If you know any of the missing names please contact me.
Many thanks to Mr and Mrs West for the photograph and names so far.

Mrs Marion Marriott, Landlady from early 1960's to 1987

Taken from a WHM Magazine

Our personality this month is Marion Marriott, who until 1987 was the licensee of the Punch Bowl. Last year Marion was one of the recipients of a Millennium Award for her services to this community.

Born in Derby, Marion attended St. Joseph’s School until she was 14, and then transferred to Derby Technical College, where she studied secretarial subjects, and also local history and geography.

Her first job was in the Co-op drapery department, but she was not very happy there. As the oldest of 4 children she was expected to contribute to the family finances, but she would have preferred a more exciting job. Her escape was to go biking and hiking in the Peak district.

In 1945 she married Arthur, and there is one daughter Catherine, who now lives at Wessington, and one granddaughter Victoria. After the wedding, Marion and Arthur moved to a five acre small holding at Cossall, where they reared pigs, chickens and calves. Arthur had a cattle truck and worked for the local farmers, collecting livestock from the markets. It was a hard and busy life but Marion enjoyed it.

However, in the early 1960’s the family moved to West Hallam, where Arthur became the licensee of the Punch Bowl. Although Marion is almost a teetotaller, she really enjoyed life at the pub. There were many meetings held there, including the Ilkeston Soroptimists, and Marion became a member. There were cheese and wine evenings for various charities, including the Red Cross, and market fairs in the car park for pensioner charities. At one time St. Wilfrid’s church held mid-week services in the ‘upper room’, and the Lifeboat committee held their functions there.

At that time of course, the Community Centre did not exist, and the Methodist church hall was still being church, and so apart from the Village hall there was nowhere to hold meetings and functions

The Punch Bowl always served sandwiches, but Marion began cooking lunches, usually meat, or pies, and potatoes. In addition she managed to find time to help with ‘meals on wheels’.

Sadly Arthur died in 1975 and Marion took over as licensee, continuing to run the pub until her retirement in 1987.

Marion now lives in a lovely old cottage, which, she was told used to be the ‘toll’ cottage for the village. For 2 years she took an Open University course, studying history, music and English.

Marion comes from a Catholic family, and for many years attended St. Mary’s Church in Derby, but now attends ‘Our Lady and St. Thomas’ church in Ilkeston.

There was little time for holidays during the Punch Bowl years, but since retirement Marion has enjoyed holidays in Guernsey and Norway. One as yet unfulfilled ambition is to go to Canada to look for members of her father’s family, who emigrated there. We wish Marion a long and happy retirement, and thank her for the many years of hard work when she ran the Punch Bowl and also supported the community in so many ways.

Scott and Sarah, Landlord/Landlady of The Punch Bowl

from WHM Magazine February 2006

Our personalities this month are the new landlord and landlady of our village pub, the Punchbowl.

Scott Smithurst and Sarah Berkin took over the Punch Bowl in February this year. Sarah knew she was pregnant, but managed to help with running the pub until Jack was born. On 20th July she was happily serving behind the bar, and on 21st July baby Jack was duly delivered at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Sarah has lived in West Hallam since she was 9, and attended Scargill School, and then went to Kirk Hallam School.

Her first “pub” job after leaving school was at the Newdigate, where she worked behind the bar. One of her customers was Scott Smithurst. This all happened 6 years ago, and so romance blossomed, and they now have their very own pub.

After leaving the Newdigate, Sarah first worked in the canteen at Morrisons, and then as a general shop assistant at Aldi.

Scott comes from Ilkeston, and for a while his family lived at Hardy Barn. Later they moved to High Lane Central, in West Hallam, and Scott attended Cantelupe School.

Springfield Furnishings was his first job, where he became an upholstery cutter, but then he decided to move on and develop his own business. For several years he ran a transport firm, driving vans both in the UK, and on the continent, only giving up this business in February this year when they moved to the Punch Bowl.

The Punch Bowl itself is owned by Punch Taverns Pubs, and Scott and Sarah lease the building from them. They serve a variety of beers and “real Ales”, and serve bar meals at lunch times.

Their great hope for the future is to extend the dining room, and run a carvery both at weekends and during the week, and to have an additional menu. They aim to have well cooked fresh food. Of course this will mean taking on extra staff - they already have help in the bar, and take it in turn to care for Jack.

Baby Jack is now 3 months old and obviously enjoying life. It has already been suggested that he has his name down for the Village Pre-school, and Sarah hopes that he will, in a few years time, be as happy at Scargill School as she was.

We wish Scott and Sarah every success in their great new venture. After all, the pub, the school, and the church are at the heart of every thriving village.