Mansfield Brewery opened this pub – aptly named the Lamplighters – in December 1993 in the old gas showrooms. In the pub yard to the rear of the building, cellars containing hundreds of old street lights were covered over and filled in. There they must remain today, waiting for a future archaeological dig to unearth.
The Lamplighters and Firefly had a problem with their identities. One year it was a trendy end of town party scene, then a heavy rock scene, then a mainstream drinking establishment, followed by a more upmarket attraction, eventually becoming a fag-end outlet – neither one thing or another.
Firefly, in one of its reincarnations, as a classy modern interior befitting the Millstone Lane area. It didn’t last.
Now known as Firebug and as of writing, is still very much open for business.
I used to work there (Lamplighters) during the early 2000’s when it was one of the few venues to cater to the Rock, Punk and Metal crowd. Late licencing helped it keep going for a while, but dwindling crowds and not much of a Rock scene in Leicester meant it ultimately had to close. Had some great times and made some awesome friends. Best moment was adding detergent to the glasswasher on the very last night for a laugh – instant foam party!