Everyone around the Whit Lane area has had a drink in The `B' Hive on Holland Street, just off Langley Road South. The Salford Star even had its first ever board meeting in there. But the last pub in the area was destined to be sold to a developer who wanted to either turn it into student flats or demolish it completely.
Landlady and owner, Fran, had reached seventy years of age and was finding it hard to keep managing the place so she put it on the market, a property developer came in and she accepted his bid.
Meanwhile, a Norwegian bloke called Ronnie had been staying in the pub's B&B while over to watch Manchester United and had struck up a friendship with `B' Hive regular Dave Gadawa, a City supporter, and his partner Jacqui, who worked behind the bar...
"One Saturday night we were chatting and he said `The next time I come over I'm going to stay here', and Jacqui said `That's if it's still here', and we told how a property developer was buying the pub to knock it down" Dave recalls "Ronnie sat there for five minutes and said `If I buy this pub will you two run it for me?'. We said `Yeah' and he said `Right, I'm going to buy it'...Just like that.
"That was on the Saturday; I took him to the airport on the Tuesday and he said he would be in touch" Dave adds "I thought `Yeah, yeah, it was beer talk and we would never see him again'. But two days later he phoned and said he was buying it."
Dave put the offer to Fran and he says she was delighted to accept, even allowing a total refurbishment of the pub before the deal had properly gone through. Now there's six fresh B&B rooms, the downstairs has been done up and there's a new kitchen serving food – overseen by Fran herself.
The amazing thing is that Ronnie is not even a Salford ex-pat or anything. He's Norwegian born and bred. Nor is he some rich bloke who's buying the pub with spare change... "He had to get his parents to put up the family home to finance it, that's how determined he was" Dave explains "He says he's not in it to make a fortune. He told me `As long as I make enough money to pay off what I owe I'm happy'. He's just a really nice guy."
While Jacqui already worked behind the bar, Dave had never even pulled a pint until six weeks ago. But they are both making it work, welcoming new and old customers by hosting music nights and special events, as well as serving up a new menu...
"This community needs this pub, there needs to be something for the community, you can't take everything away from it" says Dave "If the developer had got his way it would have been another pub gone.
"We were told we would never beat a millionaire but you're talking to Salford boys here" he adds "We beat them. And now it will stay a pub as long as I'm alive. It will always be The `B' Hive, the heart of the community..."
The `B' Hive pub is on Holland Street, off Langley Road South M6 6FE
For more details see the Facebook page The `B' Hive – click here
Main photo shows Dave with music night guests
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