It is a traditional Black Country boozer and today its locals are celebrating after bagging a place in the final of the prestigious Community Pub Of The Year competition.

The Great Western in Bilston will represent our region, competing against pubs from across the UK.

The Ash Street boozer raises thousands of pounds for charity, hosts Q & A sessions with Wolves legends like Steve Bull and John Richards, and even takes some of the regulars on holiday. 

In the last year the pub has organised weekends in Dublin and Paris for 45 of its loyal customers in a bid to get them to know each other better. 

Current landlord Carmen Rawley, aged 47, has raised more than £4,000 since taking charge three years ago for groups in the Black Country like Compton Hospice, Beacon Centre for the Blind and the Holy Trinity Church in Bilston. 

Carmen, who impressed judges when they visited the pub in secret, runs the pub with her partner Roger Wood, aged 56.

She said: “We decided to enter because our regulars asked us to. 

“It’s a nationwide competition that asks for pubs to put themselves forward. Now that we’ve made the final shortlisting we can expect another visit – but we don’t know when they will come. 

“Everyone who comes in here say they like the atmosphere. 

“The people here are really friendly, it’s like a community in itself.

“You won’t find many pubs like this nowadays.” 

The pub has been invited to a glittering ceremony at the Belfrey Hotel in Birmingham on November 13, where one boozer of the six shortlisted will be crowned the winner.