EastEnders actor joins campaign to buy village pub

Villagers have been raising funds to buy their local pub after the owner decided to sell the only drinking spot in the area.

More than one hundred people in the Saffron Walden area of Essex, including Call the Midwife actor and former EastEnders star, Cliff Parisi, have so far pledged their financial support for the Queens Head in Littlebury.

Their investment would amount to £122,000 which is almost a third of the group's target of over £400,000.

Greene King said it was a "difficult decision" to put the building up for sale, but added they are "no longer best placed" to run the pub.

Parisi has promised to invest in the plan and told BBC Essex he would even occasionally be cooking in the kitchen when the space reopens.

The star also pointed out the importance of the pub acting as a meeting place.

He said it was "crucial to the social life of the village" and urged people to go to their pub because "an email or text is cold, it's nice to see people face-to-face".

Mr Parisi added that the pub would serve five surrounding villages and nearby Saffron Walden, due to the lack of pubs left in west Essex.

Chris Shucksmith, chair of the Littlebury Community Pub campaign, said the group are confident they can replicate the success of nearby community spaces.

"Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with the economics of this pub. Professionally run, serving people what they're looking for, we think it could be successful," he said.

The 400-year-old building was described as a "focal point" for the village.

It has been used as a stop-off for the cycling club, as well as a meeting point for the cricket and football team over the years.

Mr Shucksmith also raised concerns some people in the village have rarely been seen since the Queens Head closed earlier in the year.

"It is much, much harder to meet people around the village without the pub bringing people together," he added.

According to local historians, parts of the pub may date back as far as the 14th Century.

Greene King, who put the pub up for sale four months ago, said they "remain committed to operating great pubs at the heart of their communities in Essex".

The firm added it is "proud custodians of more than 100 pubs across the county and have significantly invested in many of these over the last three years".

The Littlebury Community Pub Campaign aims to meet their target by the end of October.

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