Sadness over closure of Red Lion and The Ram Inn pubs
COMMUNITIES are alarmed by the sudden closure of two more county pubs.
The villages of Huntley, in the Forest of Dean, and South Woodchester, near Stroud, have both just lost their only local inns.
At Huntley, the Red Lion was shut temporarily and a new publican was being sought, owners Enterprise Inns said.
"It is definitely our intention to re-open the pub as soon as possible," an Enterprise spokeswoman said.
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"We are carrying out necessary work. Anybody interest in becoming the publican should call us," she said.
But in South Woodchester the situation at The Ram, which is understood to be privately owned, was less clear.
A notice on the front door this week said only that the business was "closed until further notice". Licensee at The Ram, Tim Mullen, declined to comment to The Citizen.
However resident Peter Lead, deputy chairman of Woodchester Parish Council, said it would be a "huge loss" if The Ram were to close permanently. "Tim the landlord was hugely supportive of all of our local events, donating vouchers for meals for raffles and coming along to our fetes and running the bar," Mr Lead said.
"I don't know any details of what is going on and why Tim has had to close. The Ram was very vibrant and – we all thought – successful.
"Obviously something has gone wrong.
" It is a huge loss to the village – a massive hole. We have already lost the South Woodchester Post Office. It is just very sad," Mr Lead said.
The Red Lion at Huntley had been a pub since the early 18th century, said resident and local historian Jenny Eastwood.
"It is a really nice pub," her husband John added.
The closures follow a campaign to save the shut Halfway Inn at Box, in Stroud, which has been bought by the neighbouring school.
Comments
by georgette2010
Friday, October 12 2012, 6:27PM
“Good old Enterprise Inns does it again. It's time the Government stepped in and took the pubcos to task, as they are nothing but a cancer to the licensed trade. Tenants are unable to make a living thanks to their greedy rents and expensive beer ties.”
by NibNobs
Friday, October 12 2012, 6:11PM
“Things have been going against pubs for years - The worry of drink driving (soon to be even more strict with a lower alcohol limit meaning just one drink could make you over the limit) the smoking ban (for some) and of course this 'double-dip' recession... People are now so used to lower supermarket prices for beer, wines & spirits they simply don't want to pay a lot more when money is tight, high fuel costs to venture out to rural pubs and lastly we've all made our homes so attractive to stay home in the evening, with big TV's, non-stop internet access, cheaply bought booze and great value stay-at-home £10 meal deals from M&S, Tesco and Waitrose which include a bottle of wine.”