An ambiguous announcement by one of Nottingham's oldest independent bars, Brass Monkey, left die-hard fans wondering what the future held.
"The monkey has gone to heaven. Brass Monkey as you know it is now closed," said the Facebook post back in September 2020.
And it remained closed for 18 months during the pandemic apart from a brief two-week socially distanced stint with the enforced 10pm curfew which simply didn't work.
But fast forward to the here and now and the late-night party bar is still very much alive but has matured with a brand new look.
It wasn't easy remodelling the long, narrow Lace Market bar, which first opened in High Pavement in 1999.
Everything but the bar itself was ripped out, redesigned and redecorated.
"The old Brass Monkey has gone, we're still Brass Monkey but it's a different direction," said co-owner Himesh Patel.
"We've a brand new team. It was like I'd bought a brand new place."
The look is fresher, lighter and there's more seating than previously. The monkey mural has been put to bed and the only decoration on the wall now is a tapestry and mirrors.
The DJ area was ditched to make space for fixed tables opposite the bar - no mean feat due to the curve of the wall.
Former general manager Liam O'Brien, who left to work on another project, came back on board as a partner in the business.
He said: "As a vertical bar there was very little seating, a lot packed in like sardines, everyone's having a good time, very old-school.
"We wanted to build a bar that could survive in the current climate but also look at where it would evolve in the next few years.
"We tried to make it lot more female-friendly, a little bit more gender neutral in appearance and more modern. I personally would say it was quite masculine, dark wood, dark leather, dark floor, dark lighting.
"That's nice, it's very basement bar and suited what it was but we really wanted to change that feel.
"The opening up and removal of dead space created additional seating where it was once standing and dance floor at the front.
"The shape of the building has always been problematic so working with the seating, finding the right heights was quite mentally challenging."
Since Brass Monkey opened Nottingham has witnessed an explosion of bars serving cocktails.
Whilst some have come and gone Brass Monkey has remained a constant and the owners put that down to great drinks combined with great service and no frills or gimmicks.
The current cocktail menu boasts 12 classics, some with a twist, amongst them Mai Tai, Pornstar Martini, Espresso Martini and Smokey Tommy's Margarita for £8.50.
A further five are just a fiver between 5pm-10pm, including Negroni, French Martini and Lynchburg Lemonade.
"I don't like two for £10. Just get one good drink and then buy another if you want one," said Liam.
They're simple and they're balanced but don't expect flamingos, fun-shaped straws and candy floss.
"There's a time and a place for theatrics. Some bars do it well and some do it terribly. We have three or four types of glassware that are delicious to drink from, we have great ice, a great team, and great products," said Liam, who has worked in restaurants and bars for 24 years.
"An Old Fashioned or a Negroni having that beautiful, crystal clear perfectly-cut square of ice... that is a garnish, you don't need to have candy floss or bells and whistles."
Previously the focus was on spirits but since the makeover the bar has gone from only Asahi on draught to eight beers, varying in price and style, such as Grolsch, Guinness, Meantime' IPA and Northern Monk Faith.
Wine is sold by the bottle or 125ml glass.
"I believe if it's a white or a rose you want it to be cold and fresh. Have a small and, if you want another, I'll get you another one, so what you've having and paying for is the best at every opportunity," said Liam.
He likened Brass Monkey to Harry Potter's Room of Requirement, satisfying everyone from the after-work crowd wanting to civilised G&T or pint of beer to the revellers that are turfed out at 4am.
"It's whatever you want it to be on that evening.
"You could come on a Monday or a Saturday, you could come with your partner or your mother-in-law or an old friend from school or a priest and you're always going to get what you want.
"Hospitality is about making people feel welcome and comfortable in whatever capacity their night wants to be."
Unlike most bars Brass Monkey doesn't make a big song and dance on social media and prefers to rely on its reputation to get drinkers through the door rather than "pretty pictures".
Now entering its 23rd year it has launched the careers of a number of high-flying bartenders who have gone on to work at venues around the globe.
Former Brass Monkey bartender Kyle Wilkinson was appointed head of The Savoy hotel’s famous Beaufort Bar in London after stints at Pollen Street Social and The Blind Pig in Soho.
Liam said: "It's those simple things of remembering what people ordered, what they like, or, if they don't know what they like, you give them a recommendation and they enjoy it.
"This bar for me is one of the best bars in the city - if not one of the best bars in the country. There are people from many walks of life who know this bar and that speaks volumes for who we are and what we've done.
"I believe why we are still here is good drinks, good people, good times. If you employ good people and give people good drinks and good conversation then everyone will have a good time."
Brass Monkey opened soon after the Pitcher & Piano, opposite. A few years later the Living Room (more recently Head of Steam and now the Wine Room) came along.
Himesh, who took over Brass Monkey 15 years ago, said: "In the heyday when Hockley didn't have many choices there used to be quite a nice little route here. It was a vibrant street, then suddenly bars were popping up all over the city and diluted the population.
"There's certainly some people who thought we were finished. We were closed for a long time, and I think some thought the bar had disappeared or changed ownership.
"It's one of the oldest independents and worth shouting about."
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