Any 200 year old pub is sure to have some ghost stories, but are the rumours about the Pev well-founded or, well, just rumour?
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00:00Hello everyone, I'm Fjerk Huston-Betts and it's my pleasure to welcome you to a Manchester World Storytime.
00:06Today's a scary one, so buckle up and get ready.
00:11Today we're going to be talking about a very famous pub, right here in the city.
00:16It's called the Peverell of the Peak, you may have heard of it.
00:20And it's been operating here for a long, long time.
00:23Now originally built over 200 years ago, it stood on the Great Bridgewater Street since King George IV was on the throne.
00:30The name of the pub likely comes from the name of a stagecoach or a horse and carriage that would travel between Manchester and London in only two days.
00:37And it's long been a place in which all were welcome to enjoy a drink.
00:41Now, in around 1900, the pub had a remodel and was covered in green tiles, a classic design for Manchester's pubs at the time.
00:50It became one of the ports of call for local workers, who'd knock back a couple of pints in the middle of the day before returning to the workplace after lunch.
00:57In World War II, the pub changed for the worse however, with it doubling as a brothel, mainly frequented by American soldiers.
01:04Not much is known about the bar in this period, so one can only guess at what occurred behind those famous stained glass windows.
01:12But as we approach 2024, things become clearer.
01:16And perhaps, just maybe, a legacy from that time becomes clearer too.
01:21In 1971, the pev was taken over by Nancy Swanwick, who turned the bar around over her more than 50 year stint at the helm.
01:29And though there was success in turning the pebble of the peak from the site of punch-ups and pints,
01:33for a long time now, rumours have abounded that it isn't just locals and visitors who call this place their regular haunt.
01:40In fact, haunt might just be the perfect word.
01:45You see, it's believed by many in Manchester that the pev is haunted.
01:49There have been stories told of customers seeing pint glasses levitate off the bar in front of them and fall into the glass wash.
01:56Tales of broken glass disappearing and ashtrays being emptied of their own accord.
02:01One famous story goes that, as a customer was drinking his pint of beer, an empty glass in the middle of the table tipped over out of nowhere and fell directly into his lap.
02:10Now I went down to the pev to try and get some of these stories first hand.
02:14But anyone who was willing to tell their tales on camera was either called in to work late, or is currently on holiday in Zambia.
02:21So it seems as though the ghost is keen to keep himself secret.
02:24The rumours are though, that he or she may be visible sometimes, sat quietly in the corner table of the bar, watching the world go round.
02:33Some visitors even claim to have seen a man there, sipping a phantom pint of ale with a wry smile on his face, content.
02:40As though a part of the history that he's from, still lives in the walls and rooms of the peveral of the peak.
02:47So are you bold enough to brave the ghost?
02:50After all, they don't really exist, do they?
02:54I'm Theo Fusenberts with Manchester World.
02:58Goodnight.