It might be 5pm on a week night, but the party is already in full swing at The Chestergate pub in Stockport. Regulars are dancing away to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers and there's already a pile of requests for songs piled up at the karaoke machine.
The pints are flowing - and it's no surprise when the price for a pint of Fosters here is £3 and John Smith's for £2.95. And, whether it's down to the pints or not, you can't fail to notice that there are smiling faces everywhere here.
This is the pub that went viral earlier this month thanks to its "Choose your Own Tuesday" video on Facebook, showing regulars "living their best life" on a typical Tuesday karaoke night at the traditional boozer right in the heart of Stockport town centre. Incredibly, over 2m have since seen the video - which led to people from across the world hailing it the "best pub on Earth".
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And it seems like everyone now wants a slice of The Chestergate action. Fans from Methyr Tydfil to Los Angeles were all said to be planning a trip after witnessing the classic pub scenes.
Staff and regulars have been taking their new-found fame all in their stride and the place was packed as I headed along to join them on Tuesday night - exactly a week since the world swivelled its head to gawp inside The Chestergate.
As I headed in to the Mersey Square pub, the first person I spotted was Molly - one of the stars of the viral video, who was pictured dancing around the pub in a very glam black fringed flapper dress. This week she was even more glam than that - dressed in sparkling purple sequins and white cowboy boots as she belted out the Mary Hopkin classic Those Were The Days My Friend.
Molly is a seriously sprightly 84 years of age - and I watch on with sheer admiration as she dances around with more energy than an 18-year-old throughout the night. Molly, from Shaw Heath, tells me that The Chestergate has become a huge part of her life.
She started coming to the pub when lockdown released us all - and now she's here every Tuesday and Friday for the karaoke sessions. She tells me: "When lockdown finished that was it, I came out. And now I absolutely love it, this pub is just the best and everyone is so friendly."
She adds: "I lost my husband seven years ago, but I still haven't got over it. But I get up there," she says, pointing at the karaoke machine, "and I sing the Great Pretender and I suppose that's how I feel as well."
Molly is sat with a group of fellow regulars who all sing and wave their arms and cheer when ever anyone gets up to sing on the karaoke. It's a wonderfully convivial and supportive atmosphere.
I sit next to Rita Casey who tells me she's known as 'the Opera Lady' in the pub thanks to her diva-like vocals. She's a tiny woman, but when she gets up on stage she belts out I Dreamed A Dream with a heart-meltingly beautiful voice.
Rita, 76, from New Mills, comes down here on her own, but has been welcomed in as if she's part of the family now. She tells me: "I came here for the first time six months ago, I had a little drink on the bus to give me courage. But everyone made me so welcome.
" I just love it here, there was no need to worry coming out on your own because everyone welcomes you in."
After hearing her beautiful performance, I ask if she had a professional career as an opera singer. "Oh no," she laughs. "I just love to sing. When the karaoke finishes here I go back to another pub, the Dandy Cock in Disley, and have a sing there too."
Rita is married but her husband isn't keen on coming along. She adds: "My daughter and son were mortified when I said that I come and sing here, but do you know what? It’s the best place I’ve ever been."
Everyone is so happy when they're up at the front of the pub singing that I decide I must pluck up the courage and give it a whirl myself. I'm trying to get a measure of what the crowd would like, as so far it's been a lot of 60s, 70s and 80s tunes - and surprisingly quite a lot of ballads.
Indeed, one of the biggest singalongs comes when Steve Wedge, 32, another regular here, jumps up to sing Westlife's Flying Without Wings. It goes down a storm with everyone chipping in on the high notes in our own uniquely pitched way.
Exploring the bar's offering a little closer, I'm staggered to see the price of prosecco - £10.95 for a whole bottle if you buy before 7pm - I mean, I've paid more than that for a glass of the stuff in the city centre before now. Tucking in to my bargain fizz, after a few sips I suddenly feel I have the courage to stick my name down to sing A Little Respect by Erasure.
Well, I couldn't have had a better reception than if I was actual Andy Bell from Erasure stood up there singing, let me tell you. Everyone sings along and claps, even when I hit some seriously duff notes, and at the end they kindly whoop and cheer.
Some even shouted "more, more" would you believe? One bloke even asked to shake my hand afterwards and said "credit where it's due". I don't think I've ever felt so appreciated as a human in my whole adult life.
I'm on a massive, Chestergate karaoke high, and I can see now why this place commands such fierce loyalty. It's fun, it's friendly and everyone is just so kind.
The pub is run by Steph Armstrong, 34, and her partner Adam Kidd, 35, who took over the venue in April this year. Steph said they've been doing lots to try to attract people back to the pub, which is when the idea of posting videos of all the regulars having a good time on their Facebook page started.
She says: "There's quite a lot of regulars here, they're just a really lovely bunch. It's like a little community pub, they're all friends and there's a lovely atmosphere where everyone sings and dances and feels safe and happy."
Gene Wedge, 62, follows on from his son Steve's performance to belt out Elvis to huge cheers from the crowd. He tells me afterwards why he loves it at the pub so much: "It's the atmosphere, but also the staff - they're out of this world."
Son Steve, who works at Stockport County, agrees. He says: "Anyone who wants to come and have a good time can come here, they can come and have a sing and a laugh."
Just after 7pm, the pub's resident DJ Kim Randall makes an announcement that no more karaoke bids can now be made - the list is entirely full until 8pm. So, alas, I'm not going to get my encore stab on the mic after all.
"You'll just have to come back again next week," a friendly chap at the bar grins. And after this feelgood night at The Chestergate, it's not hard to see why so many people do exactly that.
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