The replacement of a 30-year-old skittle alley in the Vaga Tavern, a pub at the heart of its community in Hereford, represents a rare piece of good news in an industry that is seeing up to 50 closures per week nationwide.
“I’d become concerned about the old alley, which has done such good service for us,” said landlady Becky Clyde, who has managed the Wye Valley Brewery owned pub for 12 years.
“But it needed replacing and as skittles is such an important part of the Vaga, I was concerned about whether the brewery would make the necessary investment.”
A brief meeting with Vernon Amor, Managing Director of Wye Valley Brewery, was all it took to get the brewery’s pledge in replacing the old alley, which sits within a function room of the pub. “It’s fantastic to be upgrading it, because we have two teams in local leagues, summer and winter. They are really looking forward to playing on it and welcoming all the other teams from around the leagues. The skittle alley completes the pub and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
The flooring is made from maple and has been painstakingly constructed by Phil Rosser, a Vaga Tavern regular, which shows a wonderful link between the pub and the people it serves. Another link comes in the form of Becky’s 15-year-old daughter, Tilly, who does the sticking for the league teams every Friday night.
“I had no hesitation in supporting Becky’s request for the new skittle alley,” said Vernon Amor. “We know how important our pubs are to the local community.
“The history of skittles in pubs goes back hundreds of years and is something we should cherish. The Vaga Tavern epitomises this and I hope the new alley will play its part in pub life for many years to come.”