A family in Solihull have built their own fully-functional Las Vegas-themed pub in their back garden over lockdown.
John O’Grady, a carpenter, roped in his family of nine to bring the project to life. The sports bar has been christened O’Gradys Bar and includes a pool table, three televisions, a juke box, a games room, a working toilet and draught beer pumps, reports Birmingham Live.
His wife and four children, his eldest son’s partner and his parents all live together and have been “going to the pub” every weekend since it “opened” in September.
Mr O’Grady told the newspaper: “We spend most Friday and Saturday nights in there as a family now and we’re often in there on a Sunday afternoon watching the football.
“It feels like a pub because there are so many of us living together in our house.”
He said the family spent time in the pub over the Christmas period, adding: “I know we’re very lucky, we haven’t suffered through lockdown like some people have.”
The project, which resulted in a 12m by 6m pub with wifi, running water and central heating, cost Mr O’Grady around £50,000 to complete.
He said the family had “gone to town on it” and the pub would not “disappear or rot away any time soon”.
The pub decor was designed and spray-painted by a friend of Mr O’Grady’s, graffiti artist David Brown. Beer kegs are delivered regularly by Mark O’Neill, who runs a brewery in Rugby and has been supplying beer to home pubs since March to keep his business afloat.
The family are looking forward to sharing the pub with their friends and extended family when lockdown restrictions are eased and visiting indoors is allowed again.
“No one has seen it yet because of lockdown,” said Mr O’Grady. “They’ve seen pictures but we can’t wait for them to see it for real.
“We’re looking forward to spending time there with our friends and family. I can’t see us going to the pub much now we have this in our garden!”
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