A PUB manager has insisted that if East Lancashire pubs are going to survive and thrive, they need to be as traditional as possible.

Matt Ward is general manager at The Forest in Fence which reopened on Tuesday after being closed for around one and a half years.

But the 35-year-old said that you wouldn’t know it had been shut for so long as the whole place has been packed since it opened its doors again.

Mr Ward said he put this down to the fact that The Forest has a traditional atmosphere, an approach which he thinks will solve the issue of pub closures in the region.

He said: “So many people have come in here that have not seen each other for years and they’re just getting together and having a chat over a drink, it’s just fantastic.

“I feel that what we have at The Forest is what a pub should be, people want traditional pubs where they can just be comfortable sitting down, having a chat and a quiet drink.

“I think places can go a bit mad sometimes, a bit too fancy, and it’s actually pretty simple what people want.”

Over the past few years, East Lancashire has seen bars shut all over the region including the Coach and Horses in Burnley and the Dog Inn in Blackburn but Mr Ward thinks that pub closures are falling.

He said: “Slowly, I think that pub closures in

this region are dropping

and I think that’s because people are reverting back to the traditional atmosphere and setting when they open a pub.

“We are a family venue, gone are the days where children aren’t allowed in, everyone is welcome here.

“I think to have places to congregate and get together are so important for close-knit communities like Fence and I think everyone is very excited that The Forest is back open again as it was once so popular.”

The modern brasserie and bar in Cuckstool Lane was taken over by The Seafood Pub Company which now runs six other venues in East Lancashire.

These include the Oyster and Otter in Blackburn, the Roosters Bistro in Higham, the Barley Mow in Barley, the Derby Arms in Longridge, the Assheton Arms in Downham and the recently acquired Alma Inn in Colne.

The Forest is offering a wide range of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails with some traditional gin specials and Mediterranean food.