THE doors of a 70-year-old Weston pub have re-opened after more than a year of campaigning by regulars.

New Bristol House temporary managers Martin Jones and Judy Pellow say they want to put their own stamp on the community asset and ‘keep the beer flowing’.

The watering hole in Milton Road was shut last year after its owner Enterprise Inns lost an appeal against North Somerset Council’s decision to refuse planning permission to extend the building.

Customers saw this plan as a back door way for supermarket giant Tesco to move in and open an Express store, and councillors rejected what they called a ‘Trojan Horse’ application.

The pub is currently being advertised on the owners’ site with an annual rental figure of £17,000, but this did not stop members of the Save The Bristol House Campaign from contacting pub groups and asking them to get involved, resulting in the venue re-opening on Saturday.

The pub will be run by the pair until someone takes over the lease from Enterprise Inns.

Campaigner Mark Thyer said: “We said all along we would run the pub as a community but we would rather professionals take it on.

“This change will be good for the community and the new managers seem really great.”

Martin, who was born and bred in Weston and has managed pubs in the town, Gloucestershire and Bristol, said there will be two quiz nights a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, live music and he also hopes to host club meetings.

He said: “We will keep the doors open and keep the beer flowing until someone takes over the lease.

“We have been working hard to clean the pub up and give it a fresh look. We are putting our own stamp on it.

“I’m quite excited about it. I used to drink in this pub years ago when I worked across the street so it’s a personal place for me and it’s great to see it re-open.

“It will be nice to see the smiling faces of everyone from the Save The Bristol House Campaign coming back through the doors.”