The Hobbit, Southampton facts for kids
The Hobbit is a well-known pub located in Bevois Valley, a part of Southampton, England. It used to be called the Portswood Hotel. In 1989, it changed its name to The Hobbit, inspired by the famous books by J. R. R. Tolkien, like The Hobbit. In 2012, the pub had a big legal disagreement with a company called Middle-earth Enterprises about using the name "The Hobbit."
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History and Fun Facts
The building where The Hobbit pub stands has been around for a long time. It first appeared on maps from the 1800s as the Portswood Hotel. Then, in 1989, it got its new name, The Hobbit. This name comes from the small, friendly people called hobbits in J. R. R. Tolkien's amazing stories. There are a few other pubs with the same name in different places too!
In 2007, The Hobbit pub won an award for "Best Pub" from a local newspaper called the Southern Daily Echo. For a short time in December 2007, the pub had to close for two weeks because of a paperwork mistake. During that time, they made some improvements to the building.
The Hobbit used to have special drinks named after characters from Tolkien's books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, in 2020, a company that owns the rights to Tolkien's works asked them to stop using those names.
Who Runs The Hobbit?
The Hobbit pub is one of several pubs in Southampton owned by a company called Punch Taverns. Different people have managed the pub over the years.
In 2008, the manager, Steve Dockrell, passed away. Then, Stella Roberts took over in 2009. Later, in 2019, Jack Andrews became the new manager. The pub has faced challenges over time, like rising costs. Also, with changes in university fees, students started spending less money there.
In 2021, The Hobbit pub got a big makeover! They spent about £600,000 to update and improve most of the building.
The Name Dispute
Why the Problem Started
On March 13, 2012, news came out that Middle-earth Enterprises was upset with The Hobbit pub. This company is part of the Saul Zaentz Company (SZC). They manage the legal rights for Middle earth and Tolkien's works. They said the pub was breaking copyright rules by using "The Hobbit" name.
Famous People Help Out
Many people disagreed with Middle-earth Enterprises. Two actors who were going to be in The Hobbit movies, Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen, spoke out against the company. John Denham, who was a Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen, also supported the pub.
A Big Online Campaign
A campaign was started on Facebook to "save The Hobbit" pub. By March 16, 2012, more than 50,000 people had joined the campaign! On the same day, Middle-earth Enterprises offered a way to solve the problem. They said the pub could keep using the name if they paid a fee for a special license. Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen even offered to help pay this fee.
Ongoing Talks and Support
Even after this offer, the legal talks continued into August 2012. The pub held an event to raise money to help pay for their lawyers. In 2017, the manager, Stella Roberts, worried that the pub might have to close because of increasing costs for businesses in Southampton. A special fundraising effort was set up online to help collect the money needed.
