PUB UNDERGOES £350,000 TRANSFORMATION – BUT LANDLADY HOPES WORK WON’T DISTURB RESIDENT GHOST
Building work inevitably causes upheaval which can be quite disorientating.
So when popular Sale pub The Volunteer recently completed a £350,000 refurbishment, landlady Ocean Johnson, though delighted with the changes to the premises, had one niggling concern. That one regular visitor may find the transformation a little unsettling and not return. Even if they never buy a drink or pasty there.
“The renovations have been fantastic and really transformed the Volunteer which opens for business again this week,” she recalls “My only concern has been that we have a resident ghost at the pub and that after this lovely revamp our spirit friend might find the new look too unfamiliar and stop paying us a visit. Since we are now about to reopen, I suppose this is the time to find out.”
Ocean has experienced lots of spectral activity at the pub including glasses moving randomly on the bar – which was caught on CCTV.
Other unexplained events include being pushed on the arm when no one was there as well as seeing a figure walking across the pub when it was closed and no other than staff were on the premises. There has also been the sound of metal being dragged across the cellar floor. Not that Ocean has been concerned about this.
She said: “I like the idea of having a spirit around the place, it adds to the sense of history and intrigue about the pub . That’s why I was worried – as were some customers who posted to this effect on social media – that our ghostly friend might disappear during all the upheaval.”
There’s certainly plenty of reasons for visitors of this world to flock to the pub after its extensive face lift. New features include opening out the bar and lounge area into one free flowing space as well as a new interactive darts board area with three boards and an extensive games room which can also be used for events. An upstairs function room has also been refurbished.
Ocean has also introduced new community hubs to the Volunteer including a special SEN-friendly group which was partly inspired by her eight-year-old brother, who has additional needs. The aim is to give children with SEN and their families/carers a calm, safe place to socialise without the noise and pressure that can come with ordinary public venue. It is thought to be one of the first SEN-friendly groups of its kind to be hosted in a UK pub.
The Volunteer belongs to the Joseph Holt brewery which owns 127 pubs across the North West. Popular with sports lovers – particularly Manchester United fans the new look pub has increased its number of TV screens with ten posted around the pub. The space around the outside of the pub has also been redeveloped with a landscaped seating area for 50 people and Chablis umbrellas.
However many of the original features of the pub , including tunnels under the building, add to its sense of history so possibly explaining all the ghostly activity. The Grade II listed neo-Jacobean pub in was built in 1897 and opened for business the following year.
Formerly a coaching inn, it’s said to have got its name as a tribute to a local defence unit known as the Ashton-on-Mersey cum Sale Loyal Volunteers. The troop comprising 3,000 volunteers, was formed by Captain Sir John Moore of Sale Hall, in response to the threatened invasion of England by Napoleon.
With the pub reopening this week, the Volunteer which sits at the heart of the Sale community, will doubtless continue to attract visitors from near and far.
Says Sean Parker, area manager for Joseph Holt: “The Volunteer has always been a very well-liked pub and with so much history. And after the latest renovations it’s likely to prove even more popular.” As for the resident host, the staff are ready to welcome its return.
Said Emma Wright, who works behind the bar: “It has never bothered me knowing that the pub is haunted. I’ve had so many experiences here – from hearing unexplained noises in the cellar to seeing someone walk through the door, which happened right in our memory corner, where we display cards dedicated to regulars who have sadly passed away. I’ve even had my bottom touched in the cellar when I was the only person in the pub!
“I’m very excited about the reopening of the pub and the bright future ahead after the refurbishment. I just hope our ghost doesn’t feel too disorientated and decide to leave the Volunteer. It would be such a shame for it to miss out on this exciting new chapter for the Volunteer.”
Also featured in: