It has recently seemed to me that the pressures of declining bar drinking in all sectors except the young (and I don't just blame that on cheap super market booze and the smoking ban) and the unstoppable drive of the big corporate operated pub restaurants and branded eateries could only do one thing to the poor old independent middle; and that was squeeze it to a long slow but inevitable death. ( Or at least reduce it back to far far smaller niche group of specialists).
And then I meet John & Tracy. John is a farmer who has lived in a small village in North Shropshire all his life, and he's gone and bought the village pub. Trouble is the village pub is a burnt out shell! And now for varying reasons many of them altruistic John's determined to bring it back to life, rebuild it himself and re open it with a flourish and a bang.
And hearing this story has relit a little spark in my mind; its not all doom and gloom and with the right determination, a little luck, plenty of personality and a busy canal just down the road, well you never know. And I think its served as a reminder to me that Pubs are still a little unique, they aren't all just corporate balance sheets, they can be made too have living personalities and it is still possible to make customers drive 30 minutes down country lanes for something special!
Watch this space.....
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