The people of Bedford are in for a treat as High Street pub Yates’s is moving to the town. Yates’s, the 67-strong national pub group will swing open its doors on the site of the current Litten Tree later this month, hosting a weekend of parties to celebrate.

Eastenders actors Ricky Norwood (aka Fatboy) and Scott Maslen (Jack Branning) from the BBC1 soap will be joining Yates’s customers to get the party started on Thursday 31 May and Saturday 2 June (respectively).

Litten Tree will close its doors for the last time tomorrow (Tuesday 15 May) to make way for a £275,000 makeover welcoming Yates’s familiar black and white branding above the door.

Gary Voysey, General Manager of the new Yates’s and his team will be hosting a celebratory champagne reception from 6-8pm on Thursday 31 May for invited guests, followed by a glamorous red carpet celebration for all from 8pm. Stiltwalkers, fire-eaters and angle-grind artists will entertain customers before Ricky Norwood arrives to meet fans and take to the DJ booth.

“We have an incredible opening weekend lined up with Ricky as our guest star on Thursday evening”, said Gary, “followed by our brand new night Face it Fridays which launches on Friday 1 June. Customers can interact live online by posting messages, photos and videos on our Facebook page which will be displayed across our 4 giant screens and 9 plasma TVs during the night. Fancy the cute guy in the corner? With Face it Friday you can send him a message from across the bar!

On Saturday Yates’s favourite customer and Eastenders heartthrob Scott Maslen will join us for an evening of partying, hitting the dancefloor with customers and taking time to serve them from behind the bar”.

“Customers are going to see a phenomenal change to the pub”, he continued. “Totally new décor, a longer more accessible bar, four new giant screens for viewing sport and several new booths, perfect for private hire are being installed. As well as a dedicated dining area complete with new furniture for daytime and early evening dining, we’re introducing a huge dancefloor, state of the art lighting and stage for live music. making it Bedford’s number one party destination”.