Peeblesshire News | News | Hotel will re-open 'sooner rather than later'

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 29th August, 2008 12:30

Hotel will re-open 'sooner rather than later'

By David O'Leary

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Thirsty locals can rejoice as the doors of the local Allan Ramsey hotel are about to reopen.

The much-loved Carlops watering hole has been closed since Aug 14 after police raided the premises following an all-night party.

As reported in the Peeblesshire News last week, the licensee David Kinnear was arrested and charged due to an alleged contravention of the Licensing Scotland Act 1976 - leaving the village without its only licensed premises.

This led villager Bob Jones, who has drank at the Allan Ramsey for over 25 years to announce that its closure had ‘ripped the heart out of the community’.

However, the hotel’s owner, Tony Swift, this week announced that every effort was being made to re-open the premises.

And he also denounced rumours circulating the sleepy village regarding any ulterior motives he has for the hostelry.

He said: “I have had a fruitful meeting with Derek Nimmel, a publican from Edinburgh, who has expressed a keen interest in taking over the lease on the premises.

“We have both agreed that the hotel needs to be re-opening sooner rather than later and I would hope that this can happen in the coming weeks.

“I would also like to allay fears and rumours that have been circulating the village that I have no plans to turn the premises into flats or any other development. There’s a lot of scaremongering going on and it’s just not true.”

Derek Nimmel said: “I met with Mr Swift on Monday afternoon and he was very helpful and co-operative. I’m more than prepared to take the premises over and hope to have it back up and running soon.

“I plan to run it as a family business alongside my wife, Linda and son, David, who is a chef. The place has bags of potential.”

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