The Brickmakers in Norwich has beaten off competition from 50 other venues to be crowned the UK's Music Pub Of The Year. Mother and daughter team Pam and Charley South picked up their award from Dame Edna Everage at posh London hotel Grosvenor House on Tuesday. The awards bash, which was attended by 2,000 people, was set up by trade mag The Publican, with the Music Pub Of The Year trophy sponsored by the Performing Rights Society. It's the third title the Sprowston Road hostelry has scooped, after being named as the Regional Fundraising Pub and Regional Community Pub Of The Year in February by the Morning Advertiser. A dedicated fan of live music, Charley has played in local band Pure Passion for 18 years and has toured Europe, with her mum as the band's manager. When The Brickmakers came up for sale four years ago, both Charley and Pam were determined that it should remain a live music venue and they decided to remortgage their house to buy it. They fought off interest from a chain which wanted to turn The Brickmakers into a gastro-pub and developers hoping to knock it down and use the land for housing. "It was one of the only music venues still going," said Charley. "We took a risk, remortgaged our house and here we still are." Last July, Pam and Charley expanded to open B2, a second venue on the same site. The 200-capacity room hosts live original acts seven nights a week, with cover bands taking over the pub's main bar. Charley said it was a great achievement to win the award on their first year of entering. "When they announced we'd won I sat there staring at my mum and she sat there staring back at me," she said. "We were so chuffed to get where we are now. Pubs enter year after year." The judging process was tough with The Brickmakers visited twice by judges, acting as mystery shoppers. Keith Gilbert, managing director of PRS public performance sales, said: "They actively use music in their pub and have proved once again, that music is good for business." | 
