buildings for a while but in the end, I decided to try
my luck in the pub trade.”
It was a shrewd career change and one that Tom appears to thrive upon.
He must be enjoying himself as he’s now into his twentieth year
as gaffer.
He’s been the landlord of numerous pubs around Birming-ham but
his current challenge is running The Aston Hotel with his partner,
Kim Billingham, who he first met and fell for when they both worked
at the Parkway Club in Nechells.
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The new prestigious bedrooms
in the courtyard |
One of the well appointed
bedrooms available |
Kim tells me: “We’re delighted at having the chance to
run The Aston Hotel. It’s an excellent pub/hotel with a promising
future and we’re both here to ensure it’s a huge success.
“Our function room is proving popular for those wishing to hold
a more intimate function such as a smaller wedding, christening or
birthday party. The function room holds around 60 people which caters
for a more comfortable and relaxing celebration.”
These two have certainly taken on board this new challenge wholeheartedly.
With the place boasting seven newly refurbished bedrooms, looking
fresher and attracting more and more regulars through its doors,
there’s
no stopping the pair of them.
Tom says: “We’ve big plans for the hotel. We intend to
have large TV screens in time for the 2005/2006 football season. Karaoke
evenings and quiz nights are also on the agenda and we’re trying
to arrange themed music evenings including; country, folk, reggae and
Irish.
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A welcoming breakfast
is always available for guests |
The
Aston Hotel’s
lounge has plenty of character |
“The atmosphere in the hotel is exceptional. The punters are
an eclectic bunch and there’s an infectious atmosphere about
the place. It’s a down to earth pub with unassuming, modest regulars
who enjoy the relaxed environment and decent beer we work so hard at
maintaining.”
I’m told this particular venue is a magnet for supporters when
Villa play at home but will no doubt, be even more popular once the
must-have TV screens are up and running. In fact, it’s also popular
with away fans and has been recommended as a pub to visit by www.fanzone.co.uk
who appear to be full of praise with regards to its pre-match grub
and excellent beer.
For me, picking up where a previous landlord has left off and stamping
your own individuality on a pub or hotel would be a daunting affair.
There’s the advertising to think about, which Tom advises he’s
already addressing and has ensured that the place is registered with
the NEC who have included him on the list of Birmingham hotels worth
a visit. He’s also been busy placing adverts in newspapers such
as The Harp as well as other local newspapers and magazines. He’ll
no doubt be contacting Villa Park to promote his new venture in their
match day programmes that will be an insightful investment for this
hotel that really is just a stone’s throw from the ground itself.
They’ve both got their work cut out but it’s obvious that
they’ll rise to the occasion. Enthusiasm and eagerness for their
new home is definitely one of the reasons why they will succeed. With
city centre hotels proving so expensive these days there’s real
scope for The Aston Hotel to become one of the more affordable, comfortable,
and successful hotels in the North of Birmingham.
For further information about The Aston Hotel contact Tom or Kim
on 0121 327 7055.
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Parents
To Boycott School Buses
In the wake of the Meath school bus tragedy which claimed the
lives of five teenage students last month, parents are to boycott
school buses that do not have seat belts. The boycott from next
September was announced by the residents of the National Parents
Council, Eleanor Petrie who said “we’ve been fobbed
off for years with excuses – now its time for action”.
In the face of mounting pressure, the government announced that
it is considering phasing out, over the next three years, the
controversial arrangement that allows three students to occupy
two seats on school buses. The parent’s leader said that
this delay was unacceptable and demanded seat belts for all school
buses from the start of the next school year. |
For
Richer Or Poorer
Only one in 10 Irish couples spends less than €10,000 on
their weddings with the average spends double that amount, a
new survey reveals.
Forking out on the big day is taking its toll with 70% of brides-to-be
claiming that financial strains are among the biggest stresses
and one in 10 brides stating money worries as the only reason
that caused them to consider eloping.
The new bridal survey reveals that three out of five couples
go over budget when planning the biggest day of their lives.
“Irish couples getting married today are predominantly
young prof-essionals with very high expectations of what they
want for their wedding day.”
“Rather than put this financial burden on the parents of
the bride, who traditionally paid for everything, Irish couples
are now more likely to splurge on their wedding day themselves
so they get what they truly want”.
With the average wedding in Ireland costing €20,000, this
overspending has become a huge concern and is more often the
number one cause of stress in the lead up to the wedding. |
Ryanair
To Overtake British Airways
Ryanair the no-frills airline announced it was on schedule
to overtake British Airways by carryiny 35m passengers
this year. The Michael O'Leary-runairline said it
was the fastest growing airline in Europe, with passengers
numbers set to shoot up to 27pc this year.
By September, Ryanair excpects to be carrying more passengers
than British Airways does on both its short haul and long-haul
routes .BA is one of the largest airlines in the world.
Fare hikes by rival carriers boosted Ryanairs passenger
numbers, and this has led to the carrier predicting a
10pc rise in profits for this year to around 295m
euros |
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