“Something Fishy Has Happened” - Beloved Crooked House Pub Destroyed By Fire

A pub was purchased by a couple and just a week after it was gutted by fire - and the police are now treating it as arson.
Within days of the fire breaking, The Crooked House in Dudley was demolished without council permission and it was reported a digger was hired just a week before the fire occurred.
A petition for the pub to be rebuilt brick-by-brick has now reached 18,000 signatures.
Isabel Oakeshott says: “what is interesting here is that it is possible that the land may have more value as land for development as opposed to land with something on it.”
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[@anthonylloyd8000]

Property developers are cooks. Arson is a criminal offence.

[@williambunter3311]

They certainly cooked up something here! lol

[@gillian9178]

They should be investigated, arson is a criminal offence even if you own the place. This isnt the first time this company has done this.

[@audraperkins3451]

People DID travel to the Crooked House , it's even being talked about in America .

[@nigelbryant5932]

Guilty as charged. Sounds like it was pre planned

[@lincliff663]

I wish JJ had listened. This pub was a tourist attraction as well as a local. It may not have been listed, but it did have history and its structure showed that. I live nowhere near the place, but can certainly understand the local attachment and the upset about what's happened.

[@richardroulstone-roberts8598]

I did have a properly over 200 years old just, wasn't listed, think it was the case of informing local authority.

[@billdoor3140]

It was about to be listed the week the Taylors burnt it down. They also hired the bulldozer 2 days before the fire...

[@oldgamer1299]

There seems to be a lot of dodgy things going on in our country at the moment.

[@fivewindow32]

Been like that for the last 3 years....

[@stevegray5709]

@@fivewindow32 Errrr I think you missed the 0 off of 3 but it's been more than 30 years.

[@laurenbutler4899]

The person saying 'it's just a pub'. I totally disagree, it's a piece of English history and heritage. I'm gonna stop watching Talk Tv shortly if he continues to be on, he is doing my head in. Isobel is totally articulate and her points are well thought out. An asset to Talk Tv.

[@mynameisdudge]

⁠@@StevenFowler-oh3ln Just say you’re a racist and move on .

[@utv5490]

​@@mynameisdudge You can tell he is a racist as he has deleted his comment like a coward.

[@jordan3405]

Have to ask why Marston's had it in the first place and sold it to this couple. Obviously kicked the old owner out and it was stolen by Marstons, a debt collector.

[@Soulboy63]

Who are Marston's ?? Common trick

[@motorsportsfan]

people from around the world have visited the Crooked House at Himley. it wasn't just a locals "who knew it was there pub", i've visited many times and i live nowhere near it! also the tenants that had been kicked out before it was sold had just (this year) had a new roof put on!

[@LordWalsallian]

This was an amazing, iconic Black Country landmark. They could have donated it to the Black Country Living Museum who would have taken it brick by brick and rebuilt it on their land just outside Dudley.

[@evgeniam685]

Why black country?

[@LordWalsallian]

@@evgeniam685 Because it's in the Black Country obviously...🙄

[@dougie1968]

​@@evgeniam685 the Midlands used to have thousands of ironworking foundries and forges which covered the sky with thick, black smoke billowing from their chimneys. Hence the Black Country. I think coal had something to do with the nickname, too.

[@emmetminiatureswargames2424]

I immediately thought it was arson to use the land for development. So obvious.

[@adienowed6366]

It's all very suspicious and smacks of criminality from start to finish.

[@heywhotsgoinon8286]

Some people dont seem to understand what heritage means.

[@padgepadgham3238]

Rebuild it, or go directly to jail.

[@jasonrees8177]

stinks,,something crooked going on.?????????

[@bobjames6622]

If you think that was fishy, just look at the fires over in Maui.

[@dougie1968]

Yep. Arson as well.

[@rickyraw5457]

Arsonists at work

[@_dude..]

The African gentleman doesn’t care. Of course he doesn’t. Not his history being destroyed.

[@billwest4570]

You do need to make an application to demolish a building under the Building Regulations

[@sunkat76]

The digger was hired the week svereal days BEFORE the fire...

[@Talboy-d7g]

Crooked couple 😂😂

[@nickjung7394]

Not the brightest thing to do. Every aspect of this couple's life will be subject to scrutiny!

[@richardroulstone-roberts8598]

Wonder if local plob go down the route of seeing who's phone pinged the evening of fire at the pubs location. Can assume that's possible with mobile networks cooperation.

[@richardroulstone-roberts8598]

P.s. and see where that phone pinged most, and you know where they live Mr Plob triangulate it via three masts.

[@andrewpeberdy7968]

If Desmond Tu Tu was painted on one of the walls there would be uproar

[@sallyhobbit1956]

Yet again, they do not understand English history.

