James May saved his local pub from closure.
James May explains why he bought his local pub
The 59-year-old TV presenter - who has been married to writer Sarah Frater since 2000 - decided to purchase The Royal Oak Swallowcliffe near Shaftesbury because it is within walking distance of his holiday cottage and he couldn't bear to see it closed.
He said: "The rural boozer is a focal point of local life, fulfilling an important social and even commercial role in the village. Pepper this sentiment with “community”, “tradition” and “important part of our heritage”, and everyone can feel warm and reassured while tucking into a three-for-two beer deal from Tesco and a Deliveroo Chinese.
"The reality is entirely selfish. The Royal Oak Swallowcliffe (just off the A30 between Salisbury and Shaftesbury, offering a hearty welcome, an extensive menu and a fine choice of wines, beers and spirits, with agreeable rooms and superb walking and cycling opportunities; 01747 870211) is the only pub within walking distance of our hobbity weekend cottage. If it closed, as was threatened, country living would cease to have any meaning and our time there would be consumed entirely in tending to the wood-burning stove, our television."
The former 'Top Gear' star went on to add that he and his wife are regulars at the country pub and admitted that he is "no businessman" and he has learned that running a bar is "very hard work."
Writing in his column for The Sunday Times, he added: "I am no businessman and have already been fired in absentia by Lord Sugar. I know nothing about running a pub beyond what I learnt doing bar and waiting shifts as a youth; viz, that it’s very hard work, potentially unhealthy and that the margins are always tight. But … a pub!"
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