Two pints of lager and a pack of stamps please, Teesdale Mercury

A VILLAGE pub best known for its Michelin-star food and real ales 

will be providing residents the perfect excuse to nip out to the pub. 

Paul O’Hara, from the Bridge Inn at Whorlton, said he is responding to the demand of his regulars and locals and has added stamps, eggs, cream and milk to his award-winning menu. 

The chef said: “Post offices and shops seem to be closing down all over the place and it makes sense for us to sell things like this, especially when the village post box is right outside. 

“Local artist Tony Clarke said to me ‘why don’t you sell stamps?’ and I thought it was a great idea so I called the Royal Mail and they said yes.”

With post office closures happening throughout the dale it is thought that there will be more places like The Bridge Inn taking up the mantle of the community hub. Before Mr O’Hara decided to sell stamps and other pantry essentials, the nearest place to buy from was Barnard Castle. 

He said: “It doesn’t make any sense to tramp all the way into Barney to buy a couple of stamps of a pint of milk. 

“And now that the dark nights are here, the older people in the village don’t really want to be making that journey.

“We’ve been doing it about a week now and the regulars think it’s a good idea.”

Mr O’Hara said he will wait to see how his new products go down well but he said he would consider stocking other essentials in the future if there is demand for it.

 

 

A HISTORIC pub that people thought had closed for good has been given a new lease of life – and you’d be right to point out that something fishy is going on.

Residents have raised a glass to Julie and David Hardy after the couple bought the Lord Nelson, in Gainford. The pub – which has previously been a courtroom, morgue and blacksmiths – had been on the market for more than a year.

The couple have already scored a major hit with residents by launching a takeaway fish and chips service. 

David said: “There’s a recession going on, but other businesses are surviving, so why shouldn’t we have a go?

“Originally, we wanted to open a cafe in Darlington, but the places were either too much money or needed too much work. Then we saw the Lord Nelson and thought, ‘let’s go for it’.”

The couple live a few minutes’ walk from the pub and have four children.

“I used to drink here but it turned into more of a restaurant with a big open room and lost its atmosphere. Then people stopped coming,” David said. 

After buying the pub, David reinstated the dividing wall to create a “cosy” area, which is complete with a log fire.

David gave up his thriving joinery business to take on the pub and is relishing getting to grips with life behind the bar.  The Lord Nelson offers a range of beers, including a different selection of ales each week. As well as lunches and evening food, Julie and David also serve a carvery on Sundays. But it’s the takeaway fish and chips that have stolen the show. 

Gainford’s chippie closed some time ago and the return of the favourite dish to the village has pleased locals.

David said: “I make my own beer batter and people love popping in and having a pint while they wait.”

The Lord Nelson is said to be haunted – although David and Julie say the ghost hasn’t showed up yet.

But if the ghoul does make a comeback, it’s sure to recognise a few local faces. Julie said: “A lot of people said they thought they would never see the pub open again and we’ve had customers popping in who haven’t been here for 15 years.”