Great Wyrley pub Star attraction after £350k revamp

New owners have taken over The Star Inn, Great Wyrley, and have transformed the village pub and restaurant at a cost of £350,000.

The challenge was taken on by two brothers who, after completing the mammoth refurbishment, have welcomed back drinkers and diners.

The Walsall Road watering hole was a focal point for community activities including the summer carnival and bonfire celebrations.

Lynn Humphris, aged 51, and her husband Trevor, 53, teamed up with his brother Gary and wife Maria to open the now family-run pub.

The team from Cheslyn Hay bought the Star 18 months ago after it had closed down and started what would become a 13-month project to bring it back to life.

Mrs Humphris said: "My husband and his brother decided to buy the pub and I told him I would divorce him if he did, but it was their project and we decided to go for it and the renovations began."

The team did not put a timescale on construction work because of other commitments.

Mrs Humphris said: "We wanted to do as much of the work as we could ourselves and we wanted to get it right so we didn't set a timescale.

"We knew it would be a massive project and it has been but we managed to stay within our budget."

The pub needed much more than a lick of paint and while the owners had some experience of property renovation they had never taken on a commercial venture or project of this size.

The pub had a new roof and the ceilings have all been raised. The conservatory glass roof was also replaced with tiles. Inside, the pub's toilets were demolished and the back of the building knocked down. The former kitchen was gutted and extended into the vault where there used to be a darts board.

Other major works included ripping out the old bar and fitting a new hand built version.

Part of the extension includes a long corridor down to a newly built toilet block.

Mrs Humphris added: "Trevor and his brother have done such a lot of the work themselves. We hired a fantastic architect and the interior and design decisions were a joint effort between the four of us.

"It's all done now and you forget about the stress. I am very proud and was very emotional on the opening."

The opening has created more than 13 full and part-time jobs.