Hey, Jube.....

Your humble correspondent has sat quietly, too many times to remember, in the beer garden of the Valley's historic Jubilee Hotel (pictured below) simply to reflect on life's foibles.
Foremost among these musings – and by far the most sobering – has been to look across at the nearby Queensland Teachers Credit Union Building and ponder just how much loot would be there if every last cent he'd spent on story research at the Jube over the past two decades was safely deposited there.
And how pissed off he'd be under the circumstances if he didn't have an account there.
Well, now it seems that other people intend to invest even more in this Valley landmark as PubCrawl has over the years.
Sydney brothers Andre and Robert Bressan have bought the Jubilee freehold, reportedly for some $1 million plus, although they told The Bug the terms of the purchase meant they could not disclose the price.
The Bressans were involved in the pub trade in Sydney and the bush up to about 10 years ago and have decided to re-enter the trade in a big way.
So, why Brisbane?
"Better potentials," says Robert, a lawyer by trade.
Those potentials might include the touted super stadium at the RNA showgrounds, which, if it goes ahead, will neatly funnel thousands of thirsty sports fans into the Jube after a big game for a hasty pot of 10 on their way home.
It'd be a licence to pour money, nod the few wordly wise journalists who still drink there as a professional requirement.
In what seems a chronic understatement, Robert says they remain 'hopeful' that the stadium goes ahead, but adds the negotiations to buy the Jube were well under way when the stadium stories first broke.
Andre, a builder, will come into his own when they start to spent a few more bob on the place, once again touted by normally-reliable industry sources at $1.7 million.
But the new owners say they haven't even thought of a theme – if any – for any renovations nor the direction they want to take the pub in.
"We want to sit down and listen to what the regulars think. Any plans are still very much up in the air," says Robert.

Empire strikes back ... again and again

Pubcrawl has reported before its distress over no longer meeting the dress requirements of the Empire Hotel in the bustling Valley.
We had heard on the grapevine that entry standards had been watered down a little recently, but the experiences of music and band promoter John Dunlea and a friend suggest otherwise.
Dunlea left his office across the street and tried to enter the Empire corner bar with his friend, a food manufacturing millionaire whom, for the sake of this story, we shall call the Lasagne King.
Both were smartly yet casually dressed but the bouncers pointed to LK's check shirt and said something to the effect of "Sorry, no check shirts!"
Our duo then wandered up Brunswick Street to the pub's entrance to its upstairs Wonder Bar, to be told they lacked the look for entry – skatie clothing, T-shirts, board under arm etc etc.
Oh, well, there's always the Press Club, bane of The Bug's earlier attempts to rub shoulders with the hoi-pol-loi.
"Sorry fellas, members only!" was the rebuff from the bouncer.
So, back to door one, after Dunlea had the bright idea of giving LK his sweater to hide the troublesome check shirt.
The bouncer took in our rearranged pair and pointed to Dunlea's exposed shirt.
"Sorry, guys. No business shirts."
And no patronage either.
The photo below doesn't really do this story justice, but The Bug asks readers to take a glance at the tacky outside of the Empire and ask the question: "If the Empire Hotel doesn't care about its own appearance, why should it care about mine!"

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Oh, God NO! Rumour has it that Bonapartes Hotel might become Brisbane's 243rd Irish pub.
What's it going to be called?
O'Blownapartes?