A BELLINGHAM man is working hard with the help of his family to bring a local business back to its former glory.

The Boe Rigg, a former bunkhouse in the village of Charlton near Bellingham, is undergoing a massive refurbishment to introduce a new restaurant and bar, three family bedrooms, an apartment, and to restore camping facilities and caravan pitches.

Neil Dawson, who has worked in the service industry for nearly 40 years, has now taken over the business and hoping to restore its good reputation.

Neil went to boarding school in Bellingham, before moving down south to work in pubs and restaurants and later returning to the area. He said: “I have wanted this place for years because of the location.

“The day I left school when I was 16 I said I would come back. It is the beauty of the area that it has stayed the same for that amount of time.”

Neil insists that the hard work will be down to family teamwork – his partner Linda Lavery and his son Charlie are both chefs, while his daughter Shona will be working front of house in a management role. They are hoping to receive planning permission from the National Park to allow them to open until 10.30pm.

The bar and restaurant will be open from Sunday, January 29 while the rooms and campsite are expected to be finished by spring.