Buy you a drink at the Comet: Now there's a Kingston hotel bar named after our paper

Reporters from throughout the history of the Comet's 161 years have picked up many of their most juicy stories in drinking establishments - some rarely left the places.

The Kingston Lodge Hotel's bar - complete with rugby for the World Cup - has been renamed the Comet bar after the owner's 23-year-old son came up with the idea.

Umesh Ummat said: "My son Sam said why don't we do something in the bar? Then we came up with the idea to name the bar after the Surrey Comet."

There is a sign outside and a rugby ball with the Comet logo above the Kingston Hill hotel's bar - which has also been known as the Fox and Coney, the George and the George and Dragon during its time.

And there have been some good stories from the establishment too.

Comet features editor June Sampson, who attended the opening, said: "I'm thrilled. It was called the Fox and Coney when the Comet was born. People used to come here to watch the hangings.

"They used to cheer whenever a person was hanged. Then it got replaced a couple of times but now they have kept part of the original building. This used to be the place for a bean fest too."

Comet features editor June Sampson, with Kingston mayor Roy Arora, left, and owner Umesh Ummat.

One of Kingston historian Sian Butters' books brings to light the 1778 armed robbery when, according to a bailiff's book from the year, an unnamed wheelwright caught the robbers single handedly where the hotel now stands. 

Recent years have seen French rugby teams carousing until 3am in the morning after a defeat against an English club, and a group of Japanese parliamentarians smiling from ear to ear after their nation's win against South Africa.

Conference and banqueting manager Kate Taylor, who has worked at the Kingston Lodge since 1996, said: "I think it's exciting. It's nice to see something different. It's not been done before."

ON THE WALL