Pubs and restaurants have been closing all over UK, due to the economic climate. Many villages have lost their "local", the very important part of a village social life.
So, it is good to hear the opposite.
"The Swan" in Wedmore, Somerset, closed its doors more then a year ago and for many months it looked like this was the end of another very old pub. But The Swan was lucky, it was bought by Draco company and brought back to life. It opened its doors again this weekend, as a pub, a restaurant and a hotel.
Why am I telling you this?
Because it was our DS who moved to Somerset early this year, to be a part of the team resurrecting The Swan. His role was to oversee the the transformation of the place, to liaison with architects, builders, designers, supplies; to recruit and train new staff and as from this weekend, to manage it.
I was lucky to see the building before the builders moved in, so I can appreciate the enormous change. It has been restored very sympathetically, taking into the account the age of the building (some parts date back to the eighteenth century), but at the same time serving the requirements of the twenty first.
Please take a tour around The Swan, and if ever you happen to be in this part of England, do pop in, you will be made very welcome.