Joy and Peter Rust's stroll down a Gloucester street bought

an unexpected opportunity that will please regulars from the

old Fountain Inn.

When the couple spotted the Westgate Street pub had been

closed they were spurred into action . . . and bought the

lease.

Regulars were shocked when the inn was shut and put on the

market in January.

With a price tag of £150,000 for the leasehold, leased from

Enterprise Inns, and rent of £60,000 a year, it stayed shut

until Joy and Peter took it on.

Joy has spent years in the pub trade including opening

Gloucester's Cafe Rene, off Southgate Street, and a stint

working at the Fountain Inn five years ago.

"We walked past it recently and saw it was shut. I said what

a shame it was and wouldn't it be great to run it. Before I

knew it we were signing on the dotted line," she says.

"The reaction we have had from people has been great and

we're delighted to be here."

The couple have big plans for the Fountain, which has

history dating back to the 14th century when records show a

John Taverner ran a hostelry from the site.

Joy says: "What we want to try and do is make it a British

traditional pub. We will have cask ales and food which we will

try to source locally.

"We shall have to take on staff as well, as it is a little

too big to run on our own."

Chris Morgan, of Gloucester Civic Trust, is delighted to

hear the pub will be back in business soon.

"The pub is stacked full of history and something we want

preserved. It is one of the places we like to point out on the

Civic Trust walks.

"During the summer when we have lots of people visiting the

city they want a really good place to go.

"It is one of the nicest places in the city, one of the

oldest and has a long connection with brewing."

The Fountain is due to reopen on Friday.

OLD friends Damien Dupuis and Laurent Guillery are now

working together to create the dishes for which the Inn at

Fossebridge, has become renowned since being taken over three

years ago.

Head chef Laurent has appointed old friend Damien as his

deputy. Both are working with general manager Elizabeth

Jenkins, a graduate of the famed Prue Leith cookery school and

daughter of owner Robert Jenkins.

Frenchmen Laurent and Damien met when both worked for

different hotels in nearby Bibury; then Laurent moved to the

Inn at Fossebridge, near Cirencester, and Damien joined the

kitchen team at Calcot Manor, near Tetbury.

Laurent started as commis chef at Bibury and 11 years later

is the inn's sous chef.

Besides working in Bibury and Tetbury, Damien was with the

renowned Fishbox restaurant group where he developed a love of

cooking fish from around the world.

Outside work he enjoys rugby, skiing and watching TV.

"It's great to be working with Laurent," he said. "We have

such a happy, hardworking team."

The Inn at Fossebridge between Cirencester and Northleach is

a 300-year-old former coaching inn, extensively refurbished,

with eight bedrooms named after Cotswold towns and villages and

a cottage to sleep 10.

For more information, visit the website at

www.fossebridgeinn.co.uk