A pub could be opened in West Lancashire for under 18s as part of plans to tackle underage drinking in the district.

After months of research, surveys, consultation with teenagers and an alcohol conference, an action plan has been put together which aims to educate youngsters to drink sensibly in a traditional pub setting.

The council said the non-alcoholic pub would be a pilot initiative and would work in consultation with breweries. They added that they may take over the running of a pub on a trail basis.

The idea met with approval among local licensees. Joe Kelly, from Ormskirk’s The Greyhound said: “It is an excellent idea and somewhere for the kids. They used to have youth clubs, which have died a death.

“Ideas like this have got to be tried or we will never know if they work. Supermarket ale is so cheap and there is no control of it”.

The Saracen’s Head in Halsall will reopen soon.

As previously reported, the canal-side pub near Ormskirk has been closed for some time but a spokesman for Punch Taverns, which owns the building, said: “The existing licensees are signing over the pub to new licensees.”

When I passed today, workmen were ripping much of out the old interior, although the bar will remain in the same place. Let’s hope for better things this time round.

The Saracen’s Head pub on the banks of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal at Halsall, Ormskirk, has been closed down for a month now, windows boarded up and not a soul to be seen.

Rumours are that it may have been taken over by local millionaire Mike McComb, who’s already snapped up the Swan in Aughton and the Scarisbrick Arms (Downholland).

The pub is in a lovely location and should be a goldmine but has suffered from a line of licensees with not a clue about what rural folk and weekend boozers like myself want.

Last time I visited, a Spaniard had taken it over and was trying to get the yeoman of Lancashire to give up their real ale and hot pots in favour of cold omelettes, olives and San Miguel. Another manager decided that what people really wanted was loud pop music, with a speaker above each table blasting out Whitney Houston and Celine Dion.

I used to go regularly, but in recent times, walked the extra quarter of a mile up the canal to The Ship, where the beer and food were better.

With so many pubs closing these days, it’s a pleasure to see one on the up.

The Windmill in Ormskirk offers a glimpse of the future, where the only pubs standing survive by offering a first-class service that puts them at the heart of the community.

The Mill – recently taken over by Alun and Carolyn Comer and Diane and Anthony Seddon – had a reputation as an “old man’s pub” but since my last visit has benefited from what looks like a woman’s touch.

There’s lots of dark wood, a tasteful colour scheme, stylish blinds and subdued lighting — a modern twist on what we expect of a traditional boozer.

There’s also good pub grub available, including an all-day breakfast that hits the spot quicker than a goat’s cheese tartuffe could dare to dream.

As I constantly point out, the only pubs that will make it over the next decade are those who treat drinkers with respect.

So it was a cause for celebration to see a menu at each table offering 33 popular cocktails, a range of “shots” and a good value wine list.

The pub only has one real ale on, Cains of Liverpool, however, it was served in excellent condition.

The barmaid I spoke to said they’d like to have more but are stymied by the small bar area and lack of space in the cellar. Fair enough, but why they need 11 taps for lager — which tastes pretty much the same whoever makes it — is beyond me.

Gripes aside, what makes this pub really stand out is its good atmosphere and friendly welcome.
Taking my two children into an ale-house usually leaves me feeling more self-conscious than a leper at the swimming baths, but the staff couldn’t have been more understanding.

Felt-tips and a colouring book were provided, table service was offered and a free round of bread was delivered for a little boy who only wanted a small chip butty from his daddy’s plate.

There’s Sky sports for those who want it (a Bill Shankly epigram is stencilled on one of the walls, suggesting this is a popular place on match days).

There’s also darts, pub quizzes on Thursdays and Sundays, theme nights, a bowling green and beer garden that the management plan to revamp before the summer.

What more do you want? Elvis?

Popular West Lancashire pub the Crawford Arms has been put on the market for £100,000 with the Leeds office of business sales agents Davey & Co. The Crawford village pub has an annual turnover approaching £400,000, so there are hopes that a new leaseholder will step in soon.

I was sorry to see that the Queen Inn, of Aughton Street, Ormskirk, closed as I drove past today on my way to a party. A fellow guest told me it has been boarded up for about a month now and there’s not much hope that someone will take it on.

Although The Queen was never the greatest pub, it’s still sad to see another fallen ale house. Ormskirk has few enough good pubs. I remember meeting the famous John Hatton for a drink there once and he swore he’d never return to the town after pub after pub failed to raise his spirits.

Anyone any suggestions for the best Ormskirk boozer?

The Windmill Inn, Ormskirk, has been given a modern makeover by a group of four friends. The two married couples took over the pub on Wigan Road after the last manager was ill.

“We had always drunk in the pub ourselves and the handover went through a couple of weeks ago,” Alun Comer said. He owns the pub with wife Carolyn and their friends Diane and Anthony Seddon.

“It looks very different from how it did. It is brighter and cleaner with traditional good food and we hope to start serving real ale. We are working on renovating the beer garden as well.”

The pub, now known as The Mill, holds its official opening this weekend, with a comedy night on Friday and live music on Saturday, both with a hot and cold Chinese buffet available. They are trying to get away from the Mill’s Old Man image.

Thanks to Natasha for this story.