Pub thanks Punchline for reporting its plight
By Simon Hacker | 28th October 2024
Resident in a Cotswold village are breathing a sigh of relief after celebrating the removal of a question mark that was hanging over the future of their award-winning pub.
As exclusively reported in Punchline-Gloucester.com in September a dispute at the inn which had involved police intervention eventually led to a licence application hearing scheduled for early this month.
But this in turn triggered an outpouring of support in the village for the award-winning pub, which has traded since the 1600s and enjoys passing trade from the Cotswold Way.

As reported later this month, landlords Rebecca and Mykel Cameron got the news they hoped for when Stroud District Council confirmed the claim before its licencing committee that the pub had "displayed poor management, lack of neutrality and lack of duty of care" was officially withdrawn.
Some 158 residents had petitioned the committee in advance of the pencilled hearing date and Dave Barton, on behalf of the Hillesley Community Pub Ltd (HCPL), which owns the business near Wotton-under-Edge, thanked Punchline for its coverage of the episode.

Lance Doughty, chair of Hillesley Community Pub Ltd, added: "This is good news for Mykel and Rebecca, and for the village. The Fleece is a crucial hub of the community, a safe place for young and old, laying on activities from charity coffee mornings to quiz nights and welcoming both residents from the village and beyond.
"Our community is strengthened and enriched by The Fleece, a place of welcome and friendship. Mykel and Rebecca play a significant part in this community-spirited approach and we all hope they can now carry on without further distraction and stress."
Rebecca Cameron said: "The support we've received from our landlords, the HCPL, and the community has been amazing over the eight weeks or so this has been going on. It's a shame that the support had to be tested in this way but truly shows the spirit of the community we're fortunate to be a part of."
Upcoming events at the pub include a quiz night on Sunday November 3 and an open mic acoustic evening for local musicians the following Sunday (November 10).
A Christmas Market is also scheduled for December 14, to raise funds for Children with Cancer UK.
King Charles is a founding patron of the Pub is the Hub non-profit consultancy, which gave guidance on the setting up of Hillesley's pub in its status as a community-owned venture. In 2018, the then Prince visited the pub to pull pints and chat with villagers.
Related Articles
Copyright 2025 Moose Partnership Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content is strictly forbidden without prior permission.