The Heron reopens in Leigh Park after a big refurb

If you've noticed the doors back open at The Heron on Petersfield Road in Leigh Park, it's because the place has had a proper do-over. The pub, a well-known community fixture in Portsmouth, has reopened after a six-figure refurbishment that shut it down for a month, and it's back in time for the autumn evenings. It officially reopened on Friday 16 October, with general manager Yvonne Brown welcoming people back through the doors the following day.

The changes are easy to spot. The interior has been opened up into a new open-plan layout, brightened with a fresh colour scheme and filled with comfortable new furniture. For anyone who goes for the sport, there's a dedicated area set aside for darts and pool, with upgraded screens and sound, and TVs running Sky Sports and TNT Sports for live matches. It's the kind of place that works as well for a quiet pint as it does for a busy Saturday afternoon with the football on.

On the food side, it's still part of the Hungry Horse chain under Greene King, so the menu is built around the big plates the brand is known for. You'll find the usual stacked burgers and grill options, and breakfast runs all the way from a Mega Breakfast down to beans on toast, which makes it an easy spot for a family meal. If you're new to the place, the Greene King app has a Spin & Win game that can land you a free meal, dessert or drink.

What's worth knowing for a regular visit is the weekly line-up. Rock 'n' roll bingo lands on Wednesdays, a general knowledge quiz runs every Thursday from 8pm, and DJ nights take over the last Saturday of the month. There's also a mix-and-match Deal of the Day for £9 every Tuesday, and weekly live football covering the EFL, Premier League and Champions League. For families, the Kids Eat for a £1 offer runs Monday to Friday from 19 to 30 October, which covers a small main, drink and dessert.

There's a community side to the reopening too. As part of the opening, The Heron made a donation to Friends Fighting Cancer, a charity set up in 2008 that has raised more than £1 million for local cancer charities and families, and which has been independent since 2015. It supports families across the South of England, including Portsmouth, Chichester, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight, with a means-tested grant scheme, a grief recovery programme and a food bank. Their shop over in Cosham sells pre-loved sports and darts equipment and is open seven days a week.

And if you're planning a visit later in the year, the pub is taking part in the annual Toy Boxing scheme, with a collection running from 14 November to 18 December for anyone who wants to leave a toy. It's not the first time the place has leaned into that side of things, having previously handed over more than 300 toys to Stop Domestic Abuse, a charity that runs safe refuges and family outreach for victims of domestic violence.

Whether you're after a family meal, a midweek quiz or just a place to catch the football, The Heron is back in action and ready for it all. It's dog-friendly, family-friendly and has disabled facilities, so it's set up for everyone to walk back in.