Running a Pub - or is that a Building Site!

Happy New Year to you and all your customers / staff / friends and loved ones!! A bit late I know, but good things are worth waiting for.....as for me I have had an enforced stay in hospital, hence a late NY post!

Well time and tide wait for no woman or her re-furb, and with or without me the re-furbishment of the Victoria Inn has gone ahead, and my goodness me what a crackingly good job my builders are making of it. In many ways it's probabably been a good thing (for the builders) that I've not been here clucking and fussing about, also the dust thats been created would have been the last straw for me! I can say that the work is almost on schedule.........

In the restaurant the walls are plastered, the increased central heating is in place and the beautiful black slate flooring is nearly finished - staff have nearly died from hypothermia at times mind you, but we're all ready to shut completely tomorrow for a week to allow the painters in to do their bit!

Trading wise, it's all been a bit pathetic really - haven't even needed a beer delivery this week (gulp!). But while Salcombe has escaped the snow our tourists have been unable to travel here, and the few people who are around have stayed tucked up in their expensive second homes. Many of our locals have probably got little money following the festive season and bills landing on the door mats, while better off individuals have flown away to excape the winter weather.

A very different picture to the Christmas and New Year period when we were overun with customers, and great example of what its like to own and run a seasonal pub. Mind you I guess if I saw huge holes in walls, workmen traipsing in and out plus it was near freezing I'd find an alternative pub to sit in ........

For us right now though it's onwards and upwards - I try to recuperate whilst juggling staffing rotas and trying to recruit staff with an eye to half term in February, our next busy period. My other half Tim is endeavouring to do single handed all the jobs we normally split, as well as struggle with a spot of man flu himself. Did anyone ever tell you you there's no such thing as 'sick leave' in this business....????