Barmaid ‘asked out every day’ and pub gets loads of new customers after 20ft mural of her painted on wall of pub
A WARTIME-themed pub is enjoying a surge in trade — thanks to a mural of the barmaid.
The Forces sweetheart-style 20ft painting of Chelsea Isaac appeared on the wall of the Fortune of War last week.
Single mum Chelsea, 30, whose dad Gordon owns the pub in Torquay, said: “I absolutely love it.
“I have had a lot of compliments about it.
“We have had loads of new customers come in to ask about it.
"The best compliment I have had is from a World War Two veteran who said, ‘You remind me of my childhood sweetheart’ — and they were married for 70 years.
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"It all ties in with the wartime theme of the pub.”
Artist Eloise Johnson, known as Mrs Murals, was commissioned by Gordon to paint Chelsea in a green dress, stockings and black heels with red poppies and butterfly wings.
One local, Ashley Sims, 52, said: “There are a lot of new people coming to see what is going on.
"She [Chelsea] has been asked out every day since it went up.”
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Landscaper Steve Grover, 50, added: “I think it’s brilliant — people are noticing the pub a lot more even though it has always been here.
“It was only finished last week but we have seen a lot of new faces since.
"It is predominantly a blokes’ pub but it is nice that somebody has done something different.”
Artist Eloise said: “The reaction has been fantastic from both Chelsea and the public.”