New bar’s a haven for fans of crime drama
PEAKY Blinders fans can channel their inner Shelby as they enjoy a pint in Walsall.
A new micro-bar has opened in the town, with a whole room dedicated to the hit BBC show.
Although The Watering Trough in Ablewell Street is primarily a rock venue, the once dilapidated back bar has been transformed into a haven for fans of the gritty crime drama.
The themed bar, which features £10,000 worth of pre-war antiques, opened on August 9 and saw 150 punters dress up as their favourite show characters to celebrate.
Landlord Clinton Hartlandsaid: “I have been a doorman in Walsall for the past 21 years and I’ve seen a massive decline in the footfall, which led me to the decision that Walsall needed something new, different and innovative to bring new faces back into the town.
“With the worldwide success of the hit TV series we decided to invest more than £10,000 into the reinvention of the back bar, transforming it into a 1920s Garrison themed bar with all the trimmings, sporting all genuine pre-war antiques fitting for the programme’s theme.’’
Clinton said customers can expect to find a variety of real ales to wash down the traditional Black Country food being served up, including grey peas and bacon, bread pudding and liver and onions.
The new bar has opened just in time to capitalise on the return of the hit series, which will air on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday. The new series focuses on how the financial crash of 1929 impacts the Shelby family.
Hunger Games star Sam Claflin will be joining the series as a dapper politician. The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy will also be joining as a feisty new gangster’s moll.
Others to look out for are Hollyoaks star Emmett J Scanlan, Lady Macbeth’s Cosmo Jarvis, Charlene McKenna, Andrew Koji, Elliot Cowan and Vikings’ Daryl McCormack.