THE future looked bright for a now long-lost Hereford pub when it reopened after a £52,000 facelift in February 1986.

The Gamecock, in Hereford's Holme Lacy Road, had been taken over by new landlords Chris and Sue Fisher the year before, with a programme of refurbishments soon following.

By the new year, it was 'transformed' and said to be well worth a visit, promising to be a local's "home from home".

The Fishers told the Hereford Times in 1986 that they wanted to make the pub a focal point for the area, a place with a warm atmosphere where locals could meet over a drink and good pub food."

"The community spirit is already first class," Mrs Fisher said at the time.

The newly reopened pub boasted a sports bar with pool, skittles, darts and a computerised counter, while live sport was shown on television.

the lounge bar was reported to be "exceptionally attractive and comfortable", with plush seats and two settees.

Function rooms offered space for weddings and special events, while a large garden offered play facilities for children.

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But the heydays were not to last, and by October 2010, the writing was on the wall for the south city pub as Tesco announced plans to convert the building into a Tesco Express shop.

Campaigners collected dozens of signatures against the plans, with Councillor Chris Chappell, who led a protest outside the city's Bewell Street Tesco saying they had filled several pages of their petition.

“People just wanted to say no to another Tesco in Hereford, and certainly not one on Holme Lacy Road,” he said.

Coun Chappell said he hoped Hereford MP Jesse Norman could take the petition to the House of Commons once complete.

A Tesco spokesperson said at the time that the supermarket chain was interested in taking a lease on the Gamecock, and that they believed the shop would reduce car journeys.

Unfortunately for locals who wanted to keep their pub, the campaign was unsuccessful and the pub was later converted into a Tesco Express shop.