IT'S BEEN almost a hundred years since New Chequers initially opened.
We took a look inside the popular pub near the cemetery which opened on Friday, May 18 1928.
Current owners Zara Clelland and Lee Payne have been at the helm of the Astwood Road pub for the past five years.
Miss Clelland and some of the barmaids believe that supernatural activity could be going on in the grounds.
Miss Clelland said: "It was the end of the day and I left my cigarettes and phone on the counter and went into the other room.
"Someone coughed and said, Zara."
But when Miss Clelland went back to the counter to see if anyone was there, the room was completely empty.
Former staff have tried to come up with theories behind the mystery ghost in the pub.
The landlady said: "A girl who worked here said it was a guy with a hat on, who stayed in the function room.
"Nothing bad has happened, glasses fall off shelves, but that could be anything."
The mystery window
Miss Clelland also mentioned a mystery window that you can see from the outside of the building, but no one knows where the window is located from the inside.
She said: "It looks like a fairly new window but we can't find where it is.
"It should be above the bathroom or above the hallway, but it's just strange.
She claims that the previous owners didn't know it was there and no one knows where the room is.
The beer garden
Despite the potential ghosts lurking around, the decor is modern, retro and welcoming.
Punters can enjoy a combination of soft rock playing in the background, live music and Thursday quiz nights.
Singers like Gathan Cheema and Jo Wheeler have performed at the pub.
Every corner of the venue is full to overflowing with subtle detail from across a range of decades.
In the beer garden, there are several flower pots and outdoor gnomes dotted around everywhere.
The beer garden is spacious with several picnic tables in the area.
Miss Clelland said the garden has a great atmosphere in the summer.
"We spent a lot of money on the garden. It cost about three or four thousand pounds.
"In the summer it's booming."
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Meet the genius behind the interior
Landlord Lee Payne is responsible for the decor in the pub and credits the aesthetic with 30 years of collecting 'retro' items.
Mr Payne said: "The decor is personal to me. It makes it feel like a traditional pub, when you focus on it you realise it all has meaning.
"I collect things that are old and never let go of them.
"The quirkiest thing we have is the chopper."
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Miss Clelland said: "It's a kid's bike from the '70s but it's really rare because there are only two left."
Just above the fireplace in the function room, there is a picture of the pub on the first day it opened.
The building looks exactly the same from the outside, but the inside has had a few makeovers over the years.
The landlady said: "Me and Lee took over the pub in October 2017. But the building has been opened since 1928."
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