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A COUPLE who have taken over the Butcher’s Arms pub in Sonning Common say they want to restore it to its former glory.

Paul Coombes, 53, and Leah Buckett, 45, have moved into the village from Tidworth with their youngest daughter Florrie, five, and three dogs.

Ms Buckett had previously run the Crown Inn in Ludgershall and has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years.

She lived in Gallowstree Common before moving to Sonning Common, where she worked at the former Orchard Lodge care home.

The couple hope to revive the lively atmosphere she recalls from visiting the Brakspear-owned pub when she lived in the village 15 years ago.

Ms Buckett said: “We looked at a few pubs and when we came here it just looked so tired.

“I used to drink here and, when I came in, I was so sad and thought that the place needed lifting up.

“It has got so much character and needs to have some love and that warm hug feeling because it used to be thriving in here.”

Ms Buckett said they would be guided by the locals on its offering but wanted to focus on regular events and attractions to keep customers coming back.

She said: “I love live music and we’ve got some great bands that we want to bring down and have play.

“We’ve got a quiz team that comes in every other Monday and want to do a bingo night. We want to just make it really community- and family-orientated.

“At the end of the day your locals are your bread and butter. If you don’t have your locals, there’s no point.

“They will be the first to tell you what’s wrong and what’s right with the pub and, if you don’t listen to them, you’re not going to be successful at all.

“We want the pub to be a place that, if you were to walk in on your own, it would be like a nice warm hug.” Ms Buckett, whose daughter has special educational needs, said she would also like to host regular meetings at the pub for families with similar needs.

She said: “Once we’re more established, I’d like to get all of the other families and be a group together.

“When you’re a mum of a child with special needs it’s really difficult for people to understand you and your child. When you’re in a group with other parents, people understand.”

Ms Buckett said that they are waiting for the kitchen to be refurbished with a view to serve food in the future.

The couple moved into the pub in Blounts Court Road on Tuesday last week and redecorated it ahead of the re-opening last Friday.

They are being helped by Ms Buckett’s brother, Daniel, who runs the Catherine Wheel in Goring with his wife Kat.

He and his team installed new urinals in the men’s toilets carved out of disused beer barrels.

Mr Coombes, who spent almost 30 years in the Royal Engineering Corps, said he is enjoying the peace and slow pace in the village.

He said: “It’s lovely. I’ve sat out in the morning with the dogs and hearing the kites is so peaceful.

“For me, it’s a bit of a culture shock. I’m used to hearing military helicopters, tanks, all of the engines at night but it’s so quiet here.

“Any conflict zone since 1990, I’ve been there. I was in the Gulf as an 18-year-old, I have served in Afghanistan twice, Iraq three times, Bosnia and Kosovo.”

The couple have one German Shepherd, Lola, five, and two miniature dachshunds, Burt, three and Ethel, two.

Mr Coombes said they had seen the potential in the pub and are excited to take on the challenge of reviving it.

He said: “I saw this place and just fell in love with it straight away. It’s a beautiful building and we just wanted to build something from the ground up.

“We did look at others but two of them were already well established and we would have been hitting the ground sprinting if we had gone there.

“For us, this pub is like walking through a nice clean door to open up the next chapter.”