Mick Aldridge remembers clearly the night his favourite pub went up in smoke.

Never could he imagine that, 13 years on, the Brewer's Arms in West Malvern would still be going strong.

New pub landlord Trevor Marston invited locals, regulars and Malvern firefighters to the pub yesterday (Thurs-day) to mark the anniversary.

Next door neighbour Mr Aldridge said residents woke him at 5.40am, as flames ripped through the building.

"There were huge flames coming out of the pub roof, it was a horrible sight.

"The fire brigade were here very quickly but when they put the hose on it, the whole roof exploded.

"There was no-one in at the time, if there was, they would have died."

Determined not to give up, locals and staff joined forces to keep the pub alive.

"By seven o'clock that night, we'd got all the beer from the cellar and set up in the shed," explained Mr Aldridge.

"We called it the Armpit and ran the pub from there until the pub was repaired.

"It was community spirit that kept it going, we wouldn't let it close down."

Malvern firefighter Chris George said: "There are officers still at the station who fought the fire. We've got a picture of it in the station and there are still stories told about it. It's nice to come here and see it now."

Some photographs and a charred piece of timber, which is used as a trophy in the pub's annual cricket match, known as the Ashes, are now the only visible reminders of the fire.

Mr Marston, who took over at the pub with wife Sue just ten weeks ago, said: "Customers told me about the fire and I decided we should celebrate the anniversary.

"It's a lovely pub, with lovely locals and we're happy to be here."