Roxwell Renewal

Roxwell village is a small village with a strong community spirit just some 4 miles from Chelmsford city centre with approximately 1100 residents.  It is a traditional village - Church, Pond and Pub, local School & pre-school activities, and a mixture of long-term residents and newcomers, “A desirable place to Live”.

A Bleak Future

In 2020, like in many communities, Covid forced the closure of the Pub and the local shop, many community groups ended and the village lost parishioners to the disease.  Following the lifting of Covid restrictions, the shop and Pub remained closed.  

So the community rallied around and amongst other initiatives, took over and restored the village Pub – the Chequers.  Rotary Club of Billericay member Ken Smith is an active member of the community and told us all about how they managed to achieve this in a talk in September 2024. 

Out for a Beer

Ken is understandably very proud of these achievements and wanted an opportunity to show us all what they had achieved.

So he took the initiative in organising a visit to the pub for lunch on May 13 both so we could all see the results of all the work which had been done, and as a social excursion for us all.  (The beer and food were also very welcome! - Editor).

The total party consisted of fourteen of us - Ken Smith and Marian, Roger Kettle and Sarah, Keith Wood and Gillian, Chandra Gupta, Bert French, Peter Strong and Christabel, Brian Wellman and Julia and Peter Greene and Wendy.

It’s Ken’s local, as he says “for me, it is a mere 10 minute walk across the fields although about 20 minutes to “tack” back home?

Good Conversation and Laughter

We assembled in the bar for initial drinks (there’s a fine selection of draft beers, wines and other spirits on offer).  After initial greetings and conversation, and suitably equipped with our drinks, we then retired to a reserved table at the back of the pub for our meals.  The landlord came round with the menus full of the usual pub Fayre, and we quickly ordered our food.  Staff returned shortly with our orders, which was certainly to everybody’s taste judging by how little was left on the plates.

Time for good conversation, laughter and an opportunity to see for ourselves how much the village had achieved in renovating the pub, and most importantly, running it so successfully.

All in all a great outing, much enjoyed by all who went along.

Well done Ken!  Well done Roxwell!