Owners of ‘damp and mouldy’ Bristol pub shut doors due to health problems

The co-owners of a central Bristol pub say they have had to close the doors because of escalating health problems after living in the ‘damp and mouldy’ flat above.

Tony Zaremba-Wyczlinski and Ola Oyrzanowska shut The Ship in Lower Park Row last month after eight years running the pub, which had gained a good reputation for its karaoke and quiz nights.

But the worsening state of the 18th-century building, combined with the fallout from the pandemic and rising energy costs, has resulted in growing problems for the owners, who rent the pub from Heineken’s Star Pubs & Bars.

Tony says over the past year, he has spent around 20 weeks ill in bed, including three weeks in hospital. His problems include high blood pressure, depression and a congenital spine problem.

Ola has also been treated for depression, has a hip problem and her asthma has returned after 20 years.

The couple say they aren’t blaming landlords Heineken, who they say have treated them ‘fairly’ and given them plenty of time, but they have no choice but to leave the property.

On the day Bristol World visited the pub, rain was pouring through the roof and into upstairs bedrooms. The walls of many rooms were covered in black mould and there were signs of damp on walls in the pub itself, which is where the couple have ended up living in recent weeks due to the state of the upper levels.

Tony and Ola said they were used to it raining in the rooms and running around with buckets to catch the water. One room had several buckets of rain water and the couple had also used pots and pans from the kitchen to capture the water.

They are now applying for a council flat because they can’t afford to rent privately due to mounting debts and unpaid bills.

Tony says that until the pandemic, the pub was doing well but it was the second lockdown that killed the business.

“It was going really well with quiz nights, live football and karaoke but the second lockdown killed us.

“We didn’t make any money - the government grant was enough for the electricity and gas only, not for water or rent. We’re behind with everything now.

“Heineken have been good to us and they gave us 90% rent discount when it was the first lockdown, but there were still maintenance charges which were £1,000 a month and we had nothing coming in.

“When I was in bed and then hospital, we stopped doing the karaoke and quiz, we stopped making money. On midweek days, we could be taking only £20.”

To make ends meet, Ola has been working as a relief chef and cleaner but she says the stress of mounting bills has resulted in her being diagnosed with depression, too.

“We just stopped paying bills. They came to switch off the gas but because of Tony’s health, they put us on the priority list so we can’t be cut off.

“I’m stressing out a lot because it’s about £60-£70,000 debt now. Heineken suggested for a long time that we should give up, they could see the figures, but they were patient.”

Tony says: “We have had black mould for the past six years and a leaking roof. The whole wall is damp from top to bottom.

“I have all the symptoms of black mould with allergies, problems with my joints and a cough. My health has got worse and I had to limit the hours I could work and that resulted in depression, and then drinking heavily. I had seizures.”

Prior to The Ship, the couple ran several pubs around the South West, many of them winning awards and appearing in pub guides.

Ola says: “We used all of our savings and took credits to get this pub going but I’m done with running pubs. I need at least a year off to reset, but I’ll miss working behind the bar.”

The couple expect to leave the pub in early May and are currently selling equipment and furniture as they await news of a council property.

Tony says: “It’s going to be a difficult few months but we’re looking forward to a new start and get some help financially because of my health.

“It’s an old, damp building from top to bottom and requires major work. The pub needs to be closed to do that.

“Heineken has been patient and given us time but we just couldn’t get up again after the pandemic. We’ll still be sad to leave.”

Bristol World has contacted Heineken for comment.