Thirsty villagers have taken over the running of their only pub to stop it from closing.
The 150-year-old Muddy Duck pub in Monkton Farleigh, Wilts, was due to call time on itself because its current landlords have struggled to keep it afloat.
But the owners have now agreed to let villagers led by regular Joy Spiers take over the pub until the lease runs out in six months time and a new landlord is found.
The villagers quickly reverted to the pub‘s original name the King’s Arms and re-opened it on Thursday night when some pulled their first ever pints.
The village’s longest-standing resident, 83-year-old pensioner Phyllis Thorne, fittingly served the first customer once the doors opened at 7.30pm.
Joy, who has lived in Monkton Farleigh for the past three years, said: “It was amazing, we opened at 7.30pm and it was immediately three people deep at the bar. We ran out of glasses and change.
“We closed at 11pm when the last few stragglers went home. If nothing else it shows people there really is a local interest in the pub and locals will support it under the right management.
“It was very tiring, I worked in a bar at university, but it was a cocktail bar 20 years ago.”
She added: “It happened by accident and everybody has got completely behind the idea.
“We thought that taking it back from the Muddy Duck would bring back some of the villagers.
“We are hoping that by showing there’s local support for the pub it will increase the chance of a sale so we are not left with a boarded-up pub. ”
There were fears the pub, which villagers say is the most haunted in Wiltshire, would follow in the same vein as the much-loved village shop which closed in 2014.
A team of around 20 volunteers have all committed to at least one shift over the coming months – the bar which will no longer be serving food but will be open three days a week on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays.
One villager Rebecca Latimer-Sayer, 39, said: “I think one of the reasons we bought our house was because there is a school, shop and a pub closeby.
“The pub is somewhere to meet local people, when we heard the shop was closing it was quite upsetting, but when we heard the pub may be going we were devastated. “As soon as she {Joy} suggested taking it on I jumped on board quite quickly.
“It’s important to keep it in the village, it needs a pub.”
The pub’s name has now reverted back to the popular Kings Arms after it was changed in 2013 for the first time in 150 years as part of a rebranding strategy.
It caused outrage among locals and even led to strikes where some veteran drinkers refused to return, even though the nearest other pub is a mile away.
The rescue bid has the backing of bar operator Punch Taverns which owns the pub.
A spokesman said: “The current publicans have decided to give notice to leave the pub. Until the notice is complete, the local villagers have been given the opportunity by the current publicans to run the pub on a more limited offer.
“We will soon begin our recruitment process in order to find a long term publican.”
