We would like to introduce ourselves, as the new landlord and landlady of the Bull and Lion, from 28th April 2014. My name is Derek Tookey, and my partner in business and life is Emma Talbot. That’s us in the photo alongside.

Our vision for the Bull and Lion.
We plan to run the Bull and Lion as a traditional village pub with quality fresh food and top quality Cask Ales with a first class service. We are both passionate about customer service, and we are looking forward to becoming an integral part of Packington as we will be living in the Pub full time.

Continue reading ‘Bull and Lion – New Team from Monday 28th April 2014’ »

Our new Automatic External Defibrillator – AED – is a life-saving device which gives anyone, trained or untrained, the ability to deliver a life saving shock of electricity to a victim of cardiac arrest, restoring their heart’s normal rhythm.

While we all hope this never has to be used, the ability to restart a faltering heart is very re-assuring in our village, where trained medical help is usually some distance away, and when mere minutes can make the difference between life and death. Continue reading ‘Village Defibrillator – Here, Now!’ »

You can have YOUR chance to have your say about reduced opening hours at Ashby Library.

Continue reading ‘Have your Say – Ashby Library’ »

As at Saturday 22nd March the Bull & Lion is without a chef and there is no food until further notice.

There is still no direct telephone number

Liam Parsons is no longer at the pub and Angie with her 2 sons are opening as follows:
Open for drinks only:

Monday, Tuesday 5-11pm

Wednesday, Thursday noon-11pm

Friday, Saturday noon-midnight

Sunday noon-11pm

Issue 65 of Packington Post is being delivered NOW, on Wednesday 19th March 2014.

If you live in Packington, go check your letter-box…

It is available to see online here

Hendrix the cat has gone missing again.  He was last seen around lunchtime on Wednesday 12th March near his home in School Lane, Normanton le Heath.

Please keep an eye open for him and check whether he could he be in a garage or out-house.  He is a large tabby with brown colouring and a distinctive bushy tail.

If you see him, please call: 07785 591082

UPDATE:  There have been possible sightings in the last few days – near Ashby Road and the chicken farm on 26th March and, more recently, gardens on the Spring Lane side of Normanton Road.  Please keep looking and take a photo if you can!

Can you help?

Beaver Scouting is open to boys and girls aged 6-8. We would dearly love to open a Cub Pack and Scout Troop in Packington, but we need adult help and a suitable meeting place.  Can YOU help. please? Please contact Jonathan Bloor, Group Scout Leader, Tel: (H)01530 888579 / (M)07588 869882

Over 1200 Runners to pass through the village, 3 times!

Sunday March 9^th 2014

Aldi Ashby 20 road race at Packington

Full race details here

The 1,247 runners in this 20-mile race come from Ashby at 10am, down Mill Street into Measham Lane about 7 minutes later, and loop round twice via Swepstone, Heather and Normanton to run through our village again, first at about 10:55 am, then the leading runner comes inbound past the Bull and Lion and up High Street in Packington towards Ashby, after 18+miles, at around 11:45am.  Go Cheer! Finish is at Bath Grounds, Ashby, after 20 whole miles, with the first finisher likely to be there in under two hours, minutes before noon.

Need to see your Member of Parliament?

Open again within a week? Over a hundred at meeting.

Update since the meeting – received today Monday 3^rd March

We are informed that the Bull & Lion will be open this Wednesday evening 5^th March from 5pm.

An experienced couple, Liam & Angela Parsons will be opening on Wednesday evening. They will initially be on a temporary contract, but are one of several applicants interested in a permanent tenancy being considered by Marstons. Their intention is to live at the pub.

We are told that one is an experienced Chef and, as soon as they have settled in, details of food availability will be publicised, hopefully by the weekend

Marstons have a number of applicants they are considering, but in view of the uncertainty of the last few months they will be undertaking the due diligence and review of the applicants business plans very carefully, and cannot commit to a time scale for the final decision. Continue reading ‘Over a hundred at our Bull & Lion Meeting 26 February’ »

MENU

Continue reading ‘BIG Packington Charity Breakfast – This Saturday 1st March 2014’ »

Interested in your Bull and Lion? Marstons have offered to meet village residents and customers this Wednesday Evening 26th February 2014 at 7:30pm.

That’s TOMORROW

The meeting is expected to be hosted by Ben Robinson, Operations Manager, together with his Area Operations Manager Chris Reed.
At the Bull & Lion, of course.

Great News!

Mike Coke, of the Packington Memorial Hall Committee, writes:

I am delighted to have heard today from the British Heart Foundation, BHF, who have approved our application for a grant of additional funding towards a Defibrillator for Packington.

BHF will help pay for some of the cost of this vital but expensive piece of equipment, which is soon to be made available right here in our village.

Our main fund-raising event for this expensive Defibrillator is to be the Big Charity Breakfast on Saturday 1st March 2014 here at the Packington Memorial Hall, after which we should be able to send our residual payment to the BHF;  we hope the whole village will come together for a celebration breakfast to help both fund and celebrate this important success.

The machine to be acquired is shown   Continue reading ‘British Heart Foundation to help fund our Defibrillator’ »

You rarely see the Bull and Lion car park without a single vehicle in it. That’s how it is today 17th February 2014.

You may well see this sight far more often: the Bull and Lion is apparently CLOSED.

Closed? Again? – Yes.  Until when? – the indications are : not soon. Some of the staff have been told the pub is “shut down”.

Perhaps someone who knows will tell us all in this village:  just what is going on at our Bull and Lion?

Marstons PLC, your badge is on the front of the building, and your website here: https://www.marstons.co.uk/ tells us at “Responsibility: Community” that you are “..committed to contributing to the communities..” you serve. So please tell us in Packington, Marstons: just how well do you think you are doing?

Packington WI’s February meeting was held in the  Memorial Hall on Thursday 6th February  2014.   It was addressed by Joanna Wilson, her subject being “100 years of Macmillan Cancer Support“.

The speaker’s enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the renowned cancer charity was inspiring, and everyone agreed that it was deserving of universal support.

Joanna described how its founder Douglas MacMillan, after witnessing his father’s death from cancer, realised that what sufferers from the disease and their families needed above all else was practical support in the home. Accordingly, his first step towards providing this was to buy a bag of coal for a household where he knew a patient was gravely ill. From this one thoughtful act sprang an organisation known and appreciated throughout the land.

A Packington member described how she had been diagnosed with breast cancer 40 years ago, but after treatment was “left to get on with it” . Although the MacMillan charity was in existence then, it was not anything like as well known as it is today, and cancer was not generally talked about. The difference between then and now is incredible.

A vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by Wendy Jones.

The raffle was won by Liz Deakin.

Next month’s meeting on Thursday 6th March 2014 is the occasion of the annual supper buffet, when members themselves provide the food for a much looked forward to meal. Bring a plate, pudding plate, knife, fork and spoon, and a glass.

Report by Betty Carter