London: “Lord of the Rings” actor Sir Ian McKellen has bought a historic pub which is said to have helped inspire author Charles Dickens.
The Hollywood actor is a regular at the historic pub “The Grapes”, and he lives just yards away from it in in Limehouse, east London.
He always harboured a wish to open a tea shop, and has partnered with theatre director friend Sean Mathias to purchase the riverside pub, reports thesun.co.uk.
“This is my local. I knew the licencee, Barbara Haigh, and she had been asking me for years whether I wanted to buy the pub, and I had always said no. Then she said she was retiring. It’s a huge asset to the area and there has been a public house on this site since the 1540s. Some people come a long way to visit The Grapes and others just step across the road,” said McKellen.
The 72-year-old, who played Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has already been pumping money to spruce up the pub. But admits he couldn’t have taken on such a challenge on his own.
“I couldn’t have done it by myself. If you mention to anyone you are buying a pub their face lights up. It’s a bit of a performance. We wanted to make some alterations without changing the atmosphere because it is so delightful and has been for centuries.
“A lot of the locals think of it as their own and that is partly why we won’t be making any violent changes,” he said.
The Grapes was immortalised by Dickens as The Six Jolly Fellowship Porters pub in “Our Mutual Friend” in 1864. As a youngster, Dickens was made to stand on the table and sing to customers.
The pub was built in 1720 on the site which dates back to 1583.
Now McKellen is trying to get a grip on the business of running a pub.
“I was in the restaurant and heard a diner say, ‘I didn’t expect sea bass to have the head still on.’ I said, ‘Would you like me to fillet it for you?’ And I did. I wouldn’t know how to change a keg but I have been behind the bar pulling a pint,” he said.
Seller Ms Haigh, 61, who has run the pub for the past 17 years, said before the sale: “Sir Ian is buying the pub with his own interests at heart, especially living close by.” (IANS)