Places features

Shurlock Row's only pub has a wide mix of  professionals among its new owners.

The 17 new pub landlords include an airline pilot, a stewardess, a teacher, a bank manager, an IT professional, a graphic designer, a builder, an conference organiser, a retired stockbroker, a scientist and a marketeer.

Each co-owner has brought their unique skills to running the new pub, from designing the interior to negotiating a tax break from the government for buying the business.

Residents say that keeping the pub open was vital to the life of the village, especially as the general store and post office have closed down in recent years.

Village resident Pat said: "When I moved to Shurlock Row 21 years ago, the village had a post office and a general store. We still have our lovely butcher but he keeps threatening to leave us.

Residents at the pub in Shurlock Row

"One pub at the end of the village has closed so the only pub left is this one. So if this pub closes it will almost all gone from Shurlock Row."

Gordon Hulme, the driving force behind the local take over, said: "It's very very important that we do keep country pubs going. It's the meeting place. It's where I met all these wonderful people. When the idea came up I mentioned it to a few people and it just blossomed."

The 17 owner/residents have sent out 300 questionnaires to people in the village to find out their views on how the Shurlock Inn should be run.

BBC Berkshire presenter Maggie Philbin learned from speaking to Shurlock Row locals how important the pub had been to them over the years.

Robert told Maggie about how he had been involved in the day-to-day life of the pub since the 1940's.

He said: "My parents were tenants of the pub, and I was evacuated down here in 1940.
"I've known all the landlords and landladies of this pub since the  1940s - to see it disappear would be quite a blow."

Ali even met her partner, Gordon, at the Shurlock Row pub.

"I did meet Gordon in this pub on Valentine's Day thanks to a neighbour of mine." she said.

"I was sitting there all forlorn on my way home from work. Since then we've been talking about wouldn't it be great to get the pub back up and running. We love the challenge."