Regulars mourn loss of their local

REGULAR customers at Crediton’s Wetherspoon have said they are “absolutely horrified” to learn that the pub is set for the chop.

The General Sir Redvers Buller is one of seven pubs Wetherspoon has put up for sale, in addition to the 32 that were put on the market in September.

The pub, in Crediton High Street, is the only Wetherspoon in Devon currently earmarked for sale and closure, as the company owned by Exeter-based businessman Tim Martin overhauls its stock amid growing financial pressures. Like the rest, the pub will continue to remain open and trading as a Wetherspoon until it is sold.

One customer said she was “absolutely horrified” at the news. “Where will we go for our coffeebreaks, let alone our beer? It’s about the only meeting place in the town,” she said. “Everything comes down to money, doesn’t it?”

Her friend agreed and said they were “gutted.” She said: “Especially for older people, it’s a place you can sit in the warm and have plenty of coffee.” One regular customer said she wanted the pub to stay because it’s a “really good place” that’s “family-friendly, cheap and cheerful.”

Another customer said Crediton would “lose a good asset” if it closed down. “We like this place,” he said.

And another regular said: “Every time I’ve come in here, it’s always been very busy. He’s not a silly man, Tim Martin. But if I was him I would keep the pub as it is and convert the upstairs into flats that will cover the costs of the pub.”