On the 25th of January I posted a jeremiad about the various problems facing our village, including the possible closure of our two nearest pubs.

The bad news is that the Bernard Arms actually has closed, a piece of hardboard nailed up over the door, and flimsy-looking tape surrounding much of the ground floor.

The good news concerns our local pub, as we Friends of the Russell Arms were informed by the organisers two days ago, as follows:

Dear Friends,

We're delighted to let you know that our bid has been successful (more of the details to be shared at the forthcoming village hall meeting) and we are now going through the legal process to finally acquire the site.  Thanks to everyone for their tremendous support and for getting us this far.  As you know, the pub is in need of a substantial refurbishment and we still need additional funds to be able to make the required capital expenditure investment over and above the purchase price.  Therefore, wherever you can please encourage any additional possible investors to take part and please prepare to send in your committed investment as soon as possible, details to follow.

We are looking to complete the transaction within 8 weeks from now, so have a lot to do in a short space of time.

We are holding the next Village Hall meeting next Saturday, 18th of February 10am, and all investors, and new potential investors, are invited to come along to hear a more detailed update and ask any questions they may have.

We are really pleased that our bid has been successful and excited by the prospect of what lies ahead. We are conscious that the negotiation towards completion remains, so let’s keep the Champagne on ice until we’re over the line, but this is obviously a huge leap forwards for us all.

Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to seeing you in the Village Hall next Saturday.

So, fingers crossed, and let’s hope it won’t be too long before we can open the bottles of champagne.