WHEN the new owners of a village pub decided to get the inn’s sign repainted they never would have guessed they would stumble across the artist who did it 29 years earlier.

Anna and Trevor Woolnough bought The Angel in Grosmont after searching the length and breadth of the country for a pub to run.

Although keen to keep it as a traditional country pub, they have been carrying out renovations and decided to get the pub sign, which had seen better days, repainted.

On the advice of a conservation officer they got in touch with Laura Stevens about creating a replacement and were stunned to find she had painted the original sign in 1986, nearly 30 years ago.

Mrs Woolnough, 52, said: "I had no idea when I called Laura. I said to her, 'Do you know The Angel?' and she said 'I know it quite well- I painted the sign that was there.'

"I went down and checked the sign and sure enough, her signature was on there."

The sign depicts a scene from the bible, Revelation (12:7-9), where the Archangel Michael is slaying Satan who has taken the form of the dragon.

Ms Stevens said she was just starting out when she painted the sign originally.

She said: "It was a terrific surprise when they said The Angel at Grosmont. It has seen good service- it was a bargain."

The pub is on the English/ Welsh border and the sign was seen by some in the village as an English dig at the Welsh as they thought it represented the English Saint George slaying the dragon of Wales.

It is the first pub the couple have run.

Mrs Woolnough said: "My husband has always wanted to run a pub since he was a little boy.

"We looked from Cornwall up to Cumbria from Suffolk, where we were living, across to Pembrokeshire.

"We scoured the country looking for a community pub- something with potential for a microbrewery."

The Angel was bought in 2005 by six Grosmont residents to secure its future as a village pub.

The sale to Mr and Mrs Woolnough was subject to a restrictive covenant whereby the property can only be used as a public house.

The couple are now hoping to gain planning permission for a flat and two B&B rooms at the pub.

They will serve simple pub food at lunch times at the weekend and by arrangement.