GAVIN AITCHISON welcomes the rebirth of a pub that escaped closure.

IF you were planning to stay at home today, think again. If you’re working, make sure you take a long lunch break. And if you’re going somewhere in the car, then reprogramme your sat nav and make sure it leads you to YO24 4BH.

Because if you’re anywhere else today, then you’re in the wrong place. Sorry to break that to you, but it’s true. Whatever you had planned – decorating, work, weddings, whatever – can wait. Put it off to another day and instead get up, get out and get yourself to Holgate. More precisely, to the Volunteer Arms in Watson Street.

This place has been there for almost 150 years but, just six months ago you may remember, it was teetering on the brink of extinction. The then owners, Punch Taverns, wanted to turn it into housing and only just missed out on getting their way, councillors voting 4-3 against the idea when it went to the planning committee.

They were influenced in part by Paul Crossman, landlord of The Swan and co-owner of The Slip Inn, who contested Punch’s claims that the building was no longer viable as a pub and urged councillors not to sign its death warrant.

Having won their case, Paul and his business partner, Jon Farrow, then put their money where their mouths are and bought the place. And after several weeks’ hard labour, The Volly, as it is affectionately known, duly reopened last night as York’s newest freehold pub.

Punch may be licking their wounds, and members of the neighbouring St Paul’s Church were disappointed that their plans too came to nought, but anyone who values community pubs can only be happy about how things have panned out.

My deadlines, alas, mean I had to write this before the pints actually started flowing last night, but the look of the place and the list of beers are certainly impressive.

By the time the finishing touches have been made, there will be 26 lines on the bar – more than at either The Swan or The Slip and allowing for an impressive range of drinks.

There will be four permanent ales (Moorhouse’s Black Cat, Ilkley Mary Jane, Marston Moor Cromwell’s Pale and Leeds Yorkshire Gold) and also a decent range of international offerings on tap, including Leffe, Belle Vue Kriek, Löwenbräu, Becks Vier, the new Budweiser lager and the Bavarian wheat beer Franziskaner.

Guest ales will also be in frequent supply, including imminent appearances from the new Kirkstall brewery in Leeds and Magic Rock in Huddersfield.

Those enjoying that new bar list will be able to do so in vastly improved surroundings as well, Paul and Jon having spent a small fortune doing the place up.

There’s a new wall separating the main bar room from the toilets, and new mini partitions and bench seating in the other room.

The front door has been widened, the lettering above it restored, and the faded old Pubmaster sign replaced with its far more eye-catching predecessor, which was found nailed to the wall in the beer garden.

A mosaic floor beside the bar has been re-revealed, and the upstairs flat has been extensively redeveloped for the incoming new manager Helen Matheson and, as work continues, French doors will be added from the lounge bar into the garden.

All that’s left now is for people to get themselves along, to raise a glass to The Volly’s survival, and to see why this pub was worth saving in the first place. I’ll see you there later!

• Follow Gav at twitter.com/pintsofview for beery news, views and chat throughout the week.