Plans to reopen a town centre pub after nearly a decade have been welcomed as "brilliant news" as excitement builds ahead of the venue’s return.
As reported in this paper last week, work is underway to restore and refurbish the former Sir Isaac Pitman pub in Market Street, Trowbridge.
The new operators have said they are hoping to reopen the venue later this summer, reintroducing to the town the former J D Wetherspoon site, which closed its doors in April 2017.
The new venture is being led by Bradford on Avon resident Sam Dean, who heads operator Birdhouse Wiltshire Ltd, and has assembled a team to bring the hostelry back.
A spokeswoman said they hope to reopen the pub “sometime in the summer” following extensive work to restore and modernise the interior.
Responding to the news on social media, Teresa Jayne Gibson wrote: “This is brilliant news for Trowbridge.”
Charlotte Osborn Reichert seconded the excitement, commenting: “This is great! Omg how has it been 10 years?”
Even local public figures indicated they were keenly anticipating the return of the venue. Cllr Stewart Palmen, Wiltshire Councillor for Trowbridge Central, shared the news on social media, remarking: “This is great news! I cannot wait to see it reopen!”
Cllr Palmen’s social media post was accompanied by similarly enthused responses, who declared the announcement “brilliant news”.
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Others took more nuanced view of the situation, such as Steven Wilcox, who comment on Facebook that the opening of the
Mr Wilcox commented: “With any new business, you want it to do well.
“But to make Trowbridge a thriving town, we need to be a lot better and have more variety, than the usual that become accustomed to lately.
“There's only so many times you can get a haircut, your nails done (if you are into that) second-hand stores to visit.”
The pub takes its name from Sir Isaac Pitman, who was born in Trowbridge in 1813.
The son of a textile worker, he spent his early years working in local woollen mills before training as a schoolmaster.
In 1837, while teaching in Gloucestershire, he developed the phonetic shorthand system that would become known around the world as Pitman Shorthand.
Pitman was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1894 in recognition of his achievements. He died in 1897 at the age of 84.
Further details about the reopening date and the pub’s future offering are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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