Reopening delay at village's only pub

9:43am Friday 4th July 2008

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ANGRY regulars of a village pub are protesting at the closure of its second pub in four years.

The Ship Inn at Owslebury had shut its doors in May due to a change of management, leaving locals with nowhere in the village for a pint after the only other pub, The Shearers Arms closed in 2004.

Owner, Greene King, which leases out the Ship Inn, sympathises with residents and is taking legal advice to see if its reopening can be speeded up.

Peter Crockford of Beech Grove, an Owslebury resident for more than 40 years, said: "We now appear to be in a position where we have no local public house, and no one seems to care apart from the villagers, who now have nowhere to go.

"I, along with a friend, started a darts team at the Ship Inn two years ago for the younger generation of the village. This was to encourage them to support their local pub rather than to disappear into the big city to drink alcopops.

"For the last few weeks we've had no choice but to play our fixtures at opposition venues.

"Luckily the Brushmakers Arms in Upham has now adopted our team."

The closure has also upset the Campaign for Real Ale, which often organises minibus trips for members to the inn.

Its South Hants branch spokesman, Pat O'Neill, said: "It's certainly very distressing for the regular customers, and there's also many sports teams that use it.

"Because it has closed, the darts, cricket and cribbage teams have had to disperse to other places."

Whiteley-based Quindell Leisure took on the pub's lease in 2003. Its owner, Rob Terry, who made his fortune in IT, was away and unavailable to comment, Quindell staff said.

Greene King said a new operator - as yet unnamed - bought the lease on Monday.

However, the firm said the new operator wanted to carry out repairs and decorating, and the reopening date was unclear.

Greene King southern operations director, Andy Spencer, said: "We are clearly very disappointed that the pub, under the ownership of the new lessees, remains closed.

"We want to assure the community that it is not in ours or their interests to see the Ship Inn closed any longer.

"We are endeavouring to make contact with the new lessees to try to remedy this as soon as possible."