There are few people who will not have at least one anecdote that starts in the pub, but it is no secret that traditional pubs are disappearing from our streets.

Surrey Comet:

The Richmond Park Tavern closed in 2012

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) released a report at the beginning of the year that showed pubs were closing at a rate of 29 a week – almost twice the number of closures as in 2011.

The royal borough has not escaped the same fate.

Kingston has seen countless pub closures over the past 10 years, with many being closed or knocked down in favour of housing and retail developments or chain restaurants and bars.

Jerry Forde was the landlord of the much-loved Richmond Park Tavern, in Kings Road, Kingston for 23 years.

His pub was forced to close because of the “changing climate” in 2012.

He said: “It was a joint decision between me and the brewery to close.

“The overheads were becoming too expensive. As a sports bar Sky television was important to us and in the end we were paying between £12,000 and £14,000 a year for our subscription.

“We had a very good local trade though, but it just wasn’t enough.”

Mr Forde’s pub has stood empty since its closure, but will be turned into a Co-op supermarket in the next few months. “It was sad when it closed but it was the right decision,” says Mr Forde.

“The climate is changing. People don’t go out to the pub like they used to and we couldn’t compete with cheap supermarket alcohol.

“Pubs were closing around us all the time.

“I came to Kingston in 1990 and the amount of pubs that have closed since then is huge. People just aren’t going to the pub as much.”

It is estimated the number of traditional pubs in the borough has halved in the past 20 years.

The lost pub project seeks to document the anecdotes, history and photographs of the country’s closed pubs. It has 28 “lost pubs” listed under Kingston so far, most showing closure dates in the past 15 years.

But it is not all doom and gloom for Kingston’s pubs. There has been a resurgence in pub-going in the Surbiton area, it has been claimed.

Clive Taylor, of Kingston Camra, says: “What makes a good pub is the landlord and the management.

“The pub chains that own several hundred pubs can be a little bit impersonal.

“There are many unique pubs in Surbiton. The Lamb, for example.

“Or the Antelope which has started its own micro brewery.”

The Kingston Camra branch was first formed in July, 1975 and had its first meeting in the Victoria (the one that’s still open), in Surbiton.

The group also celebrated its 40th anniversary in Woody's in Riverside, Kingston. It now has more than 1,000 members.

“I think our growth in members shows there will be a resurgence of the traditional pub soon, if it is not happening already,” says Mr Taylor.

“I would like to see something done about the empty Grey Horse (in Richmond Road) soon,” he added.

Pubs, often with their large rooms and prime locations, have become targets for housing developers.

This is the case for the Sir Robert Peel, in Cambridge Road, which was a live music venue for the borough before it was bulldozed to make way for housing – which was rejected by councillors this summer.

Council leader Kevin Davis says he is not a big pubgoer any more but admitted any pub closing down was “sad”.

He said: “At one time Market Place in Kingston was all pubs. There weren’t any shops there.

“I don’t go to the pub as often as I used to but I see why any pub closing down is sad.”

June Sampson: The Comet team's favourite pub 

Surrey Comet:

June Sampson says: “The Griffin, which used to be in Market Place, was the pub that the Comet team always went to. If there was a farewell dinner or someone was getting married or you had a meeting, it would be in there.

”Everybody used to go out to the pub at lunchtime and the Griffin was known as the headquarters of Kingston.

“We found out it had closed when someone just scrawled closed in chalk on the front. There was no warning at all. And then it became a Laura Ashley shop.

“The Griffin is where I learnt to drink draught Worthington. Since the women earned the same as the men it was very bad form to order a short when they were so much more expensive. “It was a bit common but it was a real community pub and the one I would bring back if I could.

”The Albert, in Kingston Hill, is probably my favourite pub because it is close and does very good food.

“It’s also a Kingston Hill landmark. It opened as the Albert Arms in 1855 so it has a lot of history.

“It is said that tramps would bury any money they had in the pub garden before going to the workhouse since penniless people were entitled to a night’s free kip.

“Edward VII is also said to have been a regular during his years as Prince of Wales.”

What is your favourite pub?

Surrey Comet:

L-R: John Azah, Ross Logan, Liz Green, James Berry and Kevin Davis

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Liz Green said: “The Lamb Surbiton is my favourite because it’s a great community pub. It helps out with a lot of the Seething Wells events and it's really relaxed with the family in the garden.”

Council leader Kevin Davis said: “The Druid’s Head is my favourite but not just because it’s close to the Guildhall. There was a wood panel there that had Three Men in a Boat scratched into it, reportedly by Jerome K Jerome himself.”

John Azah, chief executive at Kingston Race and Equalities Council who puts on Kingston Carnival, said: “I would say my favourite pub is O’Neill’s because they entered the spirit of carnival.”

Ross Logan, former Surrey Comet news editor, said: “My favourite is The Prince of Wales in Surbiton – good food, good beer and a great big garden. But the Grey Horse was just part of growing up. Formative years.”

Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry said: “I can't decide. The Wagon and Horses does a good range of beers and has a good beer garden. The Antelope brew their own beer and it’s great. The Grove does excellent food.”