THIS grand old jewel of a pub now salvaged from the depths of a decade's worth of dust would not look out of place in Peaky Blinders or on board the Titanic.
The Bush Inn in St John's in Worcester has reopened as she emerges Phoenix-like at last from the ashes (or dust in this instance) in which she had languished, unloved, for far too long.
In its great favour, this pub in the city's Bull Ring preserves an enviable quality many have lost, retaining a classic Victorian feel not unlike the Queen Vic in EastEnders or The Garrison from hit TV show Peaky Blinders.
So far at least the gangsters and geezers seem thin on the ground at this free house and there's not a pocket watch or a flat cap in sight.
The pub, which dates from 1879, is comparatively small but this enhances its cosy charm and fosters (perhaps even compels) conversation. Once the beers are flowing, of course, a spirit of conviviality evolves naturally.
Part of this old world atmosphere is no doubt produced by the fixtures and fittings of the pub itself, particularly the grand bar itself which is a marvel to behold.
To say it is ornate would be the mother and father of understatements - the bar seems to push its way into the room like the prow of a magnificent ocean liner.
This listed bar would not look out of place in the first class lounge of the Titanic or gracing any one of her sister ships, a treasure in itself.
The bar's clock (which apparently did not work before) is running again like, well, clockwork if you must know. This is down to a clock specialist known as 'Mick the Tick' who managed to get everything tickety-boo in the nick of time.
If you will indulge me and allow the maritime metaphor to be extended still further, landlady Sharon Jones, 54, who runs the pub with daughter Madison Jones, 18, has no intention of letting this particular ship sink. This vessel may have foundered but she was never lost.
Indeed, with 338 Facebook followers and rising, she may just be riding the crest of a wave.
With an abundant head of red hair, Mrs Jones is a breath of fresh air and has certainly blown all the dust and cobwebs away. She has helped rescue this little gem from the depths - not of water, perhaps, but certainly from the tide of dead leaves, dust and flies which had somehow slipped inside.
"The bar is beautiful. When I came here I thought it reminds me of the Titanic, Peaky Blinders and, because it's on a corner plot, the Queen Vic from EastEnders. I wanted to keep it traditional as much as I could but with a modern twist. It is a music pub," she said.
Mrs Jones has cleaned up her mum's old earthenware pots to further enhance the traditional atmosphere while old photos have been rescued from the cellar and given a good clean.
"I want to keep it old, like it's stepping back in time, like nothing has changed" she said.
Beers on sale include Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen, both golden ale and English pale ale. But if ales are not your thing there's whisky, vodka, wine, rum, gin and sambuca.
The architects of the Bush's return are Justin Hughes and Evelyn Schell while Mrs Jones manages the pub on their behalf.
She wants musicians (whether duets or solo artists) to play here. With open fires front and back, it promises to be a cosy place in autumn and winter. It would be hard to squeeze a band in here.
There will live music on the last Friday of every month - and this may become more regular if there's an appetite for it.
The only nod to modernity is the large television mounted on the wall.
A steady stream of customers come through the doors, some for a pint and others out of good old-fashioned nosiness, vowing to return later with their wives or husbands to experience this rarest of all miracles - a pub coming back to life.
One customer with a particularly dry sense of humour, Malcolm Richings, announced without hesitation that the pub should be open 24 hours.
He added: "Keep it open, don't close it again. It's just the same as I remember it."
Mrs Jones, recalling the opening on Friday, August 16 said: "Friday was manic. The locals love it. They said it was like they had never been away. I have tried to keep it traditional so, when they come through the door, it's just like stepping back in time, as if it had never been closed.
"It's cosy. It's a traditional pub. Nothing has really changed. I want to keep it old, like you're stepping back in time. There are so many people who have echoed the same feeling."
Mrs Jones is a proper 'St John's girl' too. Born in the city, her dad worked at Kay's in Bromyard Road and she worked there on the picking floor as a 16-year-old.
She even has a childhood connection to the place. Her entrepreneurial big brothers took her around the pubs of St John's (including the Bush) as a six-year-old and got her to sing Christmas carols to the customers for money.
Although demure about her gifts as a singer, it appears she must have been fairly good as she made enough of a profit to keep her brothers in cigarettes.
Not to cut the star of the show out, a young Sharon was paid in sweets for her trouble.
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Nigel Woods, 74, who lives in one of the large tower blocks nearby said: "I'm glad it's back. It's perfect for me."
Are there ghosts? Well, Mrs Jones, her daughter Madison and barmaid Samantha Davis have not been here quite long enough to glean the truth. However, a door does keep opening mysteriously.
"Ghosts are welcome to stay for beer and banter," says Mrs Jones.
The pub also has a 'snug' with a serving hatch which is available for private functions.
Cribbage is expected to return on Monday evenings and dominos on Thursday evenings with a quiz night expected to return on Wednesdays. Tuesdays will be for cheese and wine evenings.
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