THE villagers of Stoke Saint Gregory have been raising their glasses after their pub re-opened after being closed for months.

The Royal Oak is now under community ownership after locals bought shares in it as part of the Heart of the Village project.

After three years of hard work, the pub, which also serves as the village shop, café and part time post office, is open again, thanks to the dedication of its shareholders and many volunteers who have transformed the empty premises.

The Royal Oak had its grand re-opening in the restored garden, due to Covid restrictions, with a great turn-out of villagers.

The first pint was pulled by eighty-year-old Pete Nicholas and his wife, Sue, who have lived in the village all their lives.

Pete was born in one of the rooms upstairs of the pub, which his father ran the pub for nine years back in the 1940s.

Spokesperson Graham Gleed said: “So many wonderful people have supported the local communities throughout the Covid pandemic and we applaud our 'community superstars' for the hundreds of voluntary hours they have given to achieve this milestone."

The Royal Oak will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until May 17, when it is hoped to be able to extend the opening hours and include inside tables.

The shop in the pub building has been leading the way and showing by example that community pubs are more than just pubs. They are diverse hubs of community involvement even at a time of social distancing, keeping locals socially connected.

Despite facing one of the toughest challenges on record, the volunteers have continued to go above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There were fears Stoke Saint Gregory could lose its heart after the pub closed, as did the shop, which was moved into a temporary shipping container for a period.

The community clubbed together and raised sufficient funds to buy the pub and it has been all hands to the pumps ever since.

When the first national ‘lockdown’ arrived in March 2020, a team of volunteers carried on, finding new ways of remaining available and responsive to those that need us.

Mr Gleed added: "The village community has a very optimistic outlook in establishing a newly refurbished pub and hub for the village, owned by the community for the community."