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Dursley pub is spot on!

THE OLD Spot Inn has won two awards in the same week.

The pub, in Hill Road, Dursley, was named as Gloucestershire Pub of the Year.

And in the same week the licensees, Ric and Ellie Sainty, won the large displays section of Dursley and Cam Society's floral competition.

The Old Spot was named by the Campaign for Real Ale as Pub of the Year for Gloucestershire.

It will go on to qualify for the national final.

The Old Spot began life as a farm cottage in 1776 and later became a school. It changed to a pub a century ago.

Ric and Ellie bought the Fox and Hounds, as it was then, four years ago. They changed the name and transformed it into a popular pub with no juke box, gaming machines, keg bitter or restaurant menu.

The pub's hanging baskets and floriferous rear garden are attractive features which helped win the Floral Displays Competition.

The runner-up was the Railway Inn at Cam and Woodfield Garage, Cam.

In the small displays section, the winner was Hewitt's in Parsonage Street, Dursley.

Penny's in Chapel Street, Cam, and Goldinghams the solicitors in May Lane, Dursley, were runners up. Dursley and District Gardening Club officials who judged the entries found a high standard during their weeks of inspections.

"They also wish to commend Mountstevens, the Methodist Chapel, the Uley Road Garage and the Town Hall, who also had magnificent displays and were very attractive, particularly to visitors to Dursley," said chairman Tom Jones.

"We thank all those who made such strenuous efforts in helping to make our area so attractive.

"We have been pleased with the number of premises which participated and hope that this will encourage even more displays next year," he said.

CAPTION: Tom Jones of the Cam and Dursley Society presented the winners trophies in the annual hanging basket competition on Tuesday at the Old Spot in Dursley. Ellie Sainty accepted the multiple display trophy on behalf of her husband Ric for their display at the Old Spot. Winners of the small display were Sandra and Pat Cosgrove of Hewitts

Reproduced courtesy of Gazette - July 1997.