The new managers of a long-established Exeter pub that weathered troubled times have vowed to win back the local community.
The former New Inn – known as the Cowley Bridge Inn – served the city as a popular tavern from 1756 after starting its life as a farmhouse.
But the inn's fortunes fared less well when it closed as a public house in 2008 and reopened as the Thai Shanghai restaurant.
Owner David Jim saw his business flood three times in November and December 2012. Months later he was served with a hygiene improvement notice when inspectors found rat droppings on the premises.
Ken Bowden, 54, and Carolyn Mearls, 50, undertook an extensive refurbishment of the building and recently reopened it once again as the New Inn.
Now the couple are hoping to restore its standing as a traditional pub – that is friendly to students – on the edge of the city.
"It's changed a lot in here over the past few months," said Ken. "The locals are coming back who never came in when it was a Chinese restaurant. They lost their local pub and now they've got it back again."
Health inspectors had uncovered a catalogue of kitchen catastrophes when they visited the Thai Shanghai in April 2013.
The restaurant was given a zero food hygiene rating – meaning 'major improvement' was necessary – after rat droppings were found in numerous locations.
Mr Jim responded by constructing a 1.5 metre wall around the building in an effort to prevent a return of the rodent. The hygiene rating was upgraded to a 'good' standard of four after inspectors returned in June 2014. Mr Jim decided to return home to Hong Kong for family reasons, and put the business up for lease.
Ken and Carolyn worked in double glazing, before running the Stoke Canon Inn for 18 months. They were approached on three separate occasions to ask them to takeover business operations.
Ken said: "I loved the building and used to come in here to drink years ago. But didn't work as a Chinese."
The couple eventually signed a three-year contract on the building on the condition they would be allowed to return it to a pub.
Ken and Carolyn spent several weeks carrying out a raft of improvements on the run-down building. These included a deep clean of the kitchen, installing new beers lines, and a thorough decoration. They were even donated a thatched roof for the lounge bar.
Now customers can enjoy numerous forms of traditional pub entertainment including table football, pool, a jukebox and arcade games – notably space invaders.
They can also huddle around an outdoor fire pit on weekend night.
The tavern serves three real ales alongside an extensive food menu including steaks and Sunday roasts.
As time goes on Ken and Carolyn hope it will become even more of a family-run business, including their sons and daughter.
Ken added: "We are a warm and welcoming student-friendly local, serving good honest pub food.
"This used to be the busiest student pub in Exeter until Mr Wetherspoon came marching into town.Now the students are coming back again because they like the atmosphere and feel safe. And of course the locals are delighted to have their pub back again."
