TIPPLE-happy Leyland folk have set sail on a booze cruise with a difference - they haven't even left their local

Bored locals at George IV had been moaning they had missed out on summer after dismal weather wrecked the holiday season.

So it came as quite a shock when they walked into the Towngate pub to discover they were about to set sail on their maiden voyage after management double act Chris and Tracy Lee turned captain-and-first-mate and turned their pub into a cruise ship.

The pub has now been re-named the SS Booze Oriana and has a cruise ship painted on the side of the building!

Their month-long static cruise began on September 1 and will have five ports of call, each capturing the flavour of native drinks.

Regulars can expect to taste the native fire waters of Las Vegas, New Orleans, the Caribbean and Germany - including a sample of their traditional entertainment.

And while the idea seems bizarre, Chris says the customers are loving every minute of it.

He said: "Most of my regulars have moaned about the weather all summer and we thought the best way to put a smile on their faces was to give them some of the holiday spirit we've lacked this year.

"Everyone is getting into the spirt of things and having a good laugh. It is the first time we have done something like this and it is certainly different!"

But woe betide the person who asks for something on the rocks...

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