New landlady aims to alter pub’s fortunes

Mar 7 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TROUBLED pub has a new owner.

Bernadette Denton has taken over at The Wellington in Batley.

Police closed the bar in January after finding several underage drinkers on the premises.

Pub company Suburban Style Bar took over the Wellington Street venue and have spent £45,000 refurbishing it.

Bernadette, a regular at The Wellington, said: “We’ve now got new carpets and upholstery throughout, new tables and chairs as well as a smoking canopy and we want all this to be the catalyst for change.

“Over the past few years the pub has not been well looked after, which led to it attracting the wrong type of crowd.

“Having had a bit of tender loving care, the ‘Welly’ is looking and feeling a lot better.”

Bernadette was the landlady of the Cricketers Arms in Leeds for seven years.

She said: “I’ve got my own ideas of how I want the pub to be, and that is a place for families to come to and for it to be a place where everyone can socialise together.”

Bernadette plans to have live music at the pub every weekend.

Police raided The Wellington on January 19, finding several under-age drinkers. The pub was closed for the night.

Kirklees Council launched a review of the pub’s licence but the landlord at the time left the pub.