SEAN SHOWS UP AT THE CROWN
Stand up comedy legend, Sean Hughes, was a welcome guest at The Crown in Wells Market Place at the beginning of January.
Sean, who has been heralded as ‘one of the best stand-ups of his generation’, was headlining the Long Paws Comedy Club at the Little Theatre in Wells.
“It was a delight having Sean stay at The Crown,” said marketing manager, Sara Blair. “He was utterly charming and very funny; his set, at Long Paws Comedy Club, was just superb.”
More than 420 vulnerable people in Somerset died in the winter of 2009/2010 from causes directly attributable to the cold and poor living conditions – over 90% were aged 65 of over.
Over 33,000 older people in Somerset live in fuel poverty, many in remote rural areas. For further information and how you can donate your Winter Fuel Allowance, please visit: Somerset Community Foundation website.
FAMOUS FACES AT THE CROWN
The Crown in Wells Market Place has been shortlisted from hundreds of entries to become one of The Famous Grouse Famous Pubs for 2011.
The Crown featured, among other pubs nominated, in a special editorial piece in the Sunday Telegraph on 16th October.
A 15th century coaching inn, built around 1450, The Crown has numerous claims to fame over the years.
William Penn, a Quaker who gave his name to Pennsylvania USA and The Crown’s bar, preached to a crowded Market Place in 1695, before being carted off to the local clink, now The City Arms public house.
In 1900 Tom Price became licensee of The Royal Oak for two years. From 1912, he ran The Crown, where he stayed for 42 years.
During both World Wars troops were billeted at The Crown, taking over the front of the building.
In the 1930’s The Crown became an hotel and stabled around 70 horses for market traders use, at the rear of the building.
Tom Price retired in 1954 as Wells’ longest serving landlord and very popular figure in the City.
Much later on, in 2006 The Crown became the exterior of the pub in Hot Fuzz, directed by local boy, Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In 2007, the trio returned to The Crown to enjoy dinner in Anton’s Bistrot, during the special ‘Wells premiere’ organised by cinema owner, Derek Cooper.
Famous faces staying at The Crown have included Rolf Harris, Stephen Merchant, Jonathon Ross and comedians Adam Buxton, Tim Minchin and Arthur Smith.
The Crown has been an important focal point in Wells throughout the 550 years it has stood and remains popular with locals and visitors.
A member of The Famous Grouse team will present a personalised plaque to bar manager at The Crown, Richard Wilcox, in November.
There’s more on our Special Guests page…
THE CROWN AT WELLS HALLOWEEN TALES
The Crown in Wells Market Place was built around 1450, originally as houses, and divided into two buildings; The Royal Oak and The Crown. With such a long history, and so many people coming and going over the years, The Crown has been full of tales of ghostly goings-on from guests and staff.
There have been ghostly apparitions peering through glass windows, as well as a spate of bottom pinching in the Bistrot – originally a stable – so a cheeky stable lad perhaps?
Images of people wandering through the Penn Bar have appeared on CCTV, inspite of the fact that the Bar was long since empty and closed.
Many have experienced huge fluctuations in temperatures, a change in atmosphere, lights switched on and off and furniture moved around.
There’s even been sighting of a Cavalier soldier running through one of the bedrooms in a “terrified state”. Of the two, the guest got the bigger fright!
In light of Halloween at the end of the month, front of house manager, Craig Churches has compiled a collection of his favourite, prompted too, in part, by his own terrifying experience…
Boo!
As Duty Manager, Craig got the shock of his life recently when locking up one night. As the lights were turned out and the building close to empty, he decided to go back into the lounge to complete something he had forgotten to do beforehand.
Rather than turn the lights back on, he decided he wouldn’t be too long and so worked away for a minute or two in darkness.
When he turned back to head for the exit, standing in front of the fireplace by the Bistrot Bar was a ghostly tall, slim figure staring, intensely, straight at him.
The Victorian-looking figure was described as having jet black hair slicked back, a moustache, wearing a waistcoat and suit trousers and held a walking stick. After a double take, the apparition had vanished. Needless to say, Craig made a hasty retreat.
Things Going BANG in the Night…
After finishing a busy Saturday night shift, The Crown’s live-in manager got a late night fright when coming home after walking his dog.
Letting himself in through the side door, he heard a loud banging noise coming from the cellar which in his words “sounded like someone was thumping the beer barrels with a mallet”. He promptly shot up the stairs quicker than his dog and locked himself in his flat.
The next morning the Barman who was opening up the cellar, unaware of the activities of the night before, was confused to find the mallet, usually hung up in the bottom corner of the cellar, lying on the first step into the cellar.
We Can Barley Believe It!
Perhaps the most bizarre thing to have happened has been the appearance of black Barley seeds in some of the bedrooms.
Pyramid-shaped piles were found by housekeeping staff on pillows in a number of rooms. What was staggering was the neatness and preciseness of the pyramids, particularly as there were no creases or evidence to suggest someone had leant on the bed to construct these Barley seed pyramids.
After a month of continued sightings on pillows, seats and in the bathrooms, these were sent off for analysis and it was confirmed that Barley seeds were often used in medieval times to ward off evil spirits.
Late Bar
Being open seven days a week from morning to night can prove tricky when it comes to find time to redecorate the bar. As a consequence, The Crown’s Bar Manager, Richard Wilcox, elected to paint the ceilings after hours and through the night. Dragging along a colleague to help him, the pair started in high jinx at the challenge of working through until morning. Little did they know they would be joined by a third, very much uninvited guest. Working on the ceiling in the front of the bar, Richard was gripped by shock as he saw a figure walk from the other side of the Bar to the front door. “Did you see that person then?!” exclaimed Richard, to which the reply was probably, “don’t be stupid, its 3am”! You could say it was the quickest the pair have worked following that sighting!
Phantom Bed Cover
In a worrying sign for staff, one guest was very eager to check out one morning, but no one could begin to contemplate the reason as to why.
The Businessman proceeded to reflect on his stay at The Crown, during which he hardly slept a wink, because of a presence in his room playing a not so friendly game of tug of war.
The first of his two nights’ stay, the guest had woken up to find the bedcover on the other side of the room. But worse was to come. On the second night he was forced to grip onto his bed clothes for most of the night to stop it being taken away from him again.
Lock up your ghosts!
After locking up and enjoying a quick after-work drink, the staff were spooked when, after the lights had been turned off, they started hearing a rattling noise from the side entrance to the Penn Bar. With continued rattling, the staff were convinced it was the door knob attempting to be turned on the door and promptly drank up and left the building. Clearly one presence was unhappy at being on the wrong side of a staff lock in!
Penn Bar Regular
There have been many sightings of the figure walking through from the Penn Bar through to the bar kitchen area. Upon checking to see whether a guest has lost their way, the ‘gentleman’ has mysteriously disappeared.
Spectre on the Stairs
A Housekeeper got the spook of her life when a ghostly figure decided to play hide and seek. Bravely recalling her version of events, the housekeeper offered, “A woman all in black with a black suitcase went upstairs past me. I could hear her knocking about in each room. Every room I looked in was empty, but I could hear her in the room next door.
“I thought it might be someone casing the place so I went to get the Duty Manager, but he couldn’t find her.”
Copies of The Crown’s Ghost Stories will be available throughout the Halloween weekend in the Penn Bar, where there will be a Halloween and in Anton’s Bistrot.
