Chef Patron, Alex Aitken said: “When I took over at the Kings, I wanted to make sure that we didn’t alienate our local residents like so many hotels do. We aim to look after them and they do continue to come back here. “The council said that they will no longer managing the green, so we have now found a company to take care of it on our behalf. The green and maintenance guys came in on Thursday and have done a great job so far. “The BCP Council used to take care of it and would plant flowers in the beds as part of Christchurch in Bloom. We have also tracked down the people who were doing the flowers for the council and they will be doing some hanging baskets for the hotel and the flower beds on the green.”
Bowling Club Believed to have been on the site since 1784, the green was used recreationally by locals for both bowls and croquet. In 1925, Christchurch Bowling Club was formed and used the green to host its home games, with the pavilion used as the team’s clubhouse. The land was leased to the then named Christchurch Town Council and then sublet to the club, but the council struggled to support the continued maintenance of the green. However, The Kings Arms hotel, located opposite the green, took over the ownership of the pavilion in 2009, who used it as a wedding venue because of its idyllic situation.
There s still time to book your Christmas day lunch in Southampton
Don’t fancy cooking at home this Christmas? It s granted that the festive season will be a little different this year but one thing remains the same - no one wants to be stuck doing the washing up. Perhaps you can’t see your nearest and dearest or maybe you’ve got a smaller crowd than usual, it s time to put the worry to one side and let the professionals handle Christmas dinner. Here are the places in Southampton that still have space for lunch on the big day: