AN Aberystwyth town centre pub has a new name.

Work has been ongoing at Lord Beeching’s over the past two weeks, renovating the public house on Alexandra Road, opposite the town’s train station.

A new sign went up on the outside of the building earlier this week with a new name, The Hoptimist.

Formerly known as the Railway Inn, the pub’s name was changed to Lord Beeching’s in the 1990s.

It was named after the author of a controversial report into the state of British railways in the 1960s, which led to the closure of several lines and stations across the UK.

The public house is owned by the Valiant Pub Company, who said: “Valiant Pub Company, which operates 20 pubs in Wales, is soon to complete an exciting and extensive refurbishment of the Hoptimist in Aberystwyth.

“We have completely refurbished all trading areas, redecorated the exterior and created a fabulous beer garden at the rear. 

“We want to provide the best local community hub that we can, and our manager Lee Slaymaker is looking forward to welcoming new and existing customers as of next week. 

“The pub will reopen on Monday ,26 September with a variety of fun launch events planned throughout October.

“The pub had previously been renamed Lord Beeching in memory of the Chairman of British Railways, who by some is held responsible for the closure of 6,000 miles of railway, many believe these closures led to the isolation of small communities across the country. 

“Our aim is the complete opposite!  

“We aim to be at the heart of the local community, where we will bring people back together. 

“In these challenging times we have chosen to invest into pubs to demonstrate our ‘optimism for the future of fabulous Welsh pubs.”