Singing pub landlords take over the Shropshire venue where they played their first gig 20 years ago

Julie and Ryan Owen, well‑known faces on the Shropshire pub scene, will open the doors at midday this Friday (April 3) after stepping away from The Honeysuckle Inn in Newport, where they’ve spent the last two and a half years building what Julie describes as “a lovely community pub”.

The pair have been singers on the local circuit for more than two decades, first meeting at a Telford singing competition in 2005. They formed a duo soon after and performed their very first gig together at The Horseshoes.

Julie said the Ketley pub, which until recently had been in the same family for three generations, has had “a bit of a rough ride” over the last couple of years.

The couple have plenty of experience running pubs, having managed The Bull Hotel in Ludlow for around six months before moving to The Honeysuckle. Now they’re determined to bring The Horseshoes back to the kind of friendly, bustling local many residents remember.

“That’s what we want - how it was back in the day. Bowls of homemade chips with lashings of salt and vinegar for a couple of quid, karaoke, live entertainment,” Julie said. “Somewhere people look forward to coming in, where they come in as friends and leave as family.”

The pub will open at 12pm on Friday, with a packed family fun day planned for Sunday from 12pm, with activities - including live music, a bouncy castle and an Easter egg hunt - starting around 1pm.

Having only received the keys on Monday, the pair are already planning a jam-packed schedule for the pub in the near future, with talk of weekly bingo sessions and karaoke every Friday and Sunday, plus a singer every Saturday.

On July 4 they’ll host a large fundraising festival in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice, featuring around eight bands and acts, a bouncy castle and a barbecue.

“It’s all about making it a really nice, friendly place to come,” Julie said. “Very much a community‑based pub.”