So it's only five days until we see the results of the months of hard work at our favourite watering hole. The village awaits as we count down over the coming week to the opening party scheduled for this coming Friday. But one question is on everyone's lips: "Will it be finished?"
We have to take our hats off the efforts of the Culden Faw Estate and Hillbrooke Hotels to get the works close to completion but the gossip coming from the 'shop floor' is that Friday's opening will be short-lived. For sure, there will be a fun evening as we poke around the new Stag and enjoy (hopefully) the hospitality of the Estate and Hillbrooke. But judging by the state of the site both inside and out, presenting a finished product is highly unlikely by this coming Friday.
For starters, the garden is still a sea of mud. I presume Hillbrooke must be hoping that the party go'ers don't venture outside unless there is turf to be laid this week. But then if turf is laid, will the management want people walking on it so soon after being laid? I think not. And will the interior be completed? Judging by comments from some of the chaps on site (all unattributed of course), the work is manic with various trades tripping over each other as they frantically try and work through the lengthy 'to do' list each is presented with.
All that said, I can completely appreciate the desire of Hillbrooke to get The Stag and Huntsman open for Friday's big night and to then have the place trading over the Jubilee Weekend. It's the deadline they have said since the work started and so it's understandable that they are pulling out all the stops to open come what may. But one is left asking: at what cost? The smart money is on the place closing soon after Jubilee to finish the works properly and to bring the whole place up to the standard expected.
But in the meantime, the excitement builds and we look forward to an excellent night this coming Friday. Obviously a full report will be provided! :)
Very Excited!
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