Above photo 2014.

Above photo 2014.

Above sign left, October 1992, sign right, 2014.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Information below taken from http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk

We originally had the "Hare" on a tenancy from Courage, but after a year, they offered to sell it to us for £252,000, on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, no negotiation. We thought it was a fair price so we accepted. A few days later we were discussing it with 3i's ‘Industry Sector Specialists' in Birmingham, who persuaded us to write to Courage and offer them £170,000 instead. We heard nothing so we telephoned but had to leave a message. Still we heard nothing so we left another message. Still we heard nothing so we faxed. That was it, until a letter arrived telling us the pub had been sold to Greene King - and so we became Greene King tenants. Fortunately they've turned out to be a much better crowd than the national breweries, and apart from being nice people (or because of it), they make great beer.

If we hadn't listened to 3i we would have owned the freehold outright, but we did, so we don't. These days, we trust our own judgement. We duly plotted the experience on our learning curve, and beat ourselves around the head with it every time it comes to a rent review.