Okay….so The Giffard Arms in its present form was born on March 3rd 2003. We ran a Gothic shop across the road and had customers from far and wide. People would often ask ‘where do we wear this stuff locally?’ In a City of 3000,00 inhabitants, and apart from the usual generic and bland watering holes you see everywhere in any City or town, there was nowhere to go unless you were prepared to travel.

Until one day, as if decreed by providence itself, a ‘To Let’ sign was posted up on the pub opposite the shop. The Giffard Arms has a long and proud history of being an Alternative/Rock venue, but in recent years had earnt itself a bad reputation and had fallen into disrepair.

However, it had a fantastic façade, although Tudor, it looked imposing and Gothic! It was filthy, neglected and the walls were actually a dirty cream colour. But...it had wooden panelling, plaster mouldings and potential!!!

We put a business plan together, talked to the brewery and blagged the rest so it sounded as if we knew what we were doing. Although I am a third generation Publican, I hadn’t run a pub for over 10 years, and things change! We must have convinced the brewery as we moved in a few weeks later.

Nearly 5 years on and we are still going strong. A relaxed, but slightly weird venue for creatures of the night. It’s a Rock pub with Gothic tendencies. The walls are now Dragons blood red (a colour you can get from Dixon’s, honest), we have a huge Gothic chair and a reclaimed Christian pulpit as a DJ box (we are all going to hell!).

Money was tight, so we improvised and made the famous ‘Coffin tables’ out of the old pub tables. The carpet was laid way back in the early 80s, although I have been told it was the 1970s. A new one is on the way!

The Giffard is where I met my husband, Tom. He ran The Greyhound and Punchbowl in Bilston. So we married on July 1st 2005. We now run The Giffard together. You can often see us on the dance floor when John plays ‘Love walked in’ by Thunder!! Ahh! (He’ll kill me for writing this)

The pub has had its ups and downs over the last 5 years, we have lost dear friends through illness or other circumstances, but it’s the most weird and wonderful place. Although it has a reputation for being a little odd (well you would think that if you are dressed in Burberry and bling), we love the pub with a passion. It’s relaxed, friendly and makes you feel you’re in a local even in the heart of the City centre.

So come and have a drink with us, relax or let your hair down. We play the best rock and Alternative music in the Midlands.

See you soon
Tom & Wendy Ansell

Keepers of the Giffard Arms