Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 26, 2020 12:22:11 GMT
With all professional cricket in England suspended until the earliest date of May 28th, some players have been doing their bit to help those most in need. In fact, the very best in people come to the fore during a crisis, highlighted yesterday when 405,000 of them, in just 24 hours, volunteered to help the NHS, a figure which has now surpassed 500,000.
The BBC Website report that two England internationals have transformed their jointly-owned pub into a village shop to help the locals. Applause for seamers Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney. Broad should have been running in for England on their tour of Sri Lanka, while Nottinghamshire team-mate Harry Gurney was preparing for a stint in the IPL. Covid-19, of course, has scuppered all of that. Instead, the pair are re-opening one of the pubs they co-own in Upper Broughton near Melton Mowbray as a takeaway and village shop. Not only are they helping to feed the local community, but also making sure their staff get paid. A free delivery service is also available for the over-70s and NHS workers in the local area. The pub/village shop is called the Tap and Run.
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"We are allowing people to pick up essential goods without the need to visit a supermarket,” explains Gurney. “Here, we've got the essentials where it will be easier and safer for people to shop.” He continues, ”It's been quite full on. We're essentially trying to launch a whole new business in a couple of days. People have been great, donating baskets for us to put fruit in and furniture for us to stack tins on." Broad who quickly says his focus is not on cricket at present, adds: "It's a very difficult time at the moment and we saw it as an opportunity to help the community. We're being very careful, only letting two people in at a time to the shop and offering a hand sanitiser on arrival.”
The dynamic duo along with experienced publican Dan Cramp, bought their first pub, the Three Crowns in Wymesfold, Leicestershire in August 2016. Their second, formerly the Golden Fleece, was bought two years later in Upper Broughton where £350,000 was spent on renovating it. The newly named Tap and Run usually operates as a gastropub with a distinct cricketing theme until this week's lockdown occurred. The pub interior features include a wine cellar displaying personalised scoreboards and a red leather cricketing corner.