If you have ever been to the Olde Angel Inn, you know that as soon as you walk through the door and see the low ceilings with exposed beams and brick fireplaces, you can feel the history of the building.
You even may have heard a story about some of the ghostly inhabitants of the oldest operating inn in Canada. Many times, the storyteller is general manager Graham Carter.
Now for the first time, you can listen to those stories from home live on “Ghost Stories with Graham” at 8 p.m. every Friday.
Angel events will be featured online every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night via Facebook and Instagram livestreams. These new events are a way for the Olde Angel Inn to virtually open the pub doors during the lockdown, said social media and events manager Tiffany Stevenson.
“(People) can virtually come in to hang out with us, hang out with your favourite bartenders and just hang out with our energy, our atmosphere. That's what this place has always been,” Stevenson said.
All of the online events are free and can be accessed through the Olde Angel Inn Facebook page or @theoldeangelinn on Instagram.
“We are all stuck at home,” said owner Kelly Turner. “These events give the community a chance to come together for some fun and excitement.”
Monday nights are “Trivia with Tiff” for all ages starting at 7 p.m. with prizes to be won each week. Cocktail creations stream at 8 p.m. on Wednesday nights, where local bartenders will be live teaching you how to craft some pub-worthy drinks at home.
Cocktail kits can be purchased from the pub. The kits include all the ingredients you need to craft your own drinks with the livestream host. Each kit will include enough materials to pour at least four cocktails, with options including glassware, ranging from $50 to $70.
“Our community has always been there for us,” Stevenson said. “In a time where people need something to bring them a little bit of joy, even if it just brings a smile to their face, we are doing our jobs as workers in the service industry.”
She said one of the main objectives of the service industry is to bring happiness and enjoyment to the people who support the restaurant and walk through the doors.
The online events began last week and went well, she said.
“We didn’t expect for it to get that much traction and this much hype right away,” she said.
Carter, the ghost stories host, said these gatherings are a new and fun way to connect with the community and support locals.
“It’s nice to be able to do little things like this because it’s fun and it’s new for me, keeps me a bit younger and gives me a laugh,” he said.
“We've always had a great local backing here at the Angel and they've kept us going all these years,” Carter said. “We haven’t just focused on the in and out of tourists. We’re a local pub that has tourists.”
“Ghost Stories with Graham” on Friday nights will feature staff and guest accounts of eerie encounters at the Angel, but people also are encouraged to share their stories to be read on the livestream by sending a message to the inn's on Facebook or Instagram.