A REVIVED, brighter – and bluer! - Brewers Arms re-opens today. Alison Madrell, the new landlady of the community heart of West Malvern, has been working flat out for the last couple of weeks with a team of family, friends and volunteers to ready the pub to welcome customers again. And those who turn up to celebrate the re-opening this weekend will notice changes outside even before they enter the door.

Alison has already brightened up the garden area by painting all the picnic benches sky blue, and placing colourful plant pots around the outdoor drinking area. She plans to introduce by early June an all home-made food menu using locally sourced ingredients. In charge in the kitchen will be Clare Fenwick-Hyde, of the Malvern Supper Club. The pub will be open from 11am seven days a week. Children, dogs, ramblers and cyclists will all be welcome.

Alison is a cheerful 41-year-old dairy farmer's daughter from the Isle of Man. She has recently been living in West Malvern and will shortly take up residence in the pub. She has a degree in genetics from Leeds University and has been lately working with the Holstein cattle breed society.

The Brewers should be a busy place this weekend, as locals (and visitors if the weather is not too awful) turn up to celebrate the reopening of the pub. Following last night (Thursday)'s meeting at the Elim Theatre work, continues on developing a fall-back plan for a possible future community buyout of the Brewers but meanwhile, everyone will wish success to its latest occupant.

COLIN JACKSON