 Serving Spirits
(Written
by Milly Wong)
The Victoria Inn opposite Derby’s train station is a popular Derby pub frequented mainly by Midland Mainline workers, travellers passing through and alternative gig-goers. One of my own favourite Derby hang outs because of its friendly ‘local pub’ atmosphere, cheap drinks and live music in the back room, it’s a sensible choice before venturing into the busier and more expensive parts of town on a Saturday night.
Over the years, the ‘Vic’ as it’s more commonly known, has suffered its fair share of ups and downs. Despite its past reputation for being Derby’s most successful alternative gig venue, during recent times this popular pub was under threat of demolition by Derby City Council as part of an area regeneration project, but the people voted and the Vic was saved by a petition containing over 3,000 signatures.
However, the Vic has a much darker history than the events we have witnessed in more recent times. Rumour has it that the pub was once a brothel and the bell in the front entrance that punters were said to ring to call for the services of the ‘ladies of the night’ is still in place to this day.
Unfortunately for the bar-staff, one of the Vic’s oldest customers is intent on ignoring the ‘last orders’ call and refuses to leave, which I, myself have experienced first hand.
One night I was sitting at the bar after the pub had closed. The landlord had gone home, the band members that had just finished playing a gig in the back room had packed the last batch of their equipment into their van and driven off and the only few remaining customers had finished their drinks and departed.
 My brother’s wife who is one of the pub’s longest running bar-maids had locked up the entrance doors for the night and my brother and I were waiting for her to finish clearing up behind the bar so we could share a taxi home. As I was chatting away to them both, through the archway, across the other side of the bar I saw the shadow of a figure pass through the pub towards the gig room. There was nobody in the pub but the three of us and when my sister-in-law realised what I’d seen she decided to share her own experiences with me.
 She revealed that she’s been approached by one specific ‘customer’ on more occasions than she cares to remember. He shows himself in the form of a short, fat, old man holding something up towards her at the bar (possibly an empty glass). She describes him as blue with an unsightly face. The problem for my sister-in-law is that he only chooses to appear when she is alone.
Other members of staff have reported witnessing the same apparition whilst working alone but strangely, the only people that it seems to have shown itself to have all been female. This therefore leads the owners of the pub to believe that it is the ghost of one the Vic’s regular punters from the pub’s seedier days that had a preference for the women.
Male members of staff and tenants that live in the flats above the pub have reported strange occurrences but none of them have seen the blue man.
So a word of warning to the ladies: If you happen to be drinking at the Victoria Inn and find yourself bravely venturing to the little girls’ room, you’d be best advised to take a friend along with you because this haunted pub serves more ‘spirits’ than they care to advertise.
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