In her last column, author Miriam Wakerly heads for the heights of Coldharbour to visit a pub that’s at the heart of its community
BECKY Hopper was a fulltime mum and husband John worked in London, but in 2015 an opportunity took them on an inspiring journey.
They took on The Plough Inn in Coldharbour, the highest village in Surrey. “With a baby and toddler, John and I hardly saw each other – just in passing!” says Becky. It closed for refurbishment – a huge project funded by the owner, Richard Eshelby, who sadly passed away in September 2017, but gave Becky and John free rein over décor. The stuff that dreams are made of.
Community spirit
Today they employ more than 40 staff from Coldharbour and surrounding villages. Assistant manager, Aoifa, has grown with it, enabling Becky and John to take the occasional holiday from a job which usually runs from 7.30am until 11.30pm because of the B&B hours.
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Surrey Life.
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Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Surrey Life.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The House That Rocks
Transforming an impressive, seven-bedroom Victorian property in Dorking wasn’t without its challenges, but the result is a stunning family home that has had the interiors world raving
REMEDY FOR SUCCESS
Surrey’s Tracy Borman discusses the return of her heroine healer in the final book of her best-selling fictional trilogy
Love Celia
Actress Celia Imrie has travelled the world for work and leisure but wherever she goes there is a part of her which is forever Surrey
EXHIBITION OF THE MONTH
Art & Action: Making Change in Victorian Britain at Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village in Compton focuses on the Victorian roots of art activism
Electric dreams
The Range Rover plug-in hybrid brings silent electric motoring to this iconic luxury car
THE OPEN ROAD
Chris Pickering rounds up some of the best drives in Surrey
TOWN AND COUNTRY: Oxted & Limpsfield
With the North Downs looming nearby and glorious countryside surrounding it, Oxted is a town with real “escape from London” appeal and character, while nearby Limpsfield has a superb village vibe with its own community-run pub
Artist to the stars
Known as ‘The Face of Modern British Impressionism’, Mickleham-based Sherree Valentine Daines is celebrating four decades at the forefront of her field
A RIGHT ROYAL WELCOME
The Signet Collection’s inaugural hotel project is a reimagining of a former royal guest house, situated directly opposite Hampton Court Palace
TOWN AND COUNTRY: Godalming & Hascombe
On the banks of the River Wey, Godalming is a watercolour pretty town surrounded by pristine countryside and in-demand rural villages, such as Hascombe
