A peoples’ pub campaign continues – The Kingsbridge Inn
Campaigners hoping to step in and reopen The Kingsbridge Inn as a community pub have been in town asking people for their views.
So far nearly 200 people have responded and 95.3% said YES to bringing the old watering hole back to life. The rest weren’t sure.
Marilyn Burrell-Wills, one of the leading campaigners, said: “I love community pubs and I think our heritage should be saved.” As reported in the Pulse, the pub shut a few years ago and despite
the owner putting it up for sale, and despite interested parties coming forward, Marilyn said, it wasn’t sold. ( see Stories here, here & here)
Now the building is on the market again , and because it is designated an asset of community value the campaigners have first dibs. But they only have that advantage until June this year.
Marilyn explained that the idea is to make it accessible to all. As well as serving drinks, it could provide space for workshops, fitness classes, a daytime cafe ,even a potential training hub for work experience.
The hurdle to overcome, as always, is funding.
“We have to get an independent valuer and the owner has agreed to that,” Marilyn said. A public meeting to discuss fund raising ideas for the Kingsbridge Inn is being held on April 26 from 2pm at the United Reform Church. The campaigners are getting advice from The Plunkett Foundation. Plunkett UK is a national charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in community ownership. “We do this to achieve our UK-wide vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities.”
PUB QUIZ
Marilyn also posed a question she wonders if anyone can answer – where has the pub sign gone?
The sign was painted by Buckfastleigh artist Stanley Chew, well known for pub signs in the region.
A book all about his work was published by John Martin in the 1990s – available on various second hand book websites – and it seems his signs are now quite valuable. One sold a couple of
years ago for £850. “People want to know where it is,” said Marilyn.
Answers on a beermat please…