Nicky Carter reflects on the work of a group of volunteers who kept the social heart of the village alive with a community pub, the PinfoldFor the past four years I have had the dubious honour of being the chairman of an adult members club. Not a sex club as many of you will now be imagining, but a family-friendly pub, The Pinfold Club at Boldron, two miles from Barnard Castle.
Six years ago, a small team of volunteers set up the pub, open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. What motivated us was the desire not to have to drive to a pub.
The idea to create our own drinking establishment was born in a pub, the village’s George and Dragon, which had kept residents and travellers watered for more than 170 years. It closed its doors in February 2017 and has since been converted into a house.
But before the last pint was pulled, a plan was hatched among a few regulars of setting up our own pub. It is more than a place to enjoy a pint of beer or glass of wine, it is the focus of village life where we can catch up with each other and enjoy conversation after a working week.
Nine couples came together pledging support to create a community pub, throwing a modest amount of money into the pot to launch the endeavour.
The only suitable empty building in the village – a redundant Methodist chapel – belonged to local landowners, Chris and Julie Kearton, who agreed a favourable rent for the lease.
The work which needed to be done before we could open was daunting. Apart from the physical efforts required, there were various tasks such as obtaining a licence, getting planning permission and a plethora of other legal requirements.
Although we were a skilled bunch – doctors, nurse, engineers, chartered surveyors, banker, journalists and builders – none of us had experience of the hospitality trade. The learning curve was steep.
While we waited for planning permission, the old chapel was cleaned and furnished with a mish-mash collection of free second-hand furniture including armchairs, sofas and camping stools.
It looked, in the words of one resident, like a “rather naff youth club” . But it was a start. Fundraising food nights, with a strict bring your own booze policy, were held to boost the coffers for the conversion. Generous donations of cash, time and materials also progressed the project.
Five months after losing our historic village pub, the Pinfold Club Ltd was incorporated on July 4, 2017. A volunteer committee to run the pub was created and officers appointed. By the time a premises license was granted by Durham County Council in early 2018 the building interior was looking more like a proper country pub.
A large log burner had been installed, the bar salvaged from the George and Dragon was in place and tables, chairs and bar stools, gifted by the former pub owners, were a perfect fit.
We had a pool table and a darts board installed and more than 100 members paid first-year subs of £2.
Six years on, we are going strong. Our membership has grown considerably as customers from near and as far afield as Australia have discovered the delights the Pinfold has to offer.
We stage monthly events including a quiz, jamming sessions and board games evenings. The Pinfold supports two enthusiastic sporting teams – quoits and dominoes – and during their playing seasons our regular opening hours (Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings) are extended to include Monday nights to accommodate them.
The Pinfold has had the privilege of hosting some amazingly talented musicians and singers, many of whom are local to the dale, and we look forward to welcoming more in the coming months and years.
On a weekly basis, it is conversation that reigns at the Pinfold and while we don’t have a policy banning mobile phones, usually they are only taken out to photograph shenanigans at our many themed evenings such as the popular Oktoberfest and St Patrick’s night.
It has been hard work and continues to be for the core volunteers who ensure the doors remain open, but it has been rewarding. It’s rewarding because I can wander up to the pub for a pint (if I’m not on the roster to cover the bar) and a chat without having to drive.
We all take a little pride in knowing that with the Pinfold we have preserved the social heart of the village.
The Pinfold Club is open to everyone and while you don’t have to be a member on your first visit, by the time you leave for home you’ll want to be.
There is an ever-changing selection of real ales, including Black Sheep bitter, on offer. Check out our Facebook page and keep reading the Mercury to find out what’s going on at the Pinfold.
A question often asked is why the Pinfold Club? The name is a nod to the chapel land when it was used as the village pinfold where stray animals were herded to and kept (penned) until owners collected them. We felt it was a fitting name as without a village pub we were like lost sheep.
