Hucknall landlord hopes to preserve and display historic pub sign

Hopes remain that a Hucknall pub sign can be preserved for posterity.

The Portland Arms on Annesley Road, called last orders for the final time in 2019 and is one of the oldest pub buildings in the town, believed to date back to the 19th century.

An application to convert The Portland Arms on Annesley Road into one one-bedroom flat or maisonette and two one-bedroom bedsit studio flats was approved earlier this year.

When the work begins, there is concern as to what will happen to The Portland Arms' sign, a piece of historic Hucknall heritage.

Mark Francis-Parry, the landlord of The Beer Shack on Derbyshire Lane is keen to preserve the piece of history and display it in his micropub.

He already proudly displays the signs of former Hucknall pubs The Flying Bedstead and The Harrier. The sign of The Portland Arms would go well with the collection he has already accrued and give his regulars the opportunity to reminisce about another once thriving Hucknall pub.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News Mr Francis-Parry said: "These pub signs that we've got at the moment, we inherited those when we purchased the pub from the previous owner. It has generated a lot of interest over the years that we've had it, people have come to the pub just to see them."

He has fond memories of drinking in the pub on Friday afternoons with colleagues when he worked next door as a motorcycle mechanic.

"When we heard that The Portland had gone, we thought that one would be nice as well. It's one of the older pubs, now a lot of pubs are shutting down in Hucknall. We thought we're losing quite a bit here and there's only one way of preserving a little bit of it is by having the pub sign and if we can get it that would be great."