Osborne View fire: Hill Head community shares memories of beloved pub after its destruction

The Osborne View pub in Hill Head was struck by a huge fire in the early hours of Thursday, February 22, with firefighters from 10 Hampshire stations rushing to tackle the inferno. According to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, it is thought that an electrical fault involving a tumble dryer could have ignited the building. Pub staff and construction workers were at the site today, and passers-by stopped to look at the scene, some taking photographs.

Nicola James, who owns Breezes Cafe opposite the pub, woke up to the news yesterday morning when a colleague messaged her on social media.  The cafe sustained minor smoke damage and was closed today for the building to be cleaned and aired out.

Nicola said: “I tried to come down as soon as I heard at about quarter to seven yesterday morning, but I couldn’t get through. I spoke to a policeman who told me that there was absolutely no access and he couldn’t tell me the status of our building.

“Eventually, at about two o’clock in the afternoon, I was allowed five minutes of access to the cafe just to check any damage. Fortunately, we weren’t too badly affected. Our main concern was for the team at The Osborne View - because there were team members living there and they have lost their homes. For us, as long as they’re okay, that is the most important thing.”

Speaking on the beach in front of The Osborne View, Gosport resident Jeff added: “It’s such a shame because we used it quite a lot in the summer. We used it for family celebrations. It was a really good day out usually - but it’s gone.”

Brother and sister Sally and Ben, who were brought up in the area, shared their particularly personal connection to the fire-ravaged pub as they joined other local people on the nearby beach to see the extent of the damage.

Sally said: “Many years ago, we believe our great-grandfather was actually born here. 25 years ago I got married and we had our wedding reception here. Everybody is very sad that the pub has been completely demolished by the fire.

“We’re very shocked. Everybody in the local community has got very happy memories of coming here. We all used the pub, and it was nice because you could just walk home and not have to worry about having a glass of wine and driving. It’s an iconic Hill Head landmark and it’s very much part of our community. The pub was just for everybody - it wasn’t just about alcohol, it was a lovely meeting place. The outside seating was just lovely in the summer.”

Ben added: “My great grandfather was the landlord here, and my grandfather was born in the pub, so it has a sort of family connection for us. One of the highlights when I was a child was that they had an off-licence here that sold packets of crisps - my dad always used to come on a Friday as a treat and we would get a packet of crisps. And the giant ship, which was a feature of the pub. They had a large glass cabinet with a beautiful model ship in it. It’s very sad to see it’s gone. It’s almost the passing of an era.”

Lisa Hooper, who lives near Portsdown Hill, said: "It was quite sad really. It was one of those pubs that I used to frequent quite a lot in the summer. Also, we spent Christmas Day here and had a nice Christmas meal together. The food was amazing. I think a lot of people are quite shocked - especially how ferocious the fire was. When you actually come and see it, it's quite sad really because a lot of the community and a lot of the locals come here and meet up - especially in the summer.