The Red Lion pub in Skegness has been officially reopened after a major expansion and refurb. We went along to have a look around and speak to staff and customers.
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00:00 Good morning from Skegnes. We are live from outside the Red Lion pub which is about to
00:11 be reopened. The official reopening is being done by Gary Starr from the Netherlands Theatre.
00:19 Obviously we've got photographers sorting out the ribbon at the minute and lots of eager
00:27 people waiting to get a first glimpse of the new pub.
00:34 We're all going to have to get the shot. It will open soon.
00:50 Yeah, it will open soon. I've got one of the customers next to me who is coming in for breakfast.
00:57 Now the pub has been closed for two months and there has been total refurbishment and
01:05 expansion because two of the shop units at the front have now been taken back.
01:12 And the pub returned to its former glory from when it used to be a hotel many, many years ago.
01:33 A few more shots.
01:51 Of course the staff are really excited.
01:53 Good morning everyone. Welcome to the official reopening of the Red Lion Witherspoon to Skegnes.
01:58 It's my great pleasure to be here. If you could all cheer and make some noise because
02:03 I know it's early, 8am. But welcome and please enjoy as I officially declare the Red Lion
02:10 Witherspoons here in Skegnes open.
02:19 Okay, so it's officially open. I'm coming over to the manager. Now you must be incredibly
02:25 excited to finally get the pub reopened. Can you take us in and show us what the changes are?
02:33 We're now inside.
02:38 Where would you like to start?
02:40 Oh, we'll start. You can see you're already geared up for Mother's Day with some officers.
02:48 So we're now in the new BDA area. So nice seating.
02:55 Okay, yeah, I'm following you.
03:03 Lots of work still going on behind the scenes.
03:09 Beer gardens.
03:14 I mean, you're right down to the finishing touches of a beer garden. Sometimes these
03:18 places open, don't they? And there's still the outside to be done. But yes, smart beer
03:24 garden.
03:28 Starting to look smart.
03:37 Looks like you've got a few people already coming in too.
03:41 So the new bar area.
04:09 A few finishing touches being done. I can see.
04:15 Oh yeah, the coffee sign.
04:21 Yes, yeah, because this sort of the end here.
04:26 Yeah, I mean, this is the bit which from the outside people will see the difference.
04:33 It's a lovely area.
04:39 Oh yes, yeah.
04:45 And those lovely windows as well.
04:48 Beautiful, aren't they?
04:50 We could just about see those through the scaffolding when the work was being done.
04:59 Yeah, it's all looking very smart. Now these used to be old shop units, didn't they?
05:05 It was an old betting shop.
05:09 And did it still belong to Wetherspoon?
05:12 We had it for a while, but Covid hit and it went on hold.
05:18 Yeah, well, I know, it's just amazing.
05:22 I mean, the pub has been closed for two months, hasn't it?
05:25 Yeah, six weeks.
05:28 And I can't imagine how this work's been.
05:30 We've all been having to sneak peek through the windows as we've been passing to see.
05:34 Yeah, I mean, how does it feel to finally got to the day?
05:38 It's lovely.
05:41 Yeah, we're all ready to get back. We all want to do this.
05:45 Yeah, now you've been sort of from the press releases we've had already, 22 new jobs have been created by this.
05:53 It's ongoing, the jobs.
05:55 At the moment, yeah, we took on, people take about 15 and we've got another lot tomorrow.
06:02 So at the moment, yeah, it's about 22 and then ongoing.
06:05 So there's still jobs for people are looking for the season, which has got to be good news as well.
06:12 So I'm just going to grab a few people and just see what they think as well.
06:19 We've got Gary Starr should be.
06:21 Oh, we've got upstairs as well, have we?
06:23 Oh, that's just toilets.
06:25 All right.
06:27 Yeah, well, let's go because actually I always think that toilets are kind of.
06:33 Yeah, they are working very well.
06:35 Yeah.
06:37 Hand dryers.
06:40 There's someone's jacket that I've put in the staff room.
06:43 Okay, so we're going upstairs now.
06:47 Which is also part.
06:50 Were people able to go upstairs before?
06:53 No, it's never been.
06:54 No, because I mean, this is and the actual banisters, are they renovated?
07:00 Yeah.
07:02 Yeah.
07:03 This is a new door that they've added.
07:05 Yeah.
07:07 Because it's really interesting coming up here because this is where no one's actually been before.
07:11 Yeah.
07:12 So this is just.
07:14 And this would have been the old hotel, would it?
07:18 Part of the old hotel?
07:19 A long time ago.
07:20 Yeah, when it was first.
07:22 This was the men's toilets just before we closed.
07:25 Okay.
07:26 These are some staff areas.
07:28 It's all smelling very clean and freshly painted.
07:32 No, those are the men's.
07:33 So we probably better not go in there.
07:35 We'll have a look in the ladies, see how high they got.
07:38 Yeah.
07:39 So we can get to have a look in the ladies.
07:43 It's very, very smart.
07:47 Oh, yeah, the nice modern basins and there you go.
07:52 I bet sort of our views didn't think that they would be having a tour around the toilets this morning.
07:57 But you know, it's important when you go out, you know, you want nice, smart, clean toilets.
08:04 Okay, so we'll head back down and see who we can find and what people think about it.
08:12 Because obviously, you know, it's all down to the customers, isn't it?
08:20 So we've got one or two workmen still around, haven't they?
