Stories behind the Pubs

"The Wet Hound Pub"

 

My husband has been talking about building a British pub for years. He is a pilot and flies to England reguarly.

We have been to London together many times and our favorite thing to do is visit traditional British pubs.

Ross found Back to Britain Pubs online and contacted Mark to see if he could build one for us. Mark had us over to have a look at his pub to see if that was what we were looking for .  One step into his pub  and  my husband knew this was the real deal. We discussed what we were looking for and Mark totally got our vision.

He said he would construct the bar itself first and if it was to our liking he would arrange to do the rest of the pub.My husband is away for work a lot  and we live off the mainland so it was difficult to arrange a time. Mark called and suggested he come and build the pub while my husband was away for a surprise on his return.

He arrived the afternoon my husband left ,with a higgeldy-piggeldy load of wood! By 8:30 that evening we had the beginnings of a great pub. He worked building for the next 2 days. What truly amazed me was his creative ability to visualize and construct. He is an amazing artist when it comes to building authentic pubs!

My husband returned having no idea what had transpired. He was jet lagged and tired but I convinced him to come and check out something I had gotten for the pub to be. He opened the door to what had been an empty space when he left , to a beautiful , authentic British pub. It was the first time I've ever been able to totally surprise him. OMG!! Holy sh**!!OMG!! This is amazing!! Where is Mark? he said. Mark came out of hiding , they sat down , had a few beers & so the Pub life begins!

We have had a few gathering in the pub since... now called "The Wet Hound". The common comment is "this is brilliant! We definitely agree, we absolutely love it.

Cheers to Sandy and Mark!

Nancy and Ross

( Sunshine Coast)

 

 "The Rescuers Pub"

 

A few years ago Mark started to build a pub for us in our basement. Our family has a British heritage so it had to be authentic.

The final product is outstanding!  We have had many hours of fantastic times with family and friends!! Exactly why we had the pub built.

                                                                        Thanks to Mark and Sandy for a great job.                                                                             Jeff  (Chilliwack)

 

 

 

 

"The Place to Be Pub"

"We had our pub built by Mark 6 years ago (2009) and have never regretted it. We have hosted countless parties, functions, get togethers whatever you like to call it. Everyone who has seen it is blown away and always wants to come back. The atmosphere is incredible, its the perfect setting for birthdays, special occasions and staff parties. Tanya's co-workers always want to use our pub for any occasion.

Its a place we like to call "The Place To Be".When you walk inside it feels like you are in an actual "English Pub". The woodwork and the lighting that Mark uses is inviting and  warm ( you actually forget that you are in a house). We made it our own with a very extensive collection of antiques and bar accesories that we made a hobby of finding at various flea markets, antique stores, second hand stores and garage sales.

Whenever you want to get away from your everyday routine and have a drink or two without having to worry about driving or a spending too much on a bar tab our pub is "The Best Place to Be"

Cheers,

Chris and Tanya (Chilliwack)

 

"The Crazy Stag Pub"

 

Seven years ago we moved into a home that had a fabulous "pub".  All of our friends and family members commented about how authentic and real it looked.  "Just like what you would see in England" was often said.  We marveled at the aged, weathered and distressed wood, the intricate carvings and the many, many fine details.  About a year after moving in we had a knock on the door from a man and his wife asking if we still had the bar...."yes!"we replied....Mark introduced himself as the man who built the bar.  We invited him in and were mesmerized by his stories of how the bar was built and where the many pieces came from.  A few years later I wanted to surprise my husband with a pub sign to hang above the bar to name it.  It was going to be a surprise Christmas present.  Mark was so wonderful to work with.  Jeff's friends told me the pub should be named "The Crazy Stag" and Mark hand lettered a sign. (One of his many past professions is sign maker).  When Mark called me to come and see it for final approval, I was astounded.  I was picturing a beautifully lettered sign.  I got that, and so much more.  He custom framed it with the same fine carving border as is found in our bar.  He went to thrift stores and searched until he found a brass stag to mount on the sign.  He came to my house on Christmas Eve to mount the sign so it would be a surprise Christmas morning.  The best thing about Mark is that he loves his job making and designing pubs.  He is full of brilliant ideas.  He will go above and beyond expectations.  We are so happy to have met Mark.  We can recommend him for doing the job as an artist and a professional.  Thank you so much, Mark and Sandy.

- Jennifer and Jeff (Abbotsford)
 

" Seaside Island Pub"

 

We contracted Mark to build us an English Seaside Pub in the basement of our new home. We had some ideas on what we wanted and Mark did an excellent job on creating the look we were going for. He also did a great job scouring antique shops and demolition sites to find just the right little item to add to the atmosphere such as a "Bar" sign at the entrance to the pub. We had two portals which we wanted to set in to the wall dividing the pub from the pool table room and did not quite know how to finish it off. Again, Mark scoured the shops and found two beautiful pieces of stained glass that completed the look we wanted. He did a great job of combining our memorabilia with his material and workmanship to create a fun one of a kind pub. We are thrilled with the outcome. Fun to have our friends hang out at the bar and play some pool.

Keith and Kerry (Vancouver Island)

 

"The New Caledonia Pub"


We had a room and an idea, and Mark and Sandy from Back to Britain Pubs had the vision!
During the consultation , we all sat down in the space in question, Mark asked us a myriad of questions to get a feel of who we were and what would suit us. A month later we opened the the curtain to our new pub! It's exactly how we pictured it from memories of visiiting the pubs in England and Scotland: cozy, dark , warm and full of visual stimulation! We so enjoy the reactions from people who see our pub for the first time. We invitied a couple of Scottish friends one evening and they were absolutely stunned by the authentic feel to the pub. And best of all, no need to call a cab after!

Sonja and David (Chilliwack)
 

" Mickey's Pub "

All this in a 9 by 12 foot space! We love our pub and it gets way more use than the treadmill. Mark and Sandy have done a wonderful job. It's just a fun place to hang with friends . Great  job and good people.

Thanks Ken and Debbie Simmonds

(Chemainus)

" The British Invasion Pub"

 

I knew I wanted my own pub when I saw Chris and Tanya's. When I bought my own place the first project on the list was to have Mark build a pub for me. I love music and play guitar myself and wanted my pub to reflect that theme. It didn't take long for it to come together and I've been enjoying spending time with friends and on my own there ever since. Finding great stuff to put into my place has become a fantastic treasure hunt for me.Having my own pub has added so much in many ways. Its a perfect place to have friends over, for a party or just to hang out, the atmosphere is great for playing music or for watching a game. It has created an interest in searching out just the right music memorabilia. It has added  value  to my home as well.I love my pub!

Mike (Chilliwack)

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