A much-loved historic pub has taken to Twitter to share its demise in a final attempt to stop the council bulldozing it to make way for a bus exchange.
The Ship Victory has served locals since it was turned into an ale house during the Napoleonic wars.
But now the drinking hole– affectionately know as the ‘Little Pub with the Big Heart’ due to regulars raising over £107,000 for charity – is scheduled to be flattened after Cheshire West and Chester Council approved plans for a £10m grass-roofed bus exchange on its site.
Campaigners have been battling to save the pub, which is said to be the only one in the UK named after Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, ever since the last pint was pulled on New Year’s Eve 2013, but despite their efforts they believe its future is set in stone.
Now, as campaigners from CAMRA and Friends of the Ship Victory await the outcome of their case to the Ombudsman over CWaC’s refusal to list the building as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), the building has taken to Twitter to share its demise and try to save itself from the bulldozers.
The Twitter account, run by an anonymous campaigner, has only been up and running for a few days and already has 104 followers.
It has tweeted remarks including: “Nobody knows my age - even I can’t recall my own birth; infancy. Maybe I’m 150 yrs old. Maybe I’m older. The memories fade. Save me.” and tried to rally support from politicians and local beer lovers.
Keith Porter, of CAMRA, said he hoped a favourable ruling from the Ombudsman over CWaC’s handling of the ACV application would help save the Ship Victory– where regulars raised over £107,000 for a breast cancer memorial fund in memory of former landlord Joe Gildea’s daughter Angela – but said he didn’t really think the bus exchange could be stopped.
“All we have left now is our appeal to the Ombudsman against the decision by the council on the ACV. We have no news on that,” said Mr Porter, who said the Twitter account was ‘amusing’.
“It is just an ordinary back street pub, but it is part of Chester’s heritage, it has been there a very long time and there are not many traditional pubs like it.
“The future is set in stone. I do not think it can be stopped, but I hope I am wrong.”
A spokesperson for CWaC confirmed that the authority had received a request for information from the Ombudsman but had not heard the outcome of the inquiry.
