Grateful residents and special guests have raised a glass to a village local near Farnham in a private party to celebrate its community buyout.
Residents of Seale and The Sands have definitely raised the bar as their love of the local has saved the Barley Mow from being another lost pub.
There was a maximum effort from campaigners with 147 people snapping up shares to secure its buyout after previous owners Stonegate pulled down the shutters.
The pub officially reopened before Christmas but a private party for shareholders, campaigners, villagers and special guests was held last Friday.
The guests included the mayor of Guildford, Cllr Sallie Barker, Jeremy Hunt MP, Farnham’s deputy mayor, Cllr George Murray and Guildford councillor, Matt Furniss.
Representatives from friends of the pub, like Rupert Thompson from Hogs Back Brewery – with calls from the audience for “cheap beer” – also joined the toast during an evening which included speeches, a men’s choir, historical insight and plenty of gratitude.
Gary “Mr Motivator” Selby began by recalling a “heated discussion” on the golf course about the pub’s likely closure and what could be done to save it.
They asked how they could allow a “faceless and distant” operator to decide the fate of a local that had served their community since 1860 when the village had the support and viability to prevent it.
He compared the rescue bid to secure its future as “akin to herding cats” but the 147 shareholders and the volunteer “Barley Army” succeeded with the pub getting a new boiler, heating, plumbing, kitchen extension and spruce up in a frantic fortnight after getting the keys.
The services of former Donkey Cart supremos Lee and Helen Francis were also secured with Gary calling the pair the “best couple to run the best pub” ahead of a toast to them and the Barley Mow.
Another villager recalled her memories of the pub and its “squeaking iron gate” after moving to Seale in the 1980s while another gave a fascinating history lesson before the MP for Godalming and Ash gave a speech.
He joined locals for a rendition of Men of Farnham featuring Barley Mow-inspired lyrics before congratulating everyone involved in the campaign.
He said: “I want to say on behalf of everyone a massive thank you to Gary, Peter, Suzanna and all the people who made this possible.
“To get 147 people to support a venture like this is rather more than the 121 Conservative MPs elected, so we might be asking you for a bit of advice.
“This is a lovely achievement and it shows in the end it’s community what matters – thank you to everyone for making this very special day possible.”
The speeches concluded with a heartfelt few words from Mr Francis, with the landlord later calling his new position a “breath of fresh air”.
He said: “Thank you to everyone, we appreciate very much this opportunity to be part of the project.
“To the investors, and my team of staff, we just want to say thank you, all.”