The Bell Inn’s Community Support doesn’t stop at Christmas. 15 years ago we started a Christmas Pub Choir.  All are welcome to join and meet in the pub to rehearse and hopefully be well prepared for the annual carol singing in the village square accompanied by complimentary jugs of mulled wine for the residents.  

We dress our Parlour window every December as we are a member of the village Living Advent Calendar providing a delightful winter walk for both residents and visitors.  We sell locally grown Christmas trees on behalf of the Young Farmers with all proceeds going to charity.

We provide a ‘pop-up’ Christmas lunch for the senior residents of the village consisting of a hearty home-cooked two course meal which we sell at cost, followed by a raffle and a sing song on the piano.  All our staff clamour to work on this day as it is heartwarming.

On Christmas eve, we have, for about 40 years, turned back the clock and provided ‘Christmas by Candlelight’ – a magical experience where the electric lights are turned off and music may be provided by an acoustic folk band.  For the past 20 years, Father Christmas has made an appearance, fortunately turning up just after the church service to the delight of the village children.

On Boxing Day, we run our Boxing Day Barrel Hunt with cryptic clues leading to barrels hidden in plain sight within the village boundary.  This provides a very funny and pleasant chaos for all the teams involved as well as an opportunity to walk off their Christmas dinners.  All proceeds (entry fees) go to charity.  For us, our chosen charity is St Helena Hospice

Local residents increasingly require a focus – not just a place to go to for food and drink but an event to look forward to or even be involved in.  All the above are inclusive, for all ages of residents and help to strengthen social interaction.  We have more and more people wanting to join the choir, to partake in the pop-up lunch, to hunt for a barrel and this year, we have been asked to ‘reveal’ our Christmas advert window on the 1st December

We – as the tenants – are at our most creative when we are engaged in non-commercial activities.  With less pressure and stress, there is way more enjoyment to be had and I believe this is also felt with our staff and the community as a whole.

In the past six years, we calculate we have raised over £10,000 for St Helena Hospice.  This is in addition to providing gifts for local events and charities, other fundraising events such as race nights as well as the ongoing charity boxes which sit on the bar counter.

Our village is lucky to have a very strong and supportive community of which we are an integral part.  We provide rooms for meetings (no charge), accept residents’ parcels and packages, have a key safe for some of them, create and maintain a space for all, provide Saturday jobs for youngsters, help our staff and customers through their ups and downs. Our doors are open for anyone in need.

The Bell is deeply involved in the community, hosting events like a Christmas Pub Choir, a Boxing Day Barrel Hunt, and festive activities like Christmas by Candlelight. Its long-standing role in supporting local causes and creating traditions has made it a cherished part of village life.