I receive regular emails via this website regarding the current state of our village pub. Visitors and locals tend to express either astonished disbelief at the state of the ‘service’ they receive or simply ask whether it has closed down for good. Here are a couple of more recent ones that I’d like to share.
I used to have several friends in the village who met at the Fox and Hounds Inn each Friday evening. There was always a great atmosphere and we had lots of fun and laughter there. I moved away from the area a few years ago but hoped to meet up with everyone when I visited Great Wolford on Friday August 12th. I tried to call in at 7.30 but the pub was locked up with no sign of life. Can you tell me what has happened to this lovely old pub?
R.L. Thompson – Hull
I’m not a great user of the Fox and Hounds but have been somewhat astonished at the apparently deliberate policy that is now been adopted by the pub to become defunct. I visited with friends on July 27 (a Wednesday night) and found that no draft beer of any description was available. Prices seemed to somewhat approximate for the remaining bottled soft and alcoholic drinks and change also seemed to be in pretty short supply. The bar was manned by a pleasant enough young person who looked like he’d been set up to fail. I revisited again tonight ( August 19 – a Friday) with my bellringing colleagues after ringing a quarter peal in memory of one of our soldiers on the war memorial. I was aghast and amazed to find the exact same set of circumstances.
Plainly no effort is being made to rectify the problem, if indeed there is a problem with the pumping mechanisms and the same unfortunate young person is still being left to field the flack and do the best he can.
Am I misreading this situation? Are the pub owners interested in running this business or are they pursuing some other course at which I, and perhaps others can only guess at? A response to these comments or a better still, a response to fix the beer dispensing equipment is eagerly awaited.
Keith Murphy – Great Wolford Resident
I’m sure we’d all like to know what the state of play is with the pub which has, for some weeks, had a sign outside the front door saying that it is closed. If you have any comments please email them to me at editor@greatwolford.com
Charles Pearmain