The landlords of a popular Keswick pub say they are devastated at having to call last orders for the final time.
Peter and Margery Hardy have run the Twa Dogs Inn on Penrith Road for the last 23 years, building a loyal following of regulars and residents.
But after discovering national brewery chain Marston’s, owner of the Jennings Brewery, do not intend to renew their licence next year, the couple have decided to quit the pub immediately after Christmas.
“We’re sad about closing, but angry about the way we have been treated,” said Peter. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
The Twa Dogs is one of four Keswick pubs to receive section 25 notices from Marston’s, effectively giving the licensees a year to vacate their hostelries. The others are the Oddfellows Arms, the Bank Tavern and the George Hotel. The Royal Oak in Braithwaite is also on the list.
Peter and Margery had been given until July 2022 to leave, but aged 71 and 68 respectively they have decided to retire early instead.
“We’ve got a flat in Morecambe and we’re going to move there instead,” Peter said. “It’ll be a huge wrench to leave, because we’ve got people who have been coming here since we first arrived – but we can’t see any point in staying.
“We’ll be here over Christmas, but as it looks like we’ll be going into lockdown straight after it seems like a good time to call it a day.”
By taking direct ownership of the pubs, Marston’s which is based 181 miles away in the Midlands, faces no legal action for not renewing the leases of the long-standing hosts, due to the 70-year-old Landlord and Tenant Act.
Operations director Ed Hancock said conversations with lessees and tenants across the country were always confidential.
Earlier this year, an eerie image of a shadowy human-like apparition walking around the Twa Dogs’ beer garden was captured on CCTV.
Staff believed what they captured was a ghost and more than 35,000 people watched the video at the time.
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