New Owner Wants to Rid Enfield Pub of Haunted Reputation

enfieldindependent.co.uk - The landlord of a haunted pub in Enfield is hoping to rid the 100-year-old establishment of its ghoulish past.

Aside from the ghost who is said to be trapped in the cellar, the Hop Poles, in Baker Street, has also been damned by residents for being a hotspot for trouble.

But the new management are keen to portray the place as a family pub and continued their relaunch with a fun day yesterday.

Manager Phil Irwin, who took over with his partner Gemma Mehmet in May, said it was important to show potential punters that the pub's problems were in the past.

“A lot of the people who came along are from the community and they can see there is a lot to do for everyone here,” he said.

“We want it to be about getting the community in here and showing it is a different place to the reputation it has got.

“We had a refurb recently and it is a much cleaner environment and better atmosphere, especially during the football.”

The fun day, which also marked the pub's centenary celebrations, featured a horse riding school, magicians and dancers, and live music by bands from the Ponders End youth centre.

But Mr Irwin admitted it was George, the pub's former glass collector, who still pulls in the punters.

Legend has it that pot boy George was hit by a bus outside on the main road many years ago. He now haunts the basement where it is said if anything is put in the wrong place, by the next day, he would have moved it neatly to where it should be.

“Everyone knows the pub and knows the story of the ghost,” said Mr Irwin, who claims a camera crew who were trying to film the haunted cellar once ran out without their equipment after becoming too scared.

“I think it's quite a good laugh really. We always get people asking us 'how's George'.

“I'm down there most days but he hasn't even said 'hello' to me yet. Apparently he moves stuff around, but with all the renovation we've been doing, he could have helped us out.”

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