A Peel pub and restaurant with a long history as a community meeting place will call last orders for the final time this weekend.

The Central Bar and Bistro announced on Wednesday that it will shut its doors for good on Saturday, September 6.

In a statement issued online, the management team behind the much-loved venue said the decision had not been made lightly. They cited ‘difficult trading conditions for us and the hospitality industry generally’ and said efforts to avert closure had gone on for many months.

‘We would like to thank all our customers and staff for their loyal support over the last 25 years,’ the statement read. ‘We would also like to reassure anyone with vouchers that they will be reimbursed, or honoured if you choose to use them before our last day.’

The closure brings to an end the latest chapter in the life of a building with a colourful past.

According to the book Manx Inns: A pub crawl through history by Suzanne Cubbon, the Central was once known locally as ‘The Deaf House’, a nickname earned because two licensees were said to be hard of hearing.

In the early 1970s it became a hub for traditional music, with the group Celtic Tradition meeting there on Saturday evenings. Many of the musicians were Manx speakers, and the nickname was translated into Manx as Thie Bouyr. The pub was closely linked with the group Bhoy Doal, whose members later moved their gatherings to the Whitehouse after the Central ceased to be licensed.

The premises also had a spell as a ‘dry pub’ for teenagers in the early 1990s, before becoming licensed again under the name Christabel’s. It eventually returned to being known as the Central.

News of the pub’s impending closure prompted a strong reaction online from customers sharing their memories.

One regular wrote: ‘Cosy nights with the fire lit, where dogs were made welcome, a great asset to Peel will be missed.’

Another recalled: ‘Such a wonderful pub, run by the loveliest family. I have so many happy memories of being part of the Central pub family. The wooden seat near the darts board still has holes from the darts I threw that missed the target. Wishing you all well and hoping for a miracle that saves the Central from closure. Cannot thank you enough for all the good times.’