New owner of popular Wolverhampton pub reveals future plans ahead of Jubilee weekend
The new licensee of a popular city pub has spoken about her plans to take the pub forward and celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Tina Simmonds took over the running of the Clarendon in Chapel Ash in Wolverhampton eight weeks ago and has set about repairing and updating the pub to modernise parts of it and also keep the traditional parts.
She said: "We've managed to get a lot of things repaired that were broken and cleaned the place from top to bottom, with everything now sparkling.
"We've also managed to get all the ales on and they are all perfectly conditioned now, with my daughter Cassie in charge of cellar management, which is really good at after four years working at the Hogshead."
The 56-year-old said she had chosen to take over the pub after 20 years as a personal trainer after not working during Covid and holding a dream of owning a cafe or running a pub, with the opportunity to run the Clarendon taking her back to her student days.
She said: "I saw the advert and decided to apply as I felt like I wanted a new venture after two decades as a personal trainer and I'd always liked the hospitality trade and used to come here as a student, so it has lots of happy memories for me.
"I'd like to be able to make it into a live music venue through having live bands and open mic nights and DJs, so making full use of the function room upstairs.
"People tell me that some big acts played here in the 80s and 90s, including possibly Craig David, so I'd like to get it back to that and have local bands and up and coming bands who can play to a good audience."
Ms Simmonds said she was looking forward to celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend and was putting on a number of events to help mark the 70th anniversary of the Queen taking the throne.
She said: "We have a life-sized cut-out of the Queen that people can come along and have their photos taken with, as well as a charity bucket and cake sale, with donations going to Macmillan Cancer Support and a local homeless charity.
"We'll also have a Northern Soul night on the Friday, which happens every week and ties in with the British theme, then cover singers on the Friday downstairs, two girls singing vintage and swing songs on Saturday and a local DJ on Sunday.
"We want to make it a fun weekend that brings everyone together in celebration and also raise some money for charity, as well as showing that we are a community pub and want people to come and enjoy a well conditioned ale and a boogie."
