Express & Star

Walsall pub lights up for bright way to celebrate festive season

A Walsall pub manager has marked a year of turning around the pub's fortunes with a festive display.

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The inside of the pub is bright, vivid and full of lights and decorations

The Milestone in New Invention has become a brightly lit and festive location after manager Ryan Perrins set up more than 5,000 lights all over the pub.

Ryan said the idea had been to celebrate his first year of running the pub and bring a touch of colour and fun to the pub.

"I've just celebrated my one year anniversary at the pub and decided it would be a really good way to celebrate that year," he said.

"We also wanted to give some Christmas cheer to people who might find this time to be a sad time, so we put the time in and funded it ourselves.

"I'm very Christmassy and a bundle of cheer throughout the year, so I think it just gives everyone a bit of happiness at this time of year."

Ben Colliver and Ryan Perrins have worked with staff to decorate the pub

Mr Perrins said he and his partner Ben Colliver had worked with the staff to get the lights up, which can be seen all over the pub, alongside Christmas trees and other festive decorations.

He said it was a great way to celebrate a successful year, which he said had seen the pub go from underperforming to award-winning.

"It's a very new thing for the pub and one of the things we've done to raise it up, having been right at the bottom as a low performing pub and how up there as a top performer and an award-winning pub," he said.

"The community has really come together and made this pub a success and they've really enjoyed seeing the lights go up.

"I've got more to come here at Christmas, with a grotto being set up this weekend from Friday to Saturday, and I'm working the bar while also doing this to finish it off.

"We've had some great feedback as well from people coming into the pub and great reviews on Facebook, Google and Tripadvisor from people who have seen the lights, so it's all good."