Deal for oldest pub stops the closures rot

John McGrath, councillor for Stapleford west and landlord at the Old Cross Inn on Church Street, has signed a further two-year lease having run the pub for four years.

Locally known as Maggy, he has run the pub with school friend, Paul Harrison since August 2009.

He said he had re-signed the pub lease against his better judgement.

He added: “The pub is at the heart of a community and we can’t allow that to disappear

“It is a gamble but it’s worth it.”

Stapleford Community Group is in full support of the move and plans to use the opub as their base for meetings and events.

Chairman Richard MacRae said that while it was a tough time for ‘locals’ with supermarkets selling alcohol so cheap, he hoped residents of Stapleford and other areas would keep up their support for the pub.