petere

Sad news:

================================================== ===============
Donnington Brewery owner Claude Arkell is believed to have taken his own
life after it emerged he was found dead at his home with a 'shotgun injury'.

Mr Arkell, who was aged 89, had been ill for some time and had recently been
in Cheltenham General Hospital.

His cousin James Arkell told the Cotswold Journal: "The whole family is
shellshocked.
"He wasn't well and he didn't like being old. He'd always threatened he
would commit suicide and felt it was his right to go when he wanted to.

"But everyone is rather horrified, even though he was a senior gentleman."

Mr Arkell, whose wife died five years ago, had spent his whole life at the
family-run brewery - except for during the war when he was a pilot for the
RAF.

James described him as a "real country gentleman" and a very private man.
He confirmed the brewery would be staying in family ownership.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

================================================== ===============

--
http://www.stockportpubs.org.uk
"If a river bridge were not guarded by a pa****t, the slackness of the
defaulting authority deserves the blame, not the people who fall in" -
Lieut. Col. Mervyn O'Gorman.

brett...

Indeed but cousin James Arkell has "confirmed the brewery would be staying
in family ownership. The staff of six at Donnington, most long-serving,
continued production today as normal, jus as Mr Arkell would have wanted."


Brett

dave spencer

In message <466989bf$0$8744$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net>,
Brett... <blaniosh@saltwells.dudley.gov.uk> writes


Following you up again. Brett :-) I do hope cousin James speaks the
truth. Donnington and their wonderful SBA seem to me almost a 'well kept
secret', just like Holden's. I'm sure all here will wish them the very
best (while keeping our fingers crossed). Being the cynic (or pessimist)
that I am, I shall take advantage of my contract near Banbury next
week...

Meanwhile,

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=36121

looks hopeful.

Dave
--
Dave Spencer

brianw

The loss of Donnies would be very sad. Claude's suicide is even sadder.
Apparently an old man who resented the fact that he was losing his
faculties, and decided to call time on the world. Let's hope that the
family continue his unique tradition, as I'm sure he would have wished.

--
Brian

stuart

I am so sorry to hear that. When I was in the pub trade I asked
Donningtons to supply me with a cask ale. I heard nothing for a short
while and then a really charming gentleman turned up one lunchtime. He
tried several small measures of our real ale offerings and then told us
that we could stock his beer. I was very proud to have been accepted
into the circle of people he would supply becouse he really cared about
how his beer would be looked after and served.

Stuart Hudson

madcow

In message <5d1df4F32p0o9U1@mid.individual.net>, Stuart
<mhh21c_removethis@hotmail.com> writes


What a shame. He deserved a better end.

Among those 15 pubs are some wonderful unspoilt timewarp delights. We
were cycling around Stow-on-the-Wold once and noticed a fine stone pub
with a big enamel sign outside:
"Recommended by the Cyclists' Touring Club" in the style of about 1896
so we thought we ought to check up on it. We changed our plans to go
back when it was open and it was certainly worth the effort. Coach &
Horses, Longborough.

We used to have the bitter and the mild at the Woodcote beer tent; there
were always enough volunteers to go out with the van to fetch it, as you
couldn't visit the place unless you'd got business there.
Sadly I never got to the front of the queue.

--
Sue ]

Beer tent at Woodcote Veteran Transport Rally 13th - 15th July 2007
No site admission charge on Friday evening. http://www.woodcoterally.org.uk/