SOMETHING strange is happening to pubs in Welwyn Garden City today (Thursday) – they are spontaneously changing their names.

The Doctors Tonic, in Church Road has now become ‘The Old Familiar’ and the Peartree, in Hollybush Lane, has morphed into ‘The First Post’.

The changes are due of course to their upcoming starring roles in Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright’s new pub-crawl themed movie ‘The World’s End’.

Stars Pegg and Frost, and director Wright are expected to be at the Welwyn Garden City watering holes for a pre-shoot tomorrow, with further visits scheduled for next month.

Ray Holmes, area manager for Greene King, which owns The Doctors Tonic, spoke of his excitement that the hostelry had gone from a familiar town centre pub, to the unfamiliar ‘The Old Familiar’.

He told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “We’re happy with it, it’s obviously extremely well-organised.

“It’ll be exciting tomorrow when the filming is taking place.”