G20 Brisbane: German Chancellor Angela Merkel pictured at Caxton Street pub on first G20 night

BARS along Caxton Street are hoping for another visit from German Chancellor Angela Merkel tonight to lure in more patrons.

A visibly cheerful Ms Merkel greeted pub-goers at Caxton Street when she arrived in Brisbane on Friday night.

Rolling into the night-life precinct in a motorcade about 11pm, the popular German Chancellor mingled briefly with drinkers before heading into her exclusive accommodation at Gambaro Hotel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a selfie at a Caxton Street pub. Photo: Sarah Keayes

Brewski bar owner Antoinette Pollack said she was hopeful Chancellor Merkel would again drop in after embracing a number of their drinkers and posing for photos on Friday night.

She has had to place staff on call with a possible rush of partygoers flocking to Caxton Street for the chance to see Chancellor Merkel.

Ms Merkel was met with huge cheers on Friday night from the Caxton Street crowds as she greeted patrons and outside.

The Courier-Mail photographer Sarah Keayes was at Caxton Street with a friend and said their group was the first to realise the German head of state had suddenly turned up.

“We knew there would be a motorcade because all the police starting turned up,” Ms Keayes said.

“So we all sat outside and waited — we speculated it was going to be Myanmar.

“We had a German friend with us who started screaming ‘Germany!’, and we realised it was Angela Merkel.”

“My German friend who was next to me said ‘Welcome to Australia’. She was so nervous, she struggled to get the words out!”

Brewski bar owner Antoinette Pollack said she was hopeful Chancellor Merkel would again drop in after embracing a number of their drinkers and posing for photos on Friday night.

She has had to place staff on call with a possible rush of partygoers flocking to Caxton Street for the chance to see Chancellor Merkel.

Ms Merkel was met with huge cheers on Friday night from the Caxton Street crowds as she greeted patrons and outside.

The Courier-Mail photographer Sarah Keayes was at Caxton Street with a friend and said their group was the first to realise the German head of state had suddenly turned up.

“We knew there would be a motorcade because all the police starting turned up,” Ms Keayes said.

“So we all sat outside and waited — we speculated it was going to be Myanmar.

“We had a German friend with us who started screaming ‘Germany!’, and we realised it was Angela Merkel.”

“My German friend who was next to me said ‘Welcome to Australia’. She was so nervous, she struggled to get the words out!”

The German Chancellor, in town for the G20 Summit, shook hands with bystanders outside Brewski bar before crossing the road and chatting with the people outside Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall.

“A huge amount of cheers erupted from all of the bars along Caxton Street,” Ms Keayes said.

Her security team were around her, however they said that she doesn’t usually do that, so they were surprised that she would not just go straight into the restricted zone, but hang out and say hello to everyone.

“She was in a great mood, she seemed to get a real buzz from the crowd, and took the time to say hello, and was all smiles.

Source : Courier Mail  November 15th 2014  Harry Clarke & Vanda Carson