After rising from ashes Yates's is back

When news emerged in May that a fire had broken out at Yates's Wine Lodge in Wolverhampton, you could almost hear the gasps of horror from partygoers across the city.

Where would everyone go now for that pre-club tipple? How will we fill that spot around 10.30pm on a Saturday night when it feels too early to go to a club but too late for a quiet pub?

But we need not have feared. Within 36 hours, good old Yates's was reopen, once again becoming a staple of a night out in Wolverhampton.

Workers toiled through the night to bring the popular nightspot back to its former glory and return it to the revellers of Wolverhampton.

The blaze, which was started by an electrical fault in an illuminated sign, damaged the front doors, signs and some furniture. Undeterred though, bosses worked hard to repair the damage as quickly as possible, eager not to miss out on Wolves' promotion celebrations which were taking place that Bank Holiday.

"We worked really hard on it, it was a tough 36 hours," saidmanager of seven years Paul Myers.

"But we wanted to be open again in time for the celebrations.

"It did affect trade for about a month mainly because there's always a lot of hearsay with these things. There were people saying it had closed down or had been burned down completely.

"But everything's fine now and back to normal. In fact, it's still in the top five Yates's bars in the country.

"Last week, it was the best taking bar outside of London," he adds proudly.

Visit Yates's by day and it feels very different to Yates's by night. At night, lights are dimmed, the latest tunes blare out from the corner DJ booth and masses of people of all ages flock to the marble-topped bar that lines one side of the room. A local character dressed up as Elvis, who is a regular Yates's punter, can usually be found there most Friday and Saturday nights, sparking interest among drinkers and happily posing for photographs which will inevitably grace the pages of Facebook.

By day the place has a relaxed feel, as people flock to take advantage of its menu and its breakfasts. Hungry shoppers and workers stop to enjoy a bite, friends catch up over coffee, while others make the most of the rear beer garden. In the evening, workers, ties loosened, can be found having a post-work tipple, while Yates's fairly central position in Queen Square means it is a convenient drop-off point for those heading off to enjoy the other night-time attractions Wolverhampton has to offer.

Paul said: "Since I've been manager I've seen nightlife move in cycles.

"You get times when there are changes in nightlife in Wolverhampton with clubs closing or new ones being built or people just don't want to go clubbing. But Yates's just always seems to be a constant."

With plenty or room to drink, dance and be merry and a heated patio otside for smokers, Yates's offers a little something for everyone. This, coupled with the bar's ability to cater for all ages, ensures Yates's features somewhere in most peoples' nights out in the city.

Yates's Wine Lodge: Queen Square, Wolverhampton

Open: Thursdays and Fridays 10am - 1am, Saturdays 10am - 2am, Sundays 12 noon - 12am