A hidden gem, brimming with charm, Peter Kavanagh's pub, in the Georgian Quarter along with its cast-iron railings, is Grade II listed. It is a unique legacy of one man's vision, capturing the eccentricities, inventiveness and character of its namesake.
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00:00Peter Cavanagh's is a Liverpool institution,
00:03named after the eccentric landlord who ran the pub for 53 years.
00:07These days, Rita runs things, and she has kindly invited us in
00:11to tell us all about this historic pub.
00:14I'm getting to be an auntie.
00:16I said, so I fit in quite well, actually.
00:19SHE LAUGHS
00:21I just like... I'm old, with all the old things that's hanging up.
00:25Maybe they'll hang me up when I pop my clogs. Never know.
00:28It's fab, actually. Now it's good.
00:31You just feel a sense of...
00:34I call it a hug when you walk in the door.
00:37It's got a lovely atmosphere, it's got a lovely vibe about it,
00:40and it's a people pub.
00:42Located in the Georgian Quarter, it was named
00:44Camera Pub of the Year in 2019,
00:46with a consumer organisation identifying it as having
00:49a nationally important historic pub interior.
00:52It's a strange day and age which we're in,
00:54because when people go up to try and talk to somebody
00:57they go, ooh, what are they after?
01:00But when they come in, they can say, oh, God, I remember one of them.
01:04It creates a conversation,
01:06and that's how people get to know each other.
01:08That's what pubs are for, for people to come in
01:11and have a conversation with some of these that have been
01:14stuck in the little four walls day after day.
01:17That's what it's all about for me.
01:19The pub's namesake was a publican, politician and floral artist
01:23who ran the pub from 1897 to 1950.
01:26He made many improvements, including adding
01:29oral windows and stained glass.
01:31He also designed the interior in 1929,
01:34which includes murals by Scottish artist Eric Robinson.
01:38People coming from all over the world come to this pub,
01:41but I try to keep it that I get a little bit and they get a little bit.
01:45When I put a price increase, I have half and they have half.
01:48We split it, because that's what your regulars are all about,
01:51that's what your people are all about,
01:54because otherwise we wouldn't have pubs.
01:56Cavanagh was also an inventor that are fixed pedestal tables
02:00with channels for spilt drinks.
02:03These are highly distinctive, with a grate over
02:07and a bowl underneath to be emptied at the end of the night
02:11for any overspill.
02:13I've got people's ashes on the bar, because they belong here.
02:17That's what pubs are for.
02:20We're a community, we all belong to each other,
02:23and we all need somebody.
02:25There's been a pub on this site since 1854,
02:28first the Liver, the Grapes and then Peter's,
02:31after Cavanagh's death in 1950.
02:33His family sold the pub to Joshua Tetley and son in 1952,
02:36and the pub's name reverted back to the Grapes.
02:39Despite this, the pub remains locally known as Peter Cavanagh's,
02:43and its name was officially changed to this in 1977.
02:47If any of my regulars are watching, a big shout out
02:50and a big thank you from me and the staff
02:53for supporting me all these years,
02:55and hopefully there'll be another few more years,
02:57because I'm going to stay for another five, I think.