PUBLICAN John Taylor is going back to the pub he made popular to re-launch its music programme.

John ran the Beamish Mary Inn at No Place, near Stanley, for several years, building up a reputation for its selection of real ales - it won CAMRA's national pub of the year award in 1994 - and the bands it put on.

Blues fan John, who sold up and has run The Sun Inn at Beamish Museum for more then four years, has been invited back by the pub's latest owner to book the best bands on the North-East pub circuit.

The live music nights will be held on Thursdays and will start next Thursday with Theresa Watson, who has appeared at the Stanley Blues Festival.

"We have got a programme lined up until Christmas and a few things in the pipeline for the New Year,'' he said.

"It will all be bands that I like. Hopefully things will get back to the way they were.

"I wouldn't like to label it a blues night but the bands will be in the blues, rock, and rhythm 'n' blues area.

"We've got Theresa Watson, who has apparently got a new set that is more laid back than the stuff she used to do.

"We have got old favourites like TT Blue and The Blues Burglars, who I wanted to book as the first band when I ran the Mary but they had just split up.

"There is a lot of talent in this area that is phenomenal.''

The gigs will start at 9pm and there will be a cover charge yet to be decided.

For further details about the music nights, telephone the pub on (0191) 370 0237.