I first became interested in running pubs/bars when I was about 12.

My brother ran our local cricket club's bar and I used to help bottle up, clean the beer lines and everything else that no one wanted to do. By the age of 16, I was running it alongside some one else, above the legal age of course.

When I reached that "magic" age of 18, I was working behind that bar and others as often as my full time job allowed - I loved it!!! However, it was not until I was in my 30s that my full time career in pubs started. It ended in 2007 on the same day as the smoking ban came in. During that 25 years I saw some sights! Some pretty and some not so! But whatever the daily challenge, I rose to it.

I met some wonderful people over the years. One customer stood out in the early years of my career and really boosted my confidence. His name was John Doxat. A quite famous (in his field) and respected... Read more