Knocking again

The residents of Caverswall, near Stoke on Trent, flocked to the Auctioneers Arms on 19 May 2018 to celebrate the reopening of their local pub, affectionately named The Knocks.

The glorious day started with a speech from the town crier of Leek, Bill Lomas, before the bar was officially opened.

This marked the end of a long battle to save the 150-year-old pub from demolition and the start of a new life under community ownership.

The pub belongs to Caverswall Community Society which has over 130 members, mostly local people. They pulled together a package of investment, loans and grants from Co-operative & Community Finance, Big Society Capital, Power to Change, Plunkett Foundation and Key Fund to buy the pub at the beginning of 2018.

Since then the site has had a full refurbishment, with new plumbing, electrics, both customer toilets given a make-over, a new kitchen, lounge area and bar.