BREWERS ARMS – CHEERS – MISTER YUMMY’S – DIE FLEDERMAUS – SULLY’S BAR – MINSTERS, NEW PARLIAMENT STREET

New Parliament Street, which runs down the side of the Royal Oak in Belgrave Gate, is part of the Abbey Hotel project.  The Brewers Arms, named after the original Brewers Arms that stood a few doors away in Belgrave Gate, opened as a specialist real ale bar under the hotel complex.  The first in Leicester to buck the trend of keg beer dominated by the big brewers since the 1960s, and an oasis for real ale lovers at the time.

Eventually there was a name and image change to Cheers, after a popular American TV programme of the time.

The Brewers Arms opened October 1983. The first manager was Chris Freer, who went on to manage the Tom Hoskins later in 1984.

Chris Pyrah

Sadly the Brewers didn’t last that long, but, together with C.A.M.R.A, it had stirred other pubs to reintroduce real ale. It was to be another decade before a specialist real ale pub, free of tie, opened in the city – the Vaults in Wellington Street.    

Cheers closed circa 1992, and didn’t reopen until 1995 under the name of Mr Yummy’s.  Since then it has had various incarnations, mostly as limited hours or nightclub.

From Mr Yummy’s to Die Fledermaus Bar in October 1996, which lasted less than a year before it reopened in May 1997 under the name Sully’s Bar. That seemed to have been the last bar occupying these premises.

Sully’s Bar, May 1997, photo above shows the location off New Parliament Street, stuck between the side of the Royal Oak , Belgrave Gate and retail shops.  It really had no address’ apart from this, housed under the Abbey Street Hotel complex car park.