The Beach Hotel Merewether's new owners: Glenn Piper lays out vision for Newcastle landmark

He took over ownership of The Beach Hotel Merewether on Monday and has been there all week, getting to know the locals.

"People are telling me how happy they are to be back. Some hadn't been there for a few years," Mr Piper said.

It's been a busy few days at the Beaches, as it is known, with free "neighbourhood drinks", Salty Brains Surf Trivia and lots of live music. On Sunday you can watch the Knights take on the Roosters and the first "Back to the Beaches Sunday" event is scheduled.

And week one is just a taste of things to come.

"People want the Beaches to be their haven, to be their extended living room, and to do that we have to have regular activities to keep them entertained," Mr Piper said.

"We took some advice from a couple of locals to bring Gina, Terry & The Boys in to play on Monday night and that went down a treat - it felt like a Saturday night. I'm a big supporter of live music so that will be a focal point."

As for any potential changes being made to the hotel, they will "celebrate the rich history of Merewether, from its Steel City roots through to its surfing heroes". Mr Piper is not a fan of the cookie-cutter approach adopted by some hoteliers and applied uniformly to their venues.

"I don't need to draw from the Mediterranean or anywhere else when making changes to the Beaches - I don't have to look any further than its own backyard and its community to find inspiration."

Some repair work and maintenance needs to be done immediately but, beyond that, any changes made will be carefully considered.

"We will try to uncover as much of the old original fabric that speaks to its history as we can," Mr Piper said.

"We've found some amazing stuff in there already over the past few days - little tiles, intricate detailing - I love heritage buildings.

"Over the years these beautiful original elements tend to be covered up because they go out of fashion, but I want to uncover them and expose them and bring them back."

Mr Piper intends to consult the Merewether community as part of any restoration process.

"What's important is giving them respect; to consult with them and give them the opportunity to provide feedback, and that's what we've been doing," he said.

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