 In 1987 , the company rejected a £ 270 million reverse takeover bid by Midsummer Leisure . By this time Boddingtons had a tied estate of 520 pubs . In 1988 , the company closed the Oldham Brewery with the loss of 70 jobs , and shed 140 transport jobs at Higsons and Strangeways by contracting out delivery work to TNT . 
