Community Champion of the Week: Campaigners host pop-up pub day

Residents of a West Norfolk village said cheers to what they hope will be a bright future for their last pub at the weekend.

A pop-up pub event was held at the village hall in Northwold on Saturday, in support of the campaign to buy the village’s Crown Inn as a community asset.

Cliff Anderson, second left, acting chairman of the Save The Crown Inn campaign, said the event had been well attended, particularly in the evening, by supporters of the cause.

He said: “It was a good day. It gives people the chance to meet up, have a natter, meet people they’ve never met before and generally have a relaxing time.”

A similar event is likely to take place in late April or early May.

For the past 18 months, residents have been raising funds to buy the pub and an agreement for a sale was reached last summer.

But negotiations have stalled in recent months because of concerns over the cost of work the campaign believes will need to be done to renovate the building.

Mr Anderson said the group had now reduced its offer because of the results of surveys which were carried out as a condition of the previous agreement.

The revised offer has been rejected and the pub is understood to be currently under offer from another potential buyer.

Mr Anderson said the group was waiting to hear the outcome of those negotiations, but planned to continue its efforts if they fall through.

Pictured with him above are, from left, Viv Anderson, Christel Hoskins, Tim Elliott, Ann Howarth, Mike Howarth and Alan Hoskins. MLNF-19PM03316