Pub Landlord Discovers 50-Year-Old Time Capsule Hidden In Walls

A pub landlord has discovered a 50-year-old time capsule buried within the walls of his boozer.

Toby Brett - owner of Holcombe Farmshop and Kitchen, in Radstock, Somerset - discovered the mysterious package during recent renovations which saw a farm shop and deli added to the pub, formerly known as the Duke of Cumberland.

The time capsule included a 1971 price list, coins, stamps, a £1-an-hour wage slip, old beer mats and car tax discs.

SWNS

One scrawled note, dated 13 July 1973, reads: "To the present owner from a past owner, good luck," and is signed by an E. Pockson - who included some of his own ID cards in the collection.

A longer letter explains that Pockson had carried out his own 'major alterations' to the pub in July 1973, with the help of now-defunct property developers Oakhill Brewery Development.

Toby said the blast from the past came as a 'pleasant surprise'.

SWNS

The 41-year-old said: "It was certainly a surprise to find it. It was a really pleasant find, there's some really interesting stuff in there.

"It was quite funny to see the price list from 1971 for Wadworth Brewery, which is a brewery we still use today. It's definitely changed a bit since then.

"There's a couple of pounds worth of ha'pennies in there too - and the previous landlord had written a note saying, 'Sorry it's only ha'pennies.'

"I like that he had clearly given some thought as to it being found in the future, and who might find it. It's nice that someone had the foresight to do that."

SWNS

Toby - who has owned the pub for the past 11 years - has now displayed the historic collection on a mounted board in the pub for customers to view when they visit.

He has also had some of the ha'penny coins embedded in see-through resin and placed within the floor, so that customers can walk over them.

Toby is grateful he made the discovery, as they serve as a nod to the history of the pub - which dates back to the 1800s - amid his recent renovations.

SWNS

Explaining the rationale behind the change, he said: "I felt there was demand for us to sell other things rather than just alcohol and pub food.

"It was important to me to keep the village pub as the hub of the community - but I also wanted to offer something to other locals, too.

"So now we've changed the whole look and feel of the place, and as well as the pub we have an open café space, with offerings from local butchers and other local produce."

Topics: UK News, Interesting, Pubs, Community, Pub

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey