"I CRIED the day Peelie died," said Hailey, the charming ticket hostess at Rice Lane station, a dark shadow crossing her usually smiling face.

We were talking as the Pub Column prepared to embark on a Merseyrail journey to visit Heswall and the new pub named in honour of the late great broadcaster, The Ravenscroft.

Peelie - or John Robert Parker Ravenscroft as he was less well known - was born in Heswall Cottage Hospital on August 30, 1939, and grew up to become something of a hero to any music fan who just happened to be a Red as well.

On triumphant European nights of yore, Peelie would embelish his ground-breaking Radio One show with a defiant blast of You'll Never Walk Alone and the Pub Columnist - and his brother - loved him for it.

So it was natural to want to check out if The Ravenscroft was worthy of the man's name.

The verdict was weeeeeell - a bit half and half which is in keeping with the pub itself.

You can't fail to marvel though at the £800,000 worth of conversion work which has transformed this former fitness centre.

The centrepiece is appropriately an enormous photographic portrait of Peelie benevolently beaming down.

Pub manager Iain Middlebrough, who only declared it open on January 31, says that the customers are surprised how much Mr Ravenscroft looks like a bearded Sean Connery.

Which, indeed, he does.

But apart from attracting curious Peelie fans such as Yours Truly, the pub is bringing plentiful general custom spanning all age ranges.