Villagers stunned as pub shuts up shop

VILLAGERS have been left without anywhere to buy newspapers, bread, milk, stamps and even loo roll after an enterprising pub closed.

Landlord Daniel Cressey started selling the Oldham Evening Chronicle and basic groceries at the Junction Inn, Denshaw, when the post office and general store shut.

But the JW Lees pub closed suddenly on Monday and new tenants are being sought.

It is hoped that it will reopen by the weekend — but it is not known if it will continue selling groceries.

Sharon and Paul McGladdery live opposite and used to pop in to buy newspapers and stamps.

Mr McGladdery said: “We were in there on Saturday night with some friends and all of a sudden it closed on Monday.

“The world has changed. People do not think anything of jumping in their car and driving to the Tesco Extra at the bottom of the hill.

“It would be nice to have a local shop but it would be hard to make it profitable.”

His wife is a member of Denshaw Community Association and added: “It was the only place we could get a paper without driving.

“We had a farmers’ market at the village hall a few weeks ago and that was very successful so people will support the right thing.”

One 83-year-old villager, who did not want to be named, said: “We have nothing in the village now. My sister and I are lucky because we have got a friend who has got a car.”

The Evening Chronicle has been unable to contact Mr Cressey but JW Lees operations director Mark Welch confirmed that the landlord was unable to continue with the pub.

It is hoped that it will reopen by the weekend under a temporary manager until a tenant is brought in.

Mr Welch does not know if it will continue selling groceries and said: “That’s got to be a business decision of the new landlord.

“We actively encourage licensees to support the local community, but it’s got to be a two-way process. The community has got to support the pub as well.

“Like all these things, everybody thought it was a good idea but they did not support it. One or two were using it.”

He said pubs were struggling because of the recession, increased red-tape and competition from cheap supermarket booze.

“Until the Government tackles this, pubs will continue to struggle.

“They are closing at a rate of 50 a week, which is an alarming figure, but we are determined the Junction Inn won’t be one of those.”