Life is all Spiles and Taps...... or the Day in the Life of a Landlord!
Location - The Wellington Inn, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire
11.30pm Wednesday - "Goodnight Geoff, goodnight Scottie, see you Saturday night". Time for a breather ? No such luck, there in the distance I can see an entourage of Britain's finest fire fighters converging on us after an evening out in Moreton and having already spent over £150 "early doors".
"OK for a nightcap Chris?" asks Neil the course leader at the Fire Service College where the recruits have been for the last few weeks. I did not even have chance to reply, when 40 or so delegates start ordering pints, including Hooky Dark, which had only just been poured by this new landlord for the first time to celebrate National Cask Ale Week. It didn't touch the sides when another one was ordered with the retort "splendid and delicious".
Half an hour gone and the texts must have been communicating with other delegates from Holland as a further batch of customers arrived lining up at the bar to imbibe in the Cotswolds finest ale. For the first time we had all main brews on tap. Based on the refills "one" (Prince Charles has a kindred spirit) is glad to speak to the newly spiled casks to be of the best quality!
2.30am Thursday - Finally the door is closed on the last happy customer sitting on the front bench extolling his charms on a lady fire-fighter! My partner, Celia and I agree it has been a very satisfying three hours as the pile of notes are counted. Thank goodness as the direct debit from the brewery is due for payment next week!!
4.30am Finally to retire having cleaned the bar and the outdoor decking area (only two broken wine glasses), put away the patio chairs and tables, mopped the loo’s, vacuumed the bar floor, polished the bar, stacked the clean glasses, checked the cellar, and had an extremely late supper-... when...................
8.25am "Chris, wake up the draymen are here" says a dreamy Celia. Throw on clothes, brush teeth (definitely a bad hair day) and try and look alert and of course be pleasant to the most important part of the Brewery team, the guys that deliver our favourite brew (no offence meant to our other friends in Hook Norton). "Good Morning Wayne, coffee?". "Yes please" comes back the reply from down in the depths of the cellar. Delivery of our Easter stock is completed and the dray is on its way to our sister pubs, no doubt hoping like us it is going to be fine and busy.
8.50am The electrician arrives. Following discