Cheers as new £1.9m Walsall pub opens its doors at former cinema site
A new £1.95million pub named after one of Bloxwich's most famous residents has opened its doors at a former cinema in the town.
The Bloxwich Showman replaces the old Electric Palace cinema in High Street.
It was opened by JD Wetherspoon this week.
The name of the pub, which specialises in real ales and craft beer, takes its inspiration from King of Showmen Pat Collins, who lived in Bloxwich and helped set up the famous fun fair in 1875.
To mark the opening, a Pat Collins truck was rolled outside before the ribbon was cut by staff.
The pub was initially expected to create 45 jobs, but it will now employ 57 new workers, bringing a welcome boost to the community.
The former cinema building, which is one of the area's landmarks, has been empty since 2011, when the Electric Palace youth club moved out.
The youth club took its name from the first of the two cinemas on this site. The Electric Palace opened in 1912.
Manager Tony Carty said: "Myself and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers into the pub and we are confident that it will be a great addition to the Bloxwich community."
The new-look pub, which is on two floors, features one bar, as well as a beer garden is to the side of the premises, where smoking is permitted in a designated area.
The inside has been decorated with historical memorabilia on Bloxwich including photographs of landmark buildings and characters.
Bosses are also displaying artwork by artists Nick Logan and Drusilla Cole.
Mr Collins, who made Bloxwich his home from 1915, set up what became the Showman's Guild and was its longest serving president.
He was a Liberal MP for Walsall in the 1920s was mayor in 1938. He died in 1943 and was buried in Bloxwich Cemetery.