[@Mrdeniro100]

One too many on the sofa.

[@dee2251]

It was arson and we locals know it was deliberately destroyed as the land was earmarked for development. There is no way we will let them get away with it.

[@AtomicExtremophile]

Regardless of who set the fire, fire and rescue appliances cost money.

[@ukman9797]

My son is a firefighter and was called to this. He and the other crews risked their lives because someone deliberately burned this to get around the law. The crews worked hard due to the road block, to get water up there. To risk your life for when things go wrong is one thing to risk their lives for a deliberate act us another. I hope whoever did this, and we think we know who it was, spends time in jail at the least for endangering the lives of the fire crews who attended this incident.

[@dougie1968]

The town where I live pubs have been demolised and replaced with housing and businesses, converted into a house or flats. They were pubs I had the occasional pint in. For the size of the town, it had an inordinate number. It was overkill, to be honest. When Wetherspoons opened a pub in 1998, I knew it would spell the death knell for some of them.

[@edwardhaggarty365]

I don't see anything funny about this. Demolishing a well known british site. However it happens. So please stop making jest of it. Funny. It is not.

[@mtvoss7595]

When the police find out the couple who used to own the pub are staying in a 20k a week Vila , the dots will join up 😊😉

[@Markdmarque]

The guy from Africa shows that he doesn't care about "British" things!..Why would he

[@mrswutchchuck]

Rich people get away with things like this. They will get a fine that will be pennies to them

[@ownerlaptop1169]

Lock them up when they come back from hols

[@thomasstorey9043]

The problem is that this happens all over the country I've had been watching this and what happened to the investigation nothing happens because the council condemned the building the Labour Councils do this all the time

[@user-je6xx8jd4i]

A lot of pub fires lately 🤔

[@carolmichelle9984]

They owners haven't been in touch because there on holiday .They was in the sun newspaper Friday

[@jaydenmoon5083]

Sorry but has the guy on the left just come from a pub as he sounds drunk. He really doesn't get it would be a different story if this had been his local pub.

[@stevebarnett5048]

Was it insured? Hmmm

[@Ramblingpete]

Something crooked here lol 👻👎🏾

[@shanehumberstone5262]

They absolutely should be forced to rebuild the pub

[@Joca497]

Nice to see how quick you are in the uptake😂

[@DessieTots]

The government should foot the bill for a re-build of The Crooked House since their idiotic and hysterical response to covid probably helped the demise of this pub and many others.

[@nickjung7394]

You mean the taxpayer!

[@MrSmegfish]

Imagine if they wanted to save a wonky tower block. Too precious about some things.

[@audraperkins3451]

It was structurally sound , otherwise it wouldn't have been allowed to function . A wonky tower block is no comparison . I wonder how the French are getting on with that wonky structure 🤔 what's it called again ?!?

[@nickp4189]

'Beloved Pub' ?? It was sold because nobody was using it??

[@ijustwannaleaveacommentony6511]

jewish lighning

[@peeg09]

TalkTV really is a huge step above GBNews.

[@MrPhilfridge]

No its not i watch both their both good. e g Patrick Christys show excellent on GB news

[@gbhxu]

@@MrPhilfridgeYes, GB News seems to have the best woman presenters too. Can't stand Nana, though. Only good thing about Talk TV is James Whale

[@peeg09]

@@MrPhilfridge lol

[@theleveller6164]

This is their third fire. Second at a pub. First pub they wanted to turn into flats. It got turned down. Two days latter it burnt down. These people are local to me.

[@stevegray5709]

Haha. It's all so clear to any normal reasonably bright thinking person. Mmmmm I guess all the local authorities don't fall into that category.

[@herenow6953]

@@stevegray5709 brown and paper go together like fire and planning

[@gadget348]

If anything happens to a listed building there should be a law that prohibits the redevelopment of the land for two hundred and fifty years unless the original building is to be put back up. Without such a law our heritage will quite 'accidently' go up in smoke.

[@telstar4772]

Unfortunately it wasn`t a listed building

[@gadget348]

@@telstar4772 just a listing one!

[@telstar4772]

@@gadget348 There was a request to list it just prior to the fire but a decision hadn`t been given..

[@dee2251]

@@telstar4772it had been nominated for listed status only the week before it was set fire to.

[@AndrewSmith-wj7dk]

Who’s that muppet on the left hand screen what dose he know about it the pub 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤬🤬🤬

[@Northstar-Media]

Why do I feel they are making excuses for people's criminal actions. 😡

[@RJW998]

Listed building pub in our village, Red Lion in Totton, burnt down mysteriously 2010 and was redeveloped into a McDonald's drive through. Funny that?

