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"I remember the Crooked House in all its glory and will support any campaign to get it back" - New Sedgley micro bar owner pledges support to campaign

From the old to the new - pubs and bars throughout the West Midlands are lending their support to the campaign to re-build the Crooked House

By Paul Jenkins
Published

One of them is run by Dean Sands who has re-opened his cafe in Sedgley as a full time micro bar after previously running a hybrid operation of a cafe and pub, now called Sanzibar.

Picture in Sedgley at new Micro Bar Sanzibar (formerly Sands Cafe). Paul Turner (front) from the Save The Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) campaign , and owner of Sanzibar: Dean Sands, with a collection of Crooked House Beer mats that are now out and about in pubs across the Black Country. Dean has put some in a frame ready to hang on the wall too.
Picture in Sedgley at new Micro Bar Sanzibar (formerly Sands Cafe). Paul Turner (front) from the Save The Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) campaign , and owner of Sanzibar: Dean Sands, with a collection of Crooked House Beer mats that are now out and about in pubs across the Black Country. Dean has put some in a frame ready to hang on the wall too.

Dean has taken on 200 of the special beer mats produced by members of the Save the Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) and 50 of each of the four produced will be available on a first-come-first serve basis at Sanzibar in Dudley Street, Sedgley which changed its name from Sandsy's last month.

DUDLEY COPYRIGHT NATIONAL WORLD STEVE LEATH 21/08/25 Pictured in Sedgley at new Micro Bar Sanzibar (formerly the Sands Cafe) is Paul Turner (front) from the Save The Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) campaign with the four beer mats which have been distributed to pubs around the Black Country. The owner of Sanzibar Dean Sands (back) has a frame with the beer mats in which will hang on the wall permanently in the micro bar.
DUDLEY COPYRIGHT NATIONAL WORLD STEVE LEATH 21/08/25 Pictured in Sedgley at new Micro Bar Sanzibar (formerly the Sands Cafe) is Paul Turner (front) from the Save The Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) campaign with the four beer mats which have been distributed to pubs around the Black Country. The owner of Sanzibar Dean Sands (back) has a frame with the beer mats in which will hang on the wall permanently in the micro bar.

Members of the Crooked House team spent last weekend distributing thousands of the  specially designed beer mats with images of the famous pub to areas including Wolverhampton, Wombourne, Kingswinford, Wordsley, Dudley and Sedgley , with more to follow in the coming days.

One of them - former Dudley MP Marco Longhi who has supported the campaign to get the famous wonky pub re-built, made sure Sanzibar got a delivery earlier this week and Dean said he was delighted to display them in his bar.

He said: "I used to go to the Crooked House with my parents and remember it in all its glory, marvelling at the marble rolling the wrong way on the bar and just enjoying the atmosphere and surroundings of the place and then I took my own kids there, then suddenly it's gone - no more.

"If we can do something like this to support the campaign to get it re-built we will and we have got 50 of each beer mat which will be displayed in the next four weeks. They will be in the pub for people to take home on a first come first serve basis and we have also put some in a frame which will go on the wall."

"We are a new venue in terms of becoming as full time micro bar which opens at noon every day rather than doing the breakfasts and sandwiches and obviously guest beers and ciders are a big part of that and I know members of the Crooked House group are big on those as well so whilst we are a relatively new venue it is important we don't forget the heritage of the places around us in the same area."

Paul Turner from the Save the Crooked House (Let's Get it Rebuilt) group said they were delighted Sanzibar was taking part in the initiative

He said: "This has been a big undertaking, distributing the beer mats to over 40 pubs in a wide area and we welcome Sanzibar to the fold .

"I know Dean has history with the Crooked House and fond memories of visits there. We wish him and the staff well and thank them for their support."