A WORKINGTON couple have announced they are taking over a popular town pub, and have 'big plans' for its future.

Lucy Younghusband-McDonald and Mike McDonald, who have both run prominent businesses in the town, have taken over the Miners Arms on Guard Street, following the retirement of the previous owners.

Speaking about their decision to take over the pub, Lucy said that the couple have drunk in that pub for 'over 20 years'.

“We met all of our friends in there, lifelong friends really, and my husband always said if that ever comes up, we will go for it," she said.

“We know the pub inside out and we just want to have a go and see what we can do with it really.

“We have never done anything like this before. We have drunk in a lot of pubs... I used to jump on the bar [to help out] when it was busy, as a friend, but never actually ran anything like this.”

The couple’s son and daughter will be helping the couple out in the pub when they have free time away from work and college.

Lucy said: “It’s going to be a bit family run to start off with.

“I think it’s always important that the face of the pub is the landlord... customers like to see the landlords in their pubs.

“I was young in the days when the town was in its heyday, you had the circuit and the town was bouncing, and obviously times have changed, but we want live music and things that bring people together.”

The couple have said the Miners will be ‘the same as it was, but with a bit of a twist’ with plans to make ‘bigger celebrations’ of major events such as Cheltenham, St Patrick's Day and the Euros.

The couple will do a ‘soft launch’ on February 8 to allow regulars and clubs such as the darts team back in and using the pub.

There will then be an official opening weekend over three nights on February 23, 24 and 25 which will see customers treated to live music and free food.