Well we’re in, finally… on the 25th February and we didn’t lose a day’s trading, quite impressive!
Slightly over the original date, but they all run over on Restoration Man and Grand Designs, so we are in good company!
We have preserved, restored and rebuilt (in parts). The end result is a beautiful building that can be enjoyed for years. Although we know it’s always going to be an ongoing project, but I have a savings plan for that.
On top of all that, (brace yourselves at the Civic Trust and Rossendale Council) we still have lots of ideas and future plans.
Amazingly we still get complaints about our building, including the latest feature, our Pub menu board. The key word is Pub. According to a chosen few, actually 1 person maybe 2, it is damaging the heritage of the building and the conservation area, as the light is too bright! Wow, because that’s quite a big area!
But I don’t think so. These few sad people with nothing better to do, would seriously prefer it if I had left the building boarded up and rotting and they say they care about Rawtenstall, Listed buildings and the town? Funny how there wasn’t uproar when the façade of the building was sullied with satellite dishes and wiring, which isn’t inn-keeping (couldn’t resist a quick pun!) with a Grade II listed building, but when I clean it up I am constantly attacked. Perhaps they know they will get nowhere against the major corporate companies so they would rather waste their time persecuting hard working local business people investing their own money into trying to regenerate the town and keeping it alive. It’s a good job I learnt to swim as a child because otherwise I would be drowning in the irony of it all. The people who claim that they want to protect the heritage of the area attack those willing to invest their own money to keep it alive. And in my opinion only the most blinkered of people would say that I have not restored the Rams Head sympathetically, but again the irony is that Rossendale appears to have more than its fair share of blinkered people. We have the stables at the back of the building which we need to restore. Perhaps when we have we can find a home for them all!
These special people should make an appointment to see me and we can discuss their complaints openly. Or maybe I should ask the Rossendale Free Press to publish every complaint and ask residents of Rossendale for their feedback. Or maybe these few could come forward and justify themselves openly.
I would like to point out that we have at least 1 or 2 people calling in a month, thinking were still a pub even though we have removed the 6 satellite dishes, sky banners and dodgy window stickers. We think this is great; we ring the pub bell and hand out lollies. It would be alcohol but I’ve no license and I don’t need any more complaints!
Well that’s my moan over; I am considering joining the Grumpy Old Women group… what can I add? Buy a Listed building at your peril or grow a thick skin. And ask for some advice, actually not some, lots of support and ask for lots of help.
Grumpy Vicky x