Jon Richardson is saving his local pub
Jon Richardson has teamed up with the Fadmoor community to save The Plough pub - which will be documented in an eight-part More4 series.
Jon Richardson is investing cash to help save his local pub.
When the 42-year-old comedian heard that The Plough in Fadmoor, North Yorkshire, shut suddenly in 2011 with plans put forward to transform it into two homes and four holiday lets, he did not hesitate to become a shareholder in Fadmoor Community Pub Limited to keep the boozer open.
Jon - who created a pub called The Dog and B****** in the garage of his Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, home - said: "I love pubs so much that I turned my garage into one, but it didn’t scratch the itch, so now I’ve ended up owning one. Or a share of a crumbling one, anyway.
"When I first heard about The Plough, I had to go and see it, and then when I met the amazing people working to rescue it, I couldn’t resist getting involved.
"Like a good pint, they are lively and cool with good heads on them, and they make you feel better about the world.
"Pubs are the beating heart of their communities, and we’re, hopefully, going to have a great time bringing The Plough back to its former glory.
"I know it’s going to be hard work, but I’m ready to roll my sleeves up and watch other people getting their hands dirty.”
More4 has commissioned an eight-part observational series - working title named A Yorkshire Pub with Jon Richardson - that will follow Jon as he joins forces with the local community to restore and re-open The Plough, which dates back to 1782.
Peter Jones, Chairman, Fadmoor Community Pub Limited, added: “We have a lot of work to do to renovate this derelict pub, which has been closed for 14 years, and bring it back to life as a thriving community pub at the heart of this village.
"We look forward to sharing this journey with Jon and More4 viewers, especially as Jon has offered to buy the first round when we open!”
Channel 4 has hailed A Yorkshire Pub with Jon Richardson - which has been created by Full Fat TV - as a "dream commission".
Jayne Stanger, Senior Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, added: “This is a dream commission: a much-loved comedian with a passion, a fantastic community brimming with brilliant characters, plus a mission to save one of the most-cherished British traditions – the humble local pub.
"Cheers to Jon, his Yorkshire pub, and the team at Full Fat TV capturing this special story for us.”
Colette Foster, CEO of Full Fat TV, said: “At Full Fat TV, we'd been reading about the decline of pubs, however, it was the rise of community pubs halting that decline that really inspired us - locals buying pubs at risk of closure and repurposing them to offer services for the entire community as well as a pint.
"We were delighted when Jon said he wanted to invest in The Plough, allowing us to follow him and the Fadmoor community as they bring this special local in a spectacular part of Yorkshire back to life."
