The Sir Richard Steele pub, in Haverstock Hill, is relaunching with a party on Friday under the ownership of its previous owner.

Jimmy McGrath, ran the pub in 1984 before handing the reins to his son.

Jimmy, the owner of the King William IV pub in Hampstead High Street, wants to bring back “happy times” and has bought a 20-year lease. The pub was then taken over by Faucett Inns in 2011 and made an asset of community value in 2016.

It has been closed for six weeks.

Jimmy said, “The pub was available and I always liked it. There were happy times there and memories, so why not,”

“We’re offering what we used to do before… music, candlelight, all sorts of things, like it used to be. It’s been a very happy pub for a long time.

Steele’s pub has gained notoriety in the past for its celebrity clientele, which has included Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Jude Law, Rhys Ifans and the Gallagher brothers. Helena Bonham Carter’s house backs on to the pub’s garden.

Jimmy said “She wasn’t there when I was there before. We try to get along with everybody.”

On Monday Jimmy was going to auction “to buy a few bits”.

He said: “It’s not so much a refurb. It needs a bit of humour – it’s a bit too clinical, it’s a bit too nice, it needs to go back to the way it used to be. I think people will be glad to get back in and meet old friends. It will create its own party.”

“It was closed for a while until this Friday. People will be happy because they have a lot of good memories.”