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No bar flies at this pub... thanks to Flossie

David Edwards
27/ 8/2004

IF YOU suffer from arachnabobia, the Kenyon pub in Moorclose is probably not the ideal venue for a night out.

For if its a pint you're after, one of your companions at the bar is likely to be Flossie, who is friendly enough and may well scuttle over to greet you, but being a tarantula has had a bad press and is often shown a clean pair of heels by terrified punters.

Landlady Vicky Gallagher cannot understand the fuss: "She is completly harmless and wouldn't harm a fly". Perhaps not the best description of an overgrown spider. "We got it from a customer who had had it for some time, but had forgotten to tell his mother about it.

"When she found out and was not particularly happy about it, our pool team decided to adopt it as a mascot. It goes to away matches and seems to have a disconcerting effect on the rival teams. She's become a firm favourite with our regulars and is always willing to trip"

Flossie is the second mascot the pub has had since Vicky took it over.

VIcky said: "We had a pig ornament, but two months ago a group calling themselves the Pork Maniacs, kidnapped it. Since then I have received six ransom demands for my beloved pig from the Maniacs. I'm hoping some Guardian reader knows where my pig is, the customers are missing it."