It was a very special Star Wars Day when Sith Lord Ian McDiarmid turned up at an Oxfordshire pub on May the Fourth.

The quaint George & Dragon in Shutford, near Banbury, has been closed since 2022.

But it has been given a new hope after being reopened by new owners film agent Stuart Stanley and his partner Carol Green.

They invited the whole village to a private function to introduce themselves and Star Wars fans were given a special treat The Emperor himself, actor Ian McDiarmid, came along to support his friend and manager.

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Mr McDiarmid, who has played The Emperor since he was cast by George Lucas in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, is about to star in a new production of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker, at the Chichester Festival Theatre on June 6. 

Oxford Mail: SW Stuart Stanley - Left - with Star Wars Actor Ian McDiarmid - Right. - behind the bar.jpg

He said: “What a lovely pub and what a beautiful village. The locals are just wonderfully friendly and all so happy that their pub has been given a new lease of life.

"They’ve really stuck gold with Stuart and Carol. We’ve been friends for 40 years now, I know this pub couldn’t be in better hands. There’s some great nights coming, that’s for sure, and I’ll be back again very soon.”

Mr Stanley said they bought the pub to be near family.

He said: “We’ve had previous triumphs with bars in other countries, the last being a beachfront bar in Majorca, but we wanted to be closer to family in Warwickshire, so, we’d been looking for the right place to come along.

"As soon as we learned about The George & Dragon, we knew we’d found what we were looking for."

Ms Green added: “Everyone has been so supportive and welcoming, we’ve already made lots of new friends and we’re looking forward to serving them food and drinks when we officially open.

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"We chose to go with Hook Norton Brewery – we love the taste of their beers and after meeting their team and visiting the brewery we know we have a great range to serve and have their support.”

The villagers donated to a collection on the day in aid of Katharine House Hospice, raising a total £1358.02.

“The force is strong in them!” said Mr Stanley, adding that he will happily welcome more visitors from a galaxy far far away.

“We’ll be happy to serve them all, whichever side of the force they’re from!” he said.