THE Wheelers at Torpoint, a free house which this month celebrates its 9th an-niversary, is a big, busy, and brightly illuminated pub, which has a lorry load of beer delivered every week, to keep up with the demands of its hundreds of customers!

Licensee and manager, is local man Ally Yeoman, and the proprietors are Mr and Mrs Charles White and Mrs Marjorie Gibbeson. Busy Ally, who is also licensee and manager of The Harbour Lights Night Club, is very proud of The Wheelers reputation for a good night out, coupled with very reasonably priced drinks, which he claims to be among the cheapest in Cornwall and Plymouth.

'We definitely give best value' he said. Fosters and most lagers are £1.60 pint, and John Smith Smooth is the same. Websters Bitter is £1.50 and so is Courage, and Guinness is £1.90. A gin and tonic with slice and ice is £1.20 and branded spirits are £1.20'.

But it's not just the beer which draws in Ally's customers. He makes sure there is nightly entertainment for his locals and the large numbers of Ratings and Officers from nearby naval base HMS Raleigh, who use The Wheelers as one of their main social rendezvous. There is also a weekly influx of families who travel to Torpoint from all over the country to witness their sons' and daughters' passing out parades at the base.

On Mondays it is quiz night with money prizes and roll overs, and on Tuesdays the juke box is free and the pub's two teams in the Torpoint and District Pool League are in action. Surprisingly for mid week, Wednesday is the busiest night. But at just £1 pint from 8pm onwards and a disco playing 60's and 70's music, it is easy to see why. Another draw is the excellent DJ's.

Happy Hour

On Thursdays there is a happy hour from 8-9pm at £1 pint coupled with just £1.60 for doubles with mixers, and Fridays are the popular pontoon nights, when Ally gives away lots of goodies to his customers, mainly promotions from breweries, which can sometimes mean up to 30 T shirts. 'Fridays are packed and it is a good starter for the weekend' says Ally.

Saturday is live entertainment night and the pub is heaving with everyone out and about having some fun, and on Saturday, January 20, the pub will be featuring the lead singer from the famous Drifters, none other than Ray Lewis. Sundays are billed as 'alternative' night, with a champagne karaoke and the main event, which is 'Open the Box' and was featured on Carlton Television. The customer who wins the right to select one of 21 keys, the deputy mayor John Crago drawing the winner, then opens the co-ordinating box to see if there is £50 inside. If not, the unwon money is added the following week, and this Sunday (November 26) the total is £450.

Add to all this a giant screen and 13 televisions, which means the pub is capable of showing all the sport on Sky One, Euro Sport and BBC Sport at the same time, and it is easy to see why the pub is such a hub of activity.

It also likes to support the local community and has been a generous sponsor to Torpoint Athletic Football Club for many years. It is also involved in sponsorships for local youth football and netball, and photographs of all the teams are on a special display in the pool table area. The pub also gives prizes for charity raffles and has also just made a donation to the town's Christmas lights.

The Wheelers was originally a hotel for many years, and is situated in a prime spot at the bottom of Fore Street on the corner. In 1992 it was closed down for a complete refurbishment which actually left only three walls standing, and amazingly it re-opened within 12 weeks, and was launched as The Wheelers public house. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, and it's large and open bar area, capable of accommodating 380 people comfortably, together with the attractive neon lit instruments in the ceiling, has likened it to the 'big town' pubs. A novel feature is an authentic red phone box, with its own carpet!

Lucky

Ally runs a staff of 35, many of whom have been with the venture from the start, but the longest serving is bar person Bobbie Read, who worked at The Wheelers when it was a hotel. 'Charles says he bought me with the building for 10p' laughs Bobbie, and Ally quips that he thought she came with the furniture! However, Bobbie says she is lucky to have such good employers, and the staff are all a happy bunch. Ally has two more managers in Jim Rooke and Rob Storey, while the catering, which is done on the premises is franchised out to chef Alison Penrose. She serves up traditional and tasty pub grub, which is freshly cooked and excellent value.

But The Wheelers is not all about night life and bright lights. Open all day from 11am-11pm, it attracts a daytime clientele who enjoy the comfortable surroundings and the friendliness of the place. Among them is 79 year old Mr Edwin Elliott, who lives just outside the town, and since suffering a stroke, has a taxi to the pub most days. An ex airman, Edwin, says he enjoys the company and the beer. 'The pub is my lifeline and cheers up my day' he said.

Another daily regular is 73 year old Fred Billingsley who lives close by. 'It's clean, the people are nice and the atmosphere is friendly' he says. The pub is also a meeting place for Fred, as most days his friend, octogenarian Olive Bolton, pops in after some shopping, to share a drink and a chat with him.

But the last word on The Wheelers should go to TV detector van driver Jan Davey, whose daughter Rosalind works behind the bar, as did her sister Heather before moving to Scotland. 'This place should be pub of the year, never mind pub of the week. It serves the best drop of beer this side of the Tamar' he said.