A LEGENDARY pub which once hosted infamous after-hours council meetings will soon reopen.
Dale Street’s Vernon Arms closed in 2004 and fell derelict.
New landlord Jimmy Monaghan now hopes he and his family can breathe life into the much-missed boozer.
In its mid-1980s heyday, it was dubbed Liverpool’s “politburo”.
Militant Tendency stalwart Derek Hatton frequented the watering hole before going to meetings in the municipal buildings and annexe on the other side of Dale Street.
He told the ECHO: “More decisions were taken there than were ever taken in the chamber.
“I have got wonderful memories of the place. You met before meetings and after meetings.
“They used to have ‘stay behinds’, when they locked the doors and people would finish their drinks.
“You had more problem getting out then in.”
But after the municipal annexe closed and committee meetings moved from that end of Dale Street, profits plummeted.
Owners Martin and Helen Ainscough called time in November 2004 and put the pub up for sale.
After being empty for more than four years, Mr Monaghan and wife Barbara hope to open in time for Grand National Ladies’ Day next Friday.
They have poured £10,000 into fixing up the building and spent two weeks renovating it.
Thieves had stolen all the copper pipes and brass fittings and it was home to squatters.
Mr Monaghan said: “We want to turn it back to the traditional pub it once was.
“It is a shame it was never rejuvenated. Once we cleaned it all down, it did not look too bad – it just needed a lick of varnish and a good scrubbing.”
Ex-cabbie Jimmy, 46, and Barbara, 48, have run city pubs for more than a decade
