A Wonderful First Few Months at The Lounge – Thank You, Castlethorpe!
What a fantastic first few months it has been at The Lounge! Since opening our doors, we have been absolutely delighted by the warm welcome we have received from the people of Castlethorpe and the surrounding villages. It has been lovely getting to know so many local residents, welcoming familiar faces back time and time again, and seeing new friendships begin to form. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support, kind words and encouragement from everyone who has visited us so far. It really does mean a lot to us. Of course, we know there are still plenty more people in the village that we haven’t had the pleasure of welcoming through our doors yet, and we cannot wait to meet you! Whether you’ve been meaning to pop in for a coffee, catch up with friends, enjoy something delicious or simply see what we’re all about, there is always a warm welcome waiting for you at The Lounge. You may have noticed that we have made a few adjustments to our opening times. These changes are to help us navigate the winter months, when we appreciate that people may not always feel like venturing out as often, particularly as the evenings get colder and darker. However, we want to reassure everyone that we are still open seven days a week! We look forward to seeing you whenever you can make it.
Castlethorpe Community Space Community Interest Company
Background Note. Castlethorpe Community Space(CCS), is the Community Interest Company which leases the building from the Parish Council. CCS is responsible for appointing the tenant and is the ‘landlord’. Residents over 18 can apply to be Members of CCS. At the Annual Meeting in February, the Members, who own CCS, elected a new Board of Directors: Catherine McDermott (Chair), Steve Bradbury (Vice Chair), Gordon Fleming (Company Secretary), Phil Ayles (Treasurer), Geordie Barrie, Debbie LLoyd, Matt Malloy and Luke Stacey. If you would like to become a member, please email Gordon Fleming, the Company Secretary at castlethorpecommunityspace@gmail.com with your name, address, phone (optional) and whether you would like to be on the members mailing list for any upcoming events.
MP Chris officially opens The Pavilion
The Pavilion Cafe & Bar was officially opened on 22 March 2025 by our MP Chris Curtis, who said: "Thank you to the Parish Council and all the villagers involved in this project for having me to share in this moment for you. I hope this will be a much-loved space for residents for years to come." Councillor Phil Ayles, Chair of the Parish Council, said: "The Pavilion is an amazing achievement by residents working with the Parish Council to create a cafe and bar in a village with no other hospitality venue or place where people could 'drop in'. "It is a tribute to the generosity of the village supported not only by the Parish Council and residents but also MK Community Fund and a number of local businesses and organisations. We thank them all most sincerely."
Building the Pavilion Cafe & Bar
Our village has been without a pub since the Carrington Arms closed in 2008 and no longer had a café or a casual space for people to meet.
The Pavilion is an extension and remodelling internally of the previous cricket pavilion. The building work was funded by a mix of "planning gain" funds, council reserves and a generous grant from the MK Community Foundation.
Construction began at the end of 2023 and was finished by mid-2024. The Parish Council then leased the building to Castlethorpe Community Space (CCS), a newly formed Community Interest Company which is owned by its members. Any resident over 18, or non-residents with strong ties to the village, can apply to become a member. CCS has its own website at https://castlethorpecs.org.uk/index.html.
Castlethorpe Community Space raised further funds from "planning gain" funds, a significant grant from the National Lottery Community Fund and generous donations from local residents to fit out the seating area, kitchen and serving area.
