THE GUV'NOR

Yvonne Cleminson

The licensee of the Cherry Tree in Rowledge, Surrey, urges participation in Community Pubs Week

Now that the excitement and enjoyment of the festive season is over, what do we have to look forward to?

During this dark, rainy weather, when our customers are either tucked up indoors or flying off to the exotic destinations we would love to visit ourselves, excessive utility bills, VAT repayments and personal tax bills arrive simultaneously, alongside rapidly-rising costs of servicing our businesses.

How can we prise them away from new plasma TV screens, cheap supermarket booze, and take away meals?

One way forward is to offer what they have at home but in a convivial atmosphere, with a blazing log fire, well-kept pint of real ale and freshly-produced British grub.

Another is to use the special offers and promotions available all year. Greene King is sponsoring English rugby, so my pub will promote the 6 Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup, and should be filled with real-ale- swigging sporty types, happy to be in a community pub.

Camra will run Community Pub Week from 17 to 24 February. We should join in as we all sell real ale, and whatever descriptions we use for our pubs, we all serve our own communities.

I will encourage my villagers to participate in a "Walk-in Weekend" where they can walk in the forest and call at the pub for a welcome bowl of home-made soup and rustic roll washed down with a pint of IPA, or enjoy a roast lunch beside a roaring log fire. Throughout the week we will play darts, hold quizzes and cribbage competitions and offer a fish 'n' chip supper.

Local people will continue contributing to making my pub the heart of its

community, even after the smoking ban starts.

Our community pubs are rapidly being swallowed up by soulless, white-washed, minimalist, no-atmosphere establishments, so please let's help ourselves, our customers and Camra to stop the rot!