UPDATED: The Chequers Inn public house on the outskirts of Rookley will be closing its doors this Sunday, whilst Shaw’s Garage in Ryde – operated by the same director – has already closed with the loss of a number of jobs.
The unexpected news comes almost a year after Sam and Donna Shaw, who also own The Fighting Cocks in Arreton, announced their acquisition of The Chequers Inn.
No formal announcement has been made about either closure but staff at the 2 establishments were told yesterday (Friday) – just 6 weeks before Christmas.
Shaw’s Garage on East Street in Ryde, which is also owned by Mr Shaw, ceased trading yesterday afternoon. Staff, many of whom have worked at the garage for over 10 years, say they weren’t told until 16:30 and ‘wont be coming in on Monday’.
At present, The Fighting Cocks is trading as usual.
UPDATE @ 11:03 – A number of Island Echo readers are reporting that The Chequers Inn’s closure has been pushed forward to today (Saturday).
