THIS friendly community pub was once something of a retreat for cricketing legend Ian Botham - and it's not hard to see why it would knock any pub lover (or sports lover) for six.

Anyone, even the great Beefy himself, would no doubt be stumped by those who cannot see the appeal of The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road in St John's, Worcester.

SUNTRAP: The roof terrace at The Grosvenor Arms in Worcester SUNTRAP: The roof terrace at The Grosvenor Arms in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest) The cricketing great, who joined Worcestershire for the 1987 season and spent five seasons with them, certainly had a good innings here as he was once something of a regular.

The first thing I notice is the warm welcome I receive. I also get the distinct impression this would be extended to anyone, whether you come on your own or with your family or whether you have two legs or are lucky enough to have been born with four.

COLOURFUL: The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester has some of the best hanging baskets in the city COLOURFUL: The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester has some of the best hanging baskets in the city (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Just ask pub dog Rusty who comes bounding up to me and wants to play. This is a pub that prides itself on throwing its arms open to the community from the working man or woman after a hard day of grind to the student who just wants a break from the books. All are welcome here, families too. The lounge even has games for families and the pub is also dog-friendly.

It's an exceptionally vibrant and colourful pub with a spectacular mural painted on the side and hanging baskets created by the landlady's partner's late father, Philip Hughes.

PERSONALITY: Pub dog Rusty is a fox-red Labrador Retriever cross with bags of energyPERSONALITY: Pub dog Rusty is a fox-red Labrador Retriever cross with bags of energy (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

The pub is open between 4pm and 11pm Monday to Thursday, between noon and midnight Friday to Saturday and between noon and 10pm on Sunday.

'Bobby G' has been coming to the pub since 1968 and is still happy to lend a hand to landlady, Evelyn Schnell, who has run the pub for almost two years.

He said: "It's a friendly pub and we have very little trouble. It used to be a big family pub before they put the houses at the side of it. I can just come in here and feel easy. It's as simple as that. I've always loved the pub."

MURAL: The mural on the side of The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road certainly makes for an eye-catching feature MURAL: The mural on the side of The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road certainly makes for an eye-catching feature (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

In the late 1990s and early 2000s there were even goats in the garden which used to trim the grass.

But since then, Miss Schnell said a lot of money has been invested into the pub to improve it - Miss Schnell estimates between £80,000 and £90,000 which has been 'well-received by customers'.

There's a new floor, new seats and tables, a new pool room and even a roof terrace to replace the garden, sold off to provide space for houses.

NEW: The pool room in The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road in St John's is part of a host of new investments to make sure the pub serves the community NEW: The pool room in The Grosvenor Arms in Henwick Road in St John's is part of a host of new investments to make sure the pub serves the community (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Miss Schnell said of the roof terrace: "The pub used to have a massive garden but it's now being used for five houses with gardens so now we want to give something back to the community with our roof terrace. It's a nice sun trap up there."

Although the pub is a free house, they still get beers supplied by Greene King and Miss Schnell says the company helped turn the pub around.

So, what do people like about the pub?

"It's clean. It's warm. It's friendly. It's tidy. We get lots of people in here from different age groups," says Miss Schnell.

SPACIOUS: The lounge bar at the Grosvenor which includes board games for families to enjoy SPACIOUS: The lounge bar at the Grosvenor which includes board games for families to enjoy (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Sport is also a big part of the pub. They sponsor two football teams including AFC Worcester which has a first and second team. The pub also has three darts teams and a dominoe team.

Sports are also shown on the big screens with all the latest games from Sky Sports, TNT and Sky Sports Plus. 

Bobby G explained how Ian Botham used to come to the pub in his playing days because he felt he could have a quiet pint and not get the sort of hassle he would experience in town.

REVAMPED: The main bar at The Grosvenor Arms in St John's in Worcester REVAMPED: The main bar at The Grosvenor Arms in St John's in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest) He once got Bobby tickets for A Question of Sport and the two had a drink after the show. The darts player John Lowe also used to play at the pub and there is a shirt, signed by him, on display.

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There's also a lot going on here, including a speed quiz on Mondays at 8.30pm. When I visit there is a good range of choices - Carling, Guinness, Greene King IPA, Stowford Press dark berry, Inch's Medium Apple Cider, Thatcher's Gold, Madri, Greene King Yardbird pale ale and Hardy's and Hanson's Kimberley Bitter as well as the usual wines, spirits and choice of cocktails. 

Are there ghosts? Miss Schnell shows a CCTV video of a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale falling off the bar, apparently by itself and there have been other, similar incidents.