THEY have pulled the Anchor out from the doldrums.

When Juliann Graham and Mark Smith took on the Anchor pub in Southampton it was on its last legs.

But just months after they moved in they have already sailed the historic mariners’ haunt to sunnier pastures and it’s growing in popularity all the time.

The couple took the Redbridge pub on in December and Marston brewers who own the building gave it a facelift in February, breathing new life into the 300-yearold grade II listed building.

During its refurbishment the company also replaced the lights on the roof which could traditionally be seen from the nearby bridge until they were taken down by a previous manager a few years ago.

For the Millbrook-born landlady Juliann, 48, it’s like coming home.

She was trained at The Anchor before she took on her first pub 28 years ago, since then she has spent nearly three decades running pubs across Hampshire and Dorset.

For the first time in her career, her partner, Mark Smith, 56, will be found beside her behind the bar when he’s not working at the docks.

Juliann said: “It’s like coming home. There are so many people I know here, I’m back with friends and family.

“They’re a really good crowd here, everybody helps everybody.

I love it. I could not have wished to end up somewhere better.

“There are a lot of people of all age groups coming back to the pub. The younger element pop in and have a drink and the older element play darts, pool and cribs.

“It was slow to begin with but it’s built up and built up.

“It’s a traditional community pub with light bites and simple English meals all week. It’s a community family pub but one that anyone can pop in and feel welcome.

“We’re not in competition with The Ship down the road, they’re a food pub and we’re not.”

Juliann and Mark have a packed calendar of events and activities, including a quiz every other Sunday evening, lots of games, a car boot sale every Saturday and a carvery every Sunday with light bites all week.

Proceeds from the car boot sale go to The Cedar School in Nursling and The Motor Neuron Disease Association in memory of Juliann’s father who died of the disease.

The couple are also planning to hold a number of outdoor family activities throughout the summer to make use of the pub’s large garden, including the traditional tug-o-war.

A typical pint won’t break the bank at £3.09 for lager, £3.10 for bitter and £3.49 for cider.

Mondays to Fridays there is a special price on Carlsberg and Ringwood Best Bitter at £2.40 a pint.