08:23 Putting some, doing some finishing touches.
08:34 I know people have already mentioned, you know, it's just so nice that there are so many tributes to Skegness
08:41 around the place, the fact that it's the seaside, all the shells.
08:46 Some of the artwork is all to do with Skegness.
08:51 Wetherspoons are very good at that though, aren't they?
08:54 In all of their...
08:58 That's right. Okay, we are safely back downstairs.
09:02 I'll leave you to it now.
09:03 And, okay, right, thank you.
09:06 Right, okay, so we've got a site.
09:07 I'm going to meet you with a shareholder.
09:09 Oh, you are a shareholder.
09:10 I've come down because I've got 750 shares in Wetherspoons.
09:13 Right, so tell everybody who you are first, just in case they don't know.
09:18 My name is Phil Gaskell.
09:19 I'm known for being the chairman of Coastal Access for All and we clean the beaches.
09:24 You do, you do, don't you?
09:25 So I see you've already got a coffee.
09:27 I haven't managed to get a coffee yet, but sort of, how do you rate the coffee for a start?
09:33 Oh, the coffee's always good at Wetherspoons.
09:34 Oh, there you go.
09:36 I was a bit disappointed that the bar wasn't open because they've got Yellow Belly Gold on there.
09:42 Oh, right, okay, so you're going to be back.
09:43 You're going to be here a while then.
09:45 No, no, I'll be going home and pick Judy up and come down for a pint of that when the bar opens at nine o'clock.
09:49 Yeah, yeah, so what do you think?
09:51 You know, I've just had a quick tour around.
09:52 What do you think, Tim?
09:53 It's what you're doing, isn't it?
09:55 It's better than having a bookie.
09:56 Well, yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:58 Do you think they've done a smart job?
10:00 Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it?
10:01 Yeah.
10:02 Yeah.
10:03 No, it is looking pretty good, isn't it?
10:05 It's nice to have things like this in the town, isn't it, when people are putting an effort in.
10:09 Yeah, and also, this isn't part of the town fund, obviously, this is a Wetherspoons project.
10:15 But across the road, town fund, shop fronts, renovations, you know, it's all going to make the town look smarter, which has got to be good, hasn't it?
10:24 Yeah, the paint's looking good as well.
10:26 Yeah, yeah, so, well, thank you. Enjoy your coffee.
10:30 Right, so, we'll have another.
10:33 You want a coffee, are you expecting?
10:35 Oh, yeah, I'm going to get a coffee in a minute.
10:37 Oh, yeah, you're going to be fine.
10:39 Right, we've got a customer down here.
10:41 So, we were waiting outside.
10:43 So, we're back.
10:44 Give me a second, I'll be back.
10:45 All right, OK, right.
10:46 So, here we go.
10:47 OK.
10:48 Thank you.
10:49 I thought we'd lost everybody for a minute, the signal in Skagness is sometimes a bit dodgy, isn't it?
10:56 Yeah, definitely.
10:57 So, we were waiting outside, weren't we, eagerly for the pub to reopen.
11:02 What do you think to it?
11:04 It's incredible, it's absolutely stunning.
11:06 Yeah, did you used to come in here a lot?
11:08 No, I'm not actually from around here.
11:10 I'm moving up here this summer to work up here and stay up here in a caravan, touring.
11:15 Yeah.
11:16 But I've been in here a couple of times, so when I get the train in, I come in here, just have a pint, then get the bus and wait for it.
11:24 And, you know, if you're moving up here for a long period, it's nice for you, I guess, to know that you've got somewhere nice to go.
11:31 Definitely, yeah, it's absolutely stunning.
11:33 Really clean, really tidy, it looks absolutely amazing.
11:36 OK, well, thank you.
11:38 Right, well, Gary Starr, who owns the theatre, the Neverland Theatre, he did the official opening.
11:47 So, I can just spot him around the corner here, at the bar already, in place.
11:55 Gary.
11:56 Hi.
11:57 Yeah.
11:58 I was just having a photo.
12:00 How are you?
12:01 I'm good, thank you.
12:02 You are live on the Skagenaars Standard Facebook page.
12:04 Morning all.
12:05 You did the official opening outside, and your theatre is just around the corner, isn't it?
12:12 So, it's handy for people who want to come to some of your shows, who want to get a bite to eat before they do.
12:18 What do you think to the renovations?
12:21 It's stunning, absolutely beautiful.
12:23 It's wonderful to see reinvestments in here, and a lot of places obviously are.
12:28 And this is just such an incredible job in place.
12:31 It's beautiful.
12:32 There's a lot of little mugs to Skagenaars as well, with all the photos around.
12:36 It's just absolutely stunning.
12:38 Do you think it will be good for the town?
12:40 Yeah, of course.
12:41 It always was anyway.
12:42 It just needed that refresh, which, you know, we've invested a lot of money into it to do that.
12:48 And as you've seen now with the water out, it's just stunning.
12:51 We've pre-penned it quite a lot, especially for work, because we can get food late, which is always a bonus.
12:59 So, yeah, absolutely beautiful place, and we're very excited.
13:04 Okay, so I can imagine the pub's going to be really, really busy.
13:08 So, the manager, we've got her sort of in position now, ready to serve, ready to serve.
13:13 So, we will say goodbye now from the Red Lime Pub in Skagenaars.
13:20 it is officially open for business.