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The former landlord at The Woodman likened its closure to a divorce(Image: Robson McCallister\/BirminghamLive )<\/p>\nThe Clifden landlord Will Young spoke about his time running another beloved city pubThe former landlord at The Woodman likened its closure to a divorce(Image: Robson McCallister\/BirminghamLive )<\/p>\n
When The Woodman pub closed its doors in 2022, ex-landlord Will Young lost his home, his team and even his cat.<\/p>\n
Fast forward three years and The Woodman is back. And so is Will, running another reopened pub, The Clifden.<\/p>\n
A number of factors influenced the decision to close the pub on Curzon Street, but perhaps none more than the arrival of HS2 works.<\/a><\/p>\n Read More:<\/strong> ‘A genuine gem’ – What reviewers had to say about ‘the best pub in Birmingham’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Speaking to BirminghamLive, Will opened up about his time at The Woodman and likened it to ‘a divorce’.<\/p>\n He said: “I was there for five years and they were the best five years of my life.<\/p>\n “Me and the team turned the pub around and I was really proud of that.<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, the combination of getting through Covid<\/a>, energy prices and HS2 completely strangled us.<\/p>\n “I’m not married, but I had a friend who was going through a divorce at the time and we were both sharing experiences.<\/p>\n “This isn’t being dramatic but The Woodman closing felt like a divorce.<\/p>\n “I lived there with my cat Chip, so I ended up losing my home, my cat and my team.<\/p>\n “I moved back in with my mother and stepfather and he walks dogs for a living so the cat was unable to move in.<\/p>\n “Closing that was one of the saddest and traumatic things I have ever done, it sounds dramatic but it’s true.<\/p>\n “Chip was a big character and a big part of the pub. He did move in with my friend and ended up in a happy home.<\/p>\n “I thought about getting out of the trade and trying something new after that.<\/p>\n “But at the back of my mind I sort of knew that this is my trade.”<\/p>\n BirminghamLive visited The Woodman<\/a> after it reopened and praised Union Inns for retaining its ‘stunning’ identity. Click here<\/a> for our review on The Woodman.<\/p>\n![\"Will](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_DQP_BEM_010921PUB_40JPG.jpg\")
Will Young said his time at The Woodman was ‘the best five years of my life'(Image: Darren Quinton\/Birmingham Live)<\/p>\n