Landmark pubs to be transformed

Two landmark pubs in Wolverhampton are closing their doors during the summer to be transformed with makeovers worth up to £600,000.

The Hollybush pub, along the busy Penn Road, will close on August 31 for up to nine weeks for its restaurant facilities to be revamped. And on Sunday The Merry Hill pub, in Trysull Road, will close for nine days.

The M&B pub is converting to the company's Sizzler brand which specialises in steaks and grills. More than £500,000 is being spent on The Hollybush which will be recruiting more staff to work in the kitchen and wait on tables.

Staff said that the interior of the pub will be gutted in the refurbishment, which will see the function room closed and brought into the restaurant, and the bar possibly relocated.

Around £60,000 is being spent on The Merry Hill.

Landlady Angela Gwynne, who oversaw the last big refurbishment in 2005 when the pub underwent a £600,000 makeover, said the changes were "more of a tweek" than an overhaul.

"Decor wise, we'll be taking out one or two of our big leather settees and bringing in more chairs and tables, and we'll be clearing a lot of the bushes outside. It's more of a tidy up than a refurbishment."