Megan RobertsIt would appear that the local is back in business as this week sees the re-vamping of two historic pubs.
The Golden Ball in Bishophill is to become York’s first co-operative pub. The current licensees, Linda and Dave Foster, have chosen to retire, and with no potential successors, residents from the area are to invest in personal shares to form the Golden Ball Co-operative. The shares, at £500 each, will see the revamping of the Grade II listed building into a community-owned hub, which the newly formed Co-operative hope will become a springboard for other local activities.
At the other end of the spectrum, The Fox in Stockton-on-the-Forest has been purchased by developments company London Ebor. According to their website, planning permission has just been submitted to the county council for a ‘restaurant based business with a takeaway facility’.
Whether you support the personal Co-operative initiative or the more official development by London Ebor, one thing is clear: the York local scene is back in the game. We’ve all heard that York has 365 pubs; one for every day of the year, but according to the wild world of internet forums, there’s more like 200 now. These two new renovations are a positive step toward York’s return to glory as the UK’s pub capital.
