The Morning Star was built by Whitbread breweries and it opened on 10th August 1979. It replaced the original Morning Star, which is now residential and called Morning Star Cottage.
Gloucester Journal: Saturday, 15th April 1978 – New Pub Decision Put Back: Protesters have won the first round in their fight to stop a new pub being built at Hardwicke. Stroud District Council planers have withheld their support for the application from Whitbread Flowers. They want to build new premises alongside the Morning Star. Local objectors wrote to councillors complaining about the threat of noise, the effect of the building on the environment and the increase in traffic. Councillors decided not to make a decision until the final details of the plan have been worked out with Whitbreads and the county council. A move by Councillor Derek Matthews to get the plans rejected altogether failed. “There are so many small public houses closing down, people don’t know what they’re missing, and yet they vote for a monstrosity like this,” he said.
The Citizen, 17th September 2004 – Swearing helps: The new licensees in The Star Inn at Hardwicke have curtailed bad language on their premises with a “swear box”. Landladies Jane Hill and Carolyn Cake decided to implement the punishments after there was constant use of bad language in the premises. Anyone engaging in “vocabulary misdemeaners” were made to pay towards a minimum of 50p towards the Pied Piper Appeal. In a period of 12 weeks a total of £120 was raised.”
An appeal spokesman said: “We are now raising funds to equip the new Children’s Centre at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital so we are very grateful for the Star Inn for their support.”
In June 2004 the pub was trading as the Star Inn. From 21st August 2006 the sport-themed community pub, serving the nearby Quedgeley housing estate, has been known as the Starting Gate.
The pub is now closed and the building has been converted into a convenience store.
The Citizen, 1st November 2014 – Plans for post office and shop on pub site: Hardwicke Post Office is set to reopen where it will operate as a modern open-plan branch. The proposed new location for the branch is the former Starting Gate pub, where the branch will be incorporated into a new convenient store. It is 50 metres from the former Hardwicke Post Office at Elm Grove West, which closed in August.
If the move goes ahead, the branch would be open from 7am to 10pm Monday to Sunday and would offer 105 hours of post office service every week. The proposed re-opening is part of major modernisation across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business.
Licensing Records of the original Morning Star
Rateable Value in 1891: £20.15s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Beerhouse
Owner in 1891: William Alder (free from brewery tie)
Rateable Value in 1903: £20.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Beerhouse
Owner in 1903: Godsell & Sons, Salmon Springs Brewery, Stroud
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Landlords:
1891 William Alder
1903 Albert Alder
1936 W. Gardner
1939 Geo. Hy. Nash
1951-1956 Ken Holder (moved to Hauliers Arms, Southgate Street )
1979 Jack Thomas (first landlord in ‘new’ Morning Star)
2004 Jane Hill and Carolyn Cake (Star Inn, Hardwicke)
