Name of the pub: The Drummer’s Arms

Address: 65 King William Street, Blackburn, BB1 7DT

Landlord/landlady name: Lark Carr and Hilary Carr

How long have you been the landlord/landlady for? We have been the landladies since July 2019.

Give us some history about the pub: The pub has been most well known for previously being Vall-Hall jewellers for approx 32 years. In-between being the jewellers and The Drummer’s Arms, it was used by ‘Blackburn is Open’- and was used as a community creative workshop.

Is food served? We offer a wide range of bar snacks including pickled eggs served in a tiny teacup!

Is there a beer garden? We are grateful to have a lovely paved terrace at the front of the pub, plenty spacious enough for our bespoke drum tables upcycled from real unused drums kindly donated by the Sir Charles Napier! We also really appreciate being situated in a very scenic part of the town centre, with the outdoor seating area overlooking the beautiful Old Town Hall building and square.

Most popular drink served is... Our real ales are definitely our most popular drink, although we also have a large selection of flavoured gins and other carefully selected drinks for those who’d like to try something different.

Most memorable moment at the pub? There are honestly too many to choose a single one! A very memorable occasion however was being able to co-host the most recent Vulcan reunion in March 2020; it was a brilliant day and we were so lucky that it happened before the lockdown first happened!

Do you have an entertainment line-up? We hold our music events on the first Sunday of every month; these comprise of a featured artist followed straight after by Open Mic. We also hold music events for various special occasions throughout the year; the next up being our second ‘Vulcan reunion’ on November 13, followed the next day by our annual ‘Remembrance Sunday’ afternoon of music, including our very popular sing-along! Details of the featured artist for any given month, in addition to information about music specials and how to book a slot for Open Mic, can be found on our events on our Facebook page, and are also advertised in the pub itself. Since reopening after the lockdown we have also added a piano to the pub, perfect to fit in with the traditional pub style!

Have you faced any challenges within the industry? We have definitely faced the same challenges that all other small businesses, and the whole of the leisure industry, have faced due to Covid-19. We will continue to persevere while things are ever-changing, and are continuously thankful to all of our customers who are helping to keep places like us open!

The best thing about running a pub is? The best thing about running our pub has got to be all our lovely customers! Our customers really help to make the pub what it is - we have known some for years now! Our wonderful regulars also create a friendly atmosphere to help welcome the new faces we meet on a daily basis! We also love that we are able to help make a customer’s day, either by creating an atmosphere where people can enjoy conversations with their friends or other customers, by being the chosen venue for someone’s special occasion, or even just by serving them a drink that they will love!