A VILLAGE pub that has benefited from a soft re-opening over the past few weeks is to formally open this Easter weekend with live music and a party atmosphere.

From midday of Friday, April 3 the Crown Inn at Whitchurch, which has been brought back to life by its new owner Theresa Gwillim, will see Hannah May singing a bit of everything while on Sunday April 5, Dave Luke and His Famous Boots will be performing.

This weekend will also be the first time the kitchen will be operational, serving traditional pub fayre, lite bites and basket meals throughout.

The new bar manager, Tasha Hawkins, is no stranger to the pub trade having run the Castle Inn in Monmouth for the past five years, said that the pub is a free house and as such would have regular guest ales along with its regular lagers, ciders, wines and spirits.

She added: “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for as we approach the magical finish line. All public rooms have been repainted and refreshed.

“And having had a few weeks for us to get used to everything and for our customers to get to know us, we have been told by many that the atmosphere that is being created is what people want in a welcoming country pub.

“This weekend will be the first time the kitchen, led by Abi Martin goes live. So, we are hoping for the best.”

Tasha said that the pub has recently acquired a billiard table, following the closure of the Wye Knot Inn at Symonds Yat and that the successful billiard team has also migrated to the Crown Inn.

Tasha said that the function room, the old skittles alley, is still work in progress, but it should become operational by December.