We always wanted to run a bar and now we're just going for it

A family bringing a new bar to Garston Village hope it will contribute to the area's resurgence.

Web designer Paul Maloney and his wife Braidy are opening tap room Solomon's on St Mary's Road in Garston next month. Found in the former Stalbridge Hotel, the bar will focus on craft beer as Paul and his family look to bring something different to the area.

Named after butcher Solomon Fisher, for whose business the building now housing the tap room was built, Solomon's will open on May 4. Paul, 43, from Garston, is excited by the venture and is proud to be part of a group of businesses bringing new life to St Mary's Road.

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As he worked on getting the bar ready for business, Paul spoke to the ECHO about how the idea behind it developed and what he hopes to achieve with the venue.

He said: "I’m into craft ale and have been for a good few years. My wife and I were looking at buying a place to run as a bar.

"My wife was part of the cake shop on Aigburth Road called Catherine Braidy. She was the Braidy from that.

"But she moved away from that last year and opened up a new cake and coffee shop on St Mary's Road called Five in August. Our focus then was on getting the coffee shop sorted.

"We'd only been trading for a week and the Stalbridge Hotel nearby left. The landlord showed us around and asked 'don't you fancy that for your bar idea?'.

"I said that we'd literally just opened the coffee shop so we weren't sure. But in December we decided to just go for it".

Garston has a number of traditional pubs, including The Dealers Arms and The Swan Inn. With its focus on craft beer, Solomon's will bring a