An Eccles landlady has marked the refurbishment of her pub by burying a time capsule, designed to be opened in 25 years’ time.
Andrea Lithgoe runs The Lamb pub which now has a new beer garden, thanks to owner Joseph Holt. The Manchester brewery is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. It will be marking 200 years when the time capsule is unearthed.
Among the items in the time capsule are a beer glass from 2009 — the year Andrea acquired the pub — as well as historic beer mats, photographs of current customers, and a price list from the present day.
She has also included a billiard ball, since The Lamb was, at one time, a particular draw because of its full-size snooker table. A protected element of the pub, the billiard room still has raised fixed seating where, in previous times, spectators would watch the game.
“We were all thrilled when Joseph Holt decided that the pub should get a beer garden, and so transforming an otherwise derelict piece of wasteland behind the pub into something really special,” said Andrea.
“And since Joseph Holt and The Lamb are so tied up with the heritage of the area, I thought it would be fascinating to store remnants of the past as part of this exciting new phase for the pub.”
A distinctive red brick building on Regent Street, The Lamb Hotel is a grade II listed Edwardian building, built around 1906.The new garden includes a covered area, planting beds and troughs, and surfaces with different textures.
The interior of the pub has also been sensitively decorated as part of the £300,000 refurbishment, in-keeping with the history and atmosphere of the pub. It is known as an historic landmark not least for its many preserved fittings, including Jacobean-style mahogany door surrounds and chimney pieces, Art Nouveau wall tiling, and mosaic flooring.
Marc Broady, acquisition and development executive at Joseph Holt, said: “At Joseph Holt we are hugely respectful of history and tradition, but are also looking for ways for local areas to be enhanced by our pubs.
“Our new beer garden offers the best outdoor place in Eccles and brings a smart and attractive addition to the area. This, together with the indoor refurbishment, is truly restoring The Lamb to its former glory.”
