A PENHILL pub has been taken over by new managers, who are determined to rid it of its bad reputation.

Iain and Liz Watson took over the Deers Leap on Penhill Drive towards the end of February, and since then have turned it into a community asset.

“It had a really bad reputation,” said Iain Watson. “But we wanted to turn it around,” he said.

“What we really want is for this to be a place for the whole community and for the community to use it,” said Liz.

The family friendly pub now hosts various activities for local people, including mother and toddler coffee mornings, table top sales, yoga classes, and live music events. They also have a function room available to community groups.

“It’s not about making money,” said Liz. “For some parents, coming to the mother and toddler mornings, for example, is the only chance to leave the house and spend time with other adults,” she added.

“That’s what a local pub is, or should be. Where you get to know everyone and everyone is part of a community,”said parish councillor Paul Baker, a long-time customer of the pub.

The couple already run The Bear in Marlborough and have brought their experience of rejuvenating pubs to Penhill.

“We’ve seen the most amazing turn around. People here are so supportive of it,” said Liz.

The live music events are specially designed to suit family life, finishing at 8pm. “This way families can enjoy the music together without worrying about a babysitter or paying for one,” said Liz.

The landlady grew up in Penhill, where she first fulfilled her dream of being a bar maid at the Royal British Legion Social Club, aged 18. She moved away, training as a manager with Weatherspoons and meeting Iain along the way.

“But ever since I was little, I remember wanting to run The Deers Leap. So it was so exciting when we realised it was available,” Liz said.

“When we decided to give this place a go my son even said to me, ‘Mum your just being nostalgic, and not using your head’. But now he says he’ll eat his words,” she added.

“We need stuff like this here, because Penhill just gets left behind. If this was to go there would be nothing for the people. It will just be housing,” said Cllr Baker.

“There used to be so much in Penhill,” said Liz, remembering her days being involved in the Penhill Carnival.

“But now youngsters are interested in different things. We want to provide something for them,” she added.The pub also recently hosted a family disco, with free hog dogs for the children. “Everyone was polite and respectful. Penhill has this bad reputation but that’s not the true picture,” said Liz.

Coun Baker said: “We have this stigma in Penhil. But really you won’t find a better bunch of people. We need to get rid of it.”

The couple have a zero tolerance on drugs on the premises, which they admit was the biggest challenge they have faced.

“But we had quite a reputation for handling it which followed us from our other pub” said Iain. There it took the couple a year and a half to rout out the problem.

“But here it has been much quicker” said Liz. They only had to bar one person early on, from which they lost nine others. “But we really haven’t had any problems since.”

"In Penhill there is such a community spirit. I’m not from here, but the people have really welcomed me in,” said Iain.

Future plans include treasure hunts for the local Scouts to achieve their navigator badges, and restarting the sports which used to be affiliated with the pub.

“Running a pub when it’s all going well, is like you are not working. It’s a way of life,” said Liz.