[@Evilroco]

Same at The Prancing Horse in Thatcham ,I was friends with the Landlords son growing up and they couldn't even hang pictures because the walls were Elizabethan Wattle and daub or change the original shed like interior doors for some without an inch gap top and bottom. Brewery sold it to developers and it had a fire that gutted the interior allowing it to be turned into several flats and its historic stable block demolished for new build flats .

[@stevep9739]

Now find out which of them is related to a councillor. Arsons not just for councils to clear plots for development! 1 example close to me,2 buildings come down the day after building inspectors had been in,who better to help a building collapse,than government🤔

[@wendysmith2255]

The guy on the left, he will speak like that because it’s not his history. That pub over the years had vistors from all over the world.

[@charleschurch5473]

MUST BE A BIT THICK IF NO ONE REALISES THIS WAS DELIBERATE,, ITS ABOUT THE LAND AS THE LADY SAYS,,

[@Brookspirit]

You do realise saying it was deliberate criminal activity could land them in trouble legally, right?

[@DMG00111-p]

Order the owners to rebuild it....or face gaol

[@petershepherd323]

Come on Police..this doesn't require Sherlock Holmes to understand these guys are dodgy as he'll.. GET A GRIP !!

[@hbpw857]

Make an example of them .landmarks are protected for a reason it’s our culture.they look like the stereotypical couple who go to dubai and post generic Instagram pictures

[@patriciasanderson2171]

For some people old buildings mean nothing. They don’t care, they have no interest in preserving them and the history.

[@dougie1968]

Some old buildings represent the dispicable class system. Whilst the psychopathic bourgeoisie were living in opulence, the majority of the population were living in abject poverty. I'd like to see a load of old buildings owned by evil toffs demolished.

[@thecovidprisoner]

Obviously its arson committed on behalf of new owner who looks like a knuckle head thug. Bought , site blocked off then arson and quickly demolished , how much more evidence is needed ? Whatever happens he should not own the site under any circumstances.

[@goforitbeyourself.suekirk2165]

This was a great pub !!

[@roybradley764]

what you have failed to say is that the one lane leading to the pub was blocked with debris by diggers the day before the fire

[@cherryclarke360]

But whoever should not be allowed to get away with these type of events...

[@kenparkes7025]

local to fire, its the carpark plus pub space they want , 3 detached houses worth 1.5 million with a pub that hardley ticks over in winters and developers are completely fools the black country museum would may have bought it.

[@dave8484able]

That pub was the most iconic in the country. Seems like there was a vendetta. I can’t imagine how the land is suitable. I think it should be moved to the Black Country museum.

[@rol1517]

A shrine to climate boiling and refugees should be put there and all historic buildings levelled to prevent being offensive and causing pandemics and climate change and you know the thing

[@MKRM27]

What did the locals expect to happen to their beloved pub, if they couldn’t be bothered to ever visit it? Use it or lose it.

[@TrottersPad]

Hmmmm just before the fire, there was a burglary, hmmm so all the fixtures and fittings were removed for safe keeping hmmm, then it caught fire !!!

[@daviddewar5836]

He African guy says theres loads of pubs in the area i am from Scotland the Dudley arms is abuout 2 miles away i walk from a bus stop there to Glynne Arms (Crooked House)

[@philfutrill189]

Don't worry about the crooked house if you want to see crooked houses come and buy Bovis house in buderuit shorelands Estate cornwall

[@Ramblingpete]

Boy I’m in love with this woman ❤️🤪❤️🤪👍🏿

[@manazon6945]

Lemme guess. The land will be biught and used to build what, a place of worship for a certain sect of people?

[@Ramblingpete]

I don’t blame them it was an eye sore just saying oh Isobel if only I saw you first 👻🤪❤️👍🏿

[@malcolmclements9254]

They are in Greece now on holiday.

[@rogersimmons8788]

To no one's surprise!

[@damon1957ful]

Still wrong

[@kroozer5215]

If people think this is fishy they should look into the conspiracies surrounding 911 - but it the old saying "the bigger the lie the harder it is for people to disbelieve"

[@herenow6953]

I know. Those of us that know, know.

[@MAGAted]

rubbish pub anyway, it needed rebuilding

[@jonathanfoster6040]

Make them rebuild it brick by brick at their expense.

[@vinniesullivan7977]

You all seem to find this quite funny, good think real nationalists know you're disingenuous.

[@utv5490]

David Cameron's entrepreneurs at work here. This is what Thatcher wanted from Britain.

[@j9201]

Owners need locking up

[@michaelathanasiou2030]

Talk TV or BBC who do you think hates Tories more, either way they are not news readers they are Tories haters ( and as for that back stabber Oakeshott ) LOL

[@andywilson9150]

Yeah it's called muslims!!!