WHILE scores of pubs across this green and pleasant isle are adopting an Irish theme, one local boozer is bucking the trend.

Managers of a Bamber Bridge local have ditched the craic in favour of traditional old English atmosphere.

Kathy and Andrew Officer have ousted the old image of Shifty O'Sheas and instituted the Top House which, they say, will place the pub at the heart of Bamber Bridge.

But the original plan wasn't to totally transform the pub, merely provide somewhere comfy for travellers to rest their weary legs.

She said: "When we took over last year, we asked what could be changed to improve the place.

"In the end, we decided to give the place a complete new look."

Business has improved for the new look Top House - the same name the pub had 60 years ago.

The reopening, on June 4, tied in with Kathy's birthday, making it a double celebration. She added: "The whole place has been overhauled and I think it looks a lot better. We have even re-installed a snug, which used to be here before the pub became an Irish place in 1994.

"I think Irish pubs are great for the cities as they have a novelty value, but we are a community pub and I think this new look is more suitable."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.