PUNCH Taverns says it wants the New Inn at Rockland St Mary to re-open again as soon as possible. The company denied suggestions that managers would give up on it as a pub and try to sell it as a house, adding that they were talking to a number of would-be leaseholders. But they said they would welcome enquiries from other people too. If they’re still touting for offers, it has to be early days.
Punch, to be fair, always return my calls and give me a statement, but you do also have to read between the lines. My interpretation of this latest missive is that we are at least a month, if not two, away from a functioning pub. Wherryman’s Way walkers heading east need to plough on to the Beauchamp Arms for beer or Langley Abbey for tea and coffee. If you’re heading the other way then it’s the excellent Coldham Hall at Surlingham. Meanwhile the recent sad history of the New Inn goes as follows:
November 2010 – Closes
April 2011 – Opens
June 2011 – Closes
July 2011 – Opens
November 2011 – New team takes over
December 2012 – Closes
Good news. We live a few hundred yards from the New Inn and have been saddened by its closure (especially when Mick and Paula worked so hard for their year of tenure).
ReplyDeleteDriving past the pub yesterday I stopped on seeing a decorators van outside. I ended up having a short chat with the new "temporary landlady" Gayle. She was very friendly and positive, telling me that the pub will be reopening in 3 weeks following their re-decoration and refinements. The is also a notice on the window stating the same.
I wish her, and her husband good luck, and hope that the locals in the village are supportive. We need to keep our rural pubs.
Fingers crossed (and let's hope they can make a good go of it, noting that the food/beer mix must be right to make the numbers and draw in customers).