According to landlord Joe Gildea, this is the only pub in the country called “The Ship Victory” . This is a real “local” - Joe says that he knows about 90% of the names of those who pass through its doors, giving the place a very friendly feel. Foreign tourists and other visitors to the area are always made welcome too. “The Ship Victory” is also one of the few pubs to still retain a piano in the public bar, on which anyone is free to tinkle the ivories.

Joe and his staff and customers pride themselves on their involvement with charity work. This relates in the main to “The Angela Gildea Memorial Fund” which was started following the death of Joe’s daughter from breast cancer at the age of 32. To date, the charity has raised over £75,000 for the Breast Cancer Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Events which have been organised in aid of the fund include long-distance bike rides, a James Bond themed casino night, and the famous “turkey trots” round Chester Racecourse – anyone is welcome to join!

Dial House is situated in Hamilton Place in the heart of Chester, and its community café offers healthy, home-cooked food at affordable prices. It is ideally situated for those using Dial House’s disability advice services but is open to all, both locals and visitors to Chester.

Themed Lunch Clubs are held throughout the year (including Christmas) where customers can pre-book a set meal. Community Talks, on a variety of topics of interest, take place occasionally on Wednesday afternoons. The café area can also be booked for meetings outside of normal business hours.