New life breathed into Albion

A pub which was once run by the legendary "Jumping Joe Darby" and believed to be one of the oldest in Dudley is being given a new lease of life as a trendy cafe.

The Albion pub in Stone Street was famously run for 50 years by Joe Darby, the man who could leap across an entire canal from a standing position.

The boozer - which dates back to at least 1841 - has stood empty for the past three years and has been vandalised and set on fire.

But husband and wife Martyn and Jo Williams have spent the past year revamping the pub and transforming it into Caffe Grande which will serve everything from coffee to a glass of wine.The couple were keen to preserve as much of the original locally listed building as possible.

Mrs Williams said: "The place has been gutted and although a lot of the brickwork was beyond saving there was some worth keeping.

"Some of the handmade bricks have fingerprints embedded in them and these have been used in the bar.

"We have also been able to save some of the beams. I think people will be pleased that we have tried to keep the history as it gives the place character."

The couple who own Blade Hair and Beauty in Stone Street previously ran Le Cafe nextdoor to the salon. Due to popular demand they decided to move to bigger premises and thought the old Albion pub would be ideal.

One of their customers Don Kirby has gathered facts and figures and photographs of the pub which he has compiled and presented to the couple.

Mrs Williams said she would be framing some of the photographs, such as one showing the front of the building as it looked in 1958, to display in the new business.

Other information customers will be able to read about includes details about Joe Darby and past licensees and about Stone Street, which was once a cattle market. Customers may also want to watch out for any ghostly goings-on!

Mrs Williams said some people had been surprised she was willing to invest in Dudley town centre which has suffered from a downturn in trade in the past. But she said businesses were being attracted to the town especially with multi-million pound plans to breathe new life into it.