A popular Chilcompton pup was packed when it marked May Day celebrations with members of the community as part of a relaunch of its outdoor space.

Around 300 people descended on the Redan Inn, Fry’s Well, when it hosted a party to launch its new garden and pizza carriage on Saturday, May 3.

The pupils of St Vigor and St John Primary School kicked off the day with traditional Maypole dancing, with parents crowding the garden to watch the festivities.

Face painting was provided by Catherine Gibson, who was also the choreographer for the Maypole dancing.

Local music legend Helena made her return to The Redan after a ten year hiatus, with her fan base contributing towards a festival atmosphere in the beer garden.

The Honky Tonks also performed and helped continue the party atmosphere late into the night.

Members of the Chilcompton Gardening Club, who have been bringing the kitchen garden back to life, showed anybody interested around the raised beds that will allow the pub to grow and use its own produce.

Simon Dodd, general manager at The Redan Inn, said: “It exceeded all expectations from a business and attendance point of view. The fact that the kids had come, which saw the parents come, meant we pretty much filled the garden from about 12pm, so the atmosphere was set then.

“And then both Helena and the Honky Tonks have their own followings, so they added to the numbers in the garden eventually as the day went on until we had about 300 people on the premises. It was very successful indeed, and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. It’s amazing in this day and age especially, and we’re really chuffed with it.

“From a business point of view, the whole point of the party was to advertise the garden to the wider public, and we thought May Day was a perfect time to celebrate.

“We wanted the first part of the day to be about families because we have the slides and the swings for the children to play on while families eat.

“We wanted to launch our pizza carriage which has a wood fired pizza oven inside it in the garden. In the evening we wanted to attract the older crowd with good music and then just create an amazing event that everyone can enjoy.”

The Redan Inn would like to thank everyone who helped make the event such a success, including guests who made the day such a memorable one.

The Redan Inn also plans to host a VE Day celebration on Thursday, May 8, where the Chilcompton Brass Band will play between 6pm and 8pm. Following that, July will see the pub host an event by the name of Redan Rocks, while other plans including a cinema night and a cocktail masterclass.

For updates on all the events that the pub has planned this year, follow @theredaninn on Instagram.