A CIRENCESTER man had a pleasant surprise when he was refurbishing the back room of the pub he owns.

Publican Bill Daley has recently renovated the space above the back of The Crown to open it up as a function room and has found over 30 prints alongside advertising ephemera from days gone by.

They were found in the loft above the new rest rooms and kitchen area and contain some real gems including “a couple that are older than we thought,” Bill explained.

“There are also some good matching prints, some prints that are worth £50-£80 individually and I have found eight more pictures since the auctioneer gave us a valuation of £500-£1000 for all of them, not including the pub signs.”

The original large pub signs hark back to the eighties with a four digit phone number for the pub on one of them and a large salmon “possibly the original Billy Bass,” Bill quipped. “Advertising goes for quite a bit of money these days but we are not tempted.”

The space above the popular hostelry has lain empty since the mid eighties when it was closed as a night club. It has now been renovated to a multi-function room called The Gallery. It has since been used for weddings, one of which was for Courtney, Bill’s daughter. It also hosted an art event and is now being used for Christmas bookings amongst other things.

“We have kept some of the pictures back and really have no intention of letting go of the original pub signs. We are thinking of putting the larger one in the foyer and pub entrance.

“Some of our older customers may remember it as a club and remember the pictures. They have not been up during our tenure and may go back as far as a previous landlord I hear a lot about – John Avery,” Bill added.

For more information contact The Crown Inn on 01285 653206 or email thecrowncirencester@hotmail.co.uk