The Last Pub Standing

Peter Reilly, landlord of the King Lud pub in Craigneuk, has spent much of his life in the pub trade. Over the years, he has watched the community change dramatically since the closure of the Ravenscraig steelworks. Once, the King Lud was just one of eleven pubs in the area, all thriving and full of life. “Pubs were the local hubs,” he says, places where people gathered not just to drink, but to connect, share stories, and unwind after long shifts.

When Ravenscraig was open, the pub trade was booming. Peter remembers how the King Lud would be packed from morning until night. “As soon as you opened the shutters at 11, you’d get the night shift coming in, then later the day shift, and then the next night shift—it was a constant flow.” The pubs were central to daily life, especially for the steelworkers who would come in to “wash the soot out their throats” after a hard day’s work. Back then, everyone had a job, and although people didn’t have much, there was a shared sense of stability and community.

Simpler times, and looking back now, Peter realises just how good business—and life—was during those years.

After Ravenscraig closed, the decline was gradual but inevitable. For a while, redundancy payments and retraining schemes kept things going, but as time passed and that support faded, the reality began to set in. “It was like a temporary security blanket,” Peter explains, “but it would never last.” The demolition of the site, especially the cooling towers, felt like a final full stop for the community. Since then, the character of the area has changed completely. Where there were once busy pubs and strong local identities, the high street is now mostly takeaways, and many of the familiar faces and characters have disappeared.

Peter Reilly – Landlord of The King Lud

Today, Peter describes himself as the “last man standing.” The King Lud remains open, but only just, with a couple of regulars who keep him company and give him a reason to unlock the doors each day. Running the pub has become a struggle, sustained largely through the support of friends and loyal customers. For Peter, the future of both the pub and the wider area depends on bringing industry back to the Ravenscraig site. Without jobs and footfall, he fears there is little hope for places like his to survive.

Despite everything, he keeps going—but he knows it cannot last forever. “It’s only through struggle and the help of friends supporting this place that I’m still keeping going,” he says. “But once that support goes, it will be the end, and someone will need to turn the lights off permanently behind me.”