OWNERS of a Week St Mary pub are assuring their community that they are open, it is business as usual, and they continue to offer a warm and inviting space to members of the public.

Cindy and Jason Orchard own The Old Orchard Inn at Week St Mary, and have recently invested money into the refurbishment of one of the pub’s rooms which now houses a beautiful full size snooker table — ready for the launch night of the village’s first ever snooker club this Friday, March 31.

The Old Orchard Inn Snooker Club is a brand new venture that will play in the Bude and District Snooker League. The membership yearly is £30 for adults, £40 for a family, £10 for juniors. Weekly membership is £5.

There are vacancies for snooker teams and players for the forthcoming snooker league that plays on Fridays.

Cindy and Jason said: “We are very much up and running and looking forward to the 31st.”

The pub also hosts four pool teams from the Holsworthy and District Pool Legaue, two darts teams that play in the Bude and District division one darts league — with the pub’s very own A team recently winning the league.

Cindy and Jason added: “We would like to thank all the teams for playing at The Old Orchard Inn and we are very much looking forward to them playing with us next season.

“We also have a summer league pool team and a vacancy for this summer for another team to join us.

“We have continued to keep this pub open for the best part of four years and are striving to provide it for the village.”

The warm and welcoming cottage bar side of the pub with its old beams — this side of the pub being a couple of hundred years old — houses a chess table, coffee tables, comfortable leather settees and is a lovely place to sit and meet. There is also a separate darts area.

As well as lively sporting nights at the pub, The Old Orchard Inn also hosts jamming sessions on the first Wednesday of every month. It welcomes the local bell ringers, and Stratton Young Farmers, with Cindy and Jason expressing their thanks for their support. Cindy and Jason have also put on charity events with their customers raising money for the air ambulance, and charities that support people with breast and prostate cancer — a recent 24-hour pool marathon raised in the region of £2,600.

The pub sells traditional real ales, premium lagers and Somerset ciders. There is ample car parking and an excellent beer garden.

The pub is open from 6pm in the evenings — and is open seven days a week during high season.

There is a three-bedroom flat above the pub that will be available to rent from April 1.

The planning permission sought by the owners, as reported in last week’s Post, was to renew the planning permission that was already with the pub when the Orchards took it on, and they have no plans to act upon the planning permission — meaning the pub will be retained as a hub for the community.

The Post apologises for any misunderstanding that last week’s article caused and is pleased that the pub is continuing to serve its community.