Edward Bolton, who owns the freehold, has not yet responded to our invitation to meet up. We are still hoping he will come and talk with us about how we can help him to sell it to someone who will run it as a pub or get new tenants, perhaps by some joint publicity or other activities. [Update: his solicitor is apparently going to write to us.]
He has dropped the asking price for the freehold slightly (to £289,000) and included the garden within that sale price. However, that is still much higher than comparable pubs on the market elsewhere in the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. We will get a professional valuation as and when it seems appropriate and necessary to progress things.
In the meantime, we have continued our investigation into how the village could get together and buy the pub, maybe to make it more a centre of activity for everyone and not just a pub.
We have made contact with relevant officials at Suffolk Coastal District Council who are considering what assistance the District or County Councils may be able to provide.
We are making arrangements for further publicity for the social on Saturday 25 June including posters, leaflets, and a web site www.froth.org.uk . The EADT is keen to cover the story but we have asked them to not to do so yet.
Some of us will go to the launch meeting of “Pub is the Hub†group for Suffolk on 15 July.
The next meeting of the steering group will be on Friday 10 June.
Anyone who wants to join the steering group or wants to know more about what we are doing should email froth@charsfield.org.uk
The members of the steering group at the moment are: Amanda Illing, Andy Wyatt, Clive Gregory, Dave Whitley, David Wolfe, Di Alexander, Jane Beard, Mandy Morton, Pauline Llewellyn, Steve Moor, Tim Goddard.
