Former barmaid at The Crooked House heartbroken by demolition of famous Black Country pub
As someone who worked behind the bar at the famous Crooked House, Amanda Inkersole took this week's shocking news that it had been burnt and then razed to the ground particularly hard.
Mrs Inkersole, whose mother and brother had also worked there, said: "I'm gutted – it's such a shock. It's the first chance I've had to go see it. Seeing all the rubble everywhere was very emotional.
"There's a lot of
Mrs Inkersole, whose mother and brother had also worked there, said: "I'm gutted – it's such a shock. It's the first chance I've had to go see it. Seeing all the rubble everywhere was very emotional.
"There's a lot of
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NewsTranscript
00:00 So, Amanda, you worked here since you were at the age of 18, is that correct?
00:05 Yeah, yeah, about 18.
00:06 So how do you feel about what's happened to the crooked house now?
00:08 I'm gutted, to tell you the truth, absolutely gutted.
00:11 The memories, working behind the bar, more or less every bank holiday, bringing the kids down,
00:18 going down to Himley Hall with the dogs, literally coming back and having a pint here,
00:23 just to, you know, keep it going, keeping it local.
00:26 Just gutted.
00:28 I'm lost for words, really, what it looks like.
00:32 What it looks like. I was down here a couple of months ago with the dogs.
00:35 I've got a lovely photograph of them, you know, and it's just a crying shame.
00:39 And have you spoken to local residents yourself about how they feel about it?
00:43 Yeah, I spoke to a lady I know this morning, she says I can't even go down there.
00:47 She says I'm too upset.
00:49 Honestly, this is Gornal.
00:51 I know it's South Staffordshire or whatever it is, I know it's not Dudley Council,
00:55 but this is Gornal, it's up the road from where we live.
00:58 I've lived here for 56 years.
01:00 We used to come down here when I was 8, 9, 10 on our bikes.
01:04 What do you think could have been done with the building?
01:06 Do you think it had to end like this?
01:08 I think they could have crowdfunded.
01:10 I reckon they'd have had, if everybody paid a pound a brick.
01:13 People from all over the world have been down here.
01:16 They've, you know, I mean, it could have gone further, got the ball rolling.
01:20 If everybody had paid a pound a brick, crowdfunded,
01:23 I reckon we could have taken it down and had it rebuilt somewhere else.
01:27 Even if the Black Country Museum couldn't afford it, we could have helped with that.
01:32 with that.
01:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]