1981 Ken & Cis leave the Pink & Lily

PINK & LILY FUTURE IN THE BALANCE

As will be widely known, Ken and Cis Fletcher, the genial and popular hosts of “The Pink and Lily” for nearly 26 years, retired in mid-July and have moved to a bungalow in the village.   The future of the old pub however was very much in the balance for some time, until a change in the brewers’ area management brought its reprieve – to the delight of many locals who have long harboured a warm regard for the house which, remarkably, has remained virtually unaltered since it was built as an inn.    

THIS IS THE PINK & LILY            

The house is substantially built and although its 18 inch thick walls have been painted and the north east end has been stuccoed, at least since the beginning of this century, as can be seen from an old photograph in the taproom, they appear to be of local brick; traditional Chiltern flint panels clearly visible in the walls of its barrel-roofed cellar, which is reached down a flight of twelve hard, but well worn, boulder-stone steps.   There were originally four bedrooms, though one is now a bathroom, and one or two rooms have been let to guests from time to time, depending on the size of the reigning landlord’s family.    No one knows when it was built.      

A REPLACED FIREBACK

In 1955 Ken had to have a new fireback cast for the taproom grate.   The old one had been cast by a former landlord Mr Rutland.   He had himself worked as a foundry man for Gommes of Loosley Row, while his wife did most of the work running the inn.    Fortunately Fred Baker was able to find the original pattern to make the replacement.   The Rutlands had nine children.   They gave up the pub in 1899.    The next landlords were Tom Wheatley and his wife.