THE owners of a historic pub in Hull are celebrating the one-year anniversary of its refurbishment.
The Polar Bear in Spring Bank has been a working pub since the mid-1800s, but had fallen into disrepair in recent years.
Twelve months ago, the venue was taken over by Dave Mays, owner of Fruit and the Welly Club, to transform the premises into a destination for music-lovers.
Manager Dave Courtney admitted the pub was suffering when it was taken over, but the £25,000 refurbishment was well worth the investment.
He said: "Things are going well for us but it has been a lot of hard work.
"The past 12 months has proved to be a steep learning curve, but we are now focusing on what we do best.
"A lot of pubs have been shutting, particularly in the Spring Bank area, and it's been great to survive what has been a difficult time for pubs."
The team are heavily involved in Hull's thriving music scene and host several nights of live music a week.
Dave said: "We normally manage venues and we've realised that going into the pub trade is a different kettle of fish altogether.
"But not a lot of landlords around here can afford to put on live entertainment every night and this is something we do well.
"Whether we have live bands or show live football, there is always something happening."
The pub has also been popular with football fans and is conveniently situated near the KC Stadium, where staff have lured Hull City fans to watch away games.
Dave said the team is keen to make further refurbishments to the premises in the next few months.
He said: "It is such an iconic building and we want to do as much as we can to improve the venue without making too many changes to the aesthetic of the pub. We want to bring it into the future without betraying its history."
Dave is hopeful the Polar Bear's success could lead to renewed interest in the area.
He said: "I think Spring Bank is on the rise and, looking towards 2017, we want to make sure Spring Bank is not left behind with all the investment and energy that is going into the city centre.
"We need to make sure it's not forgotten about."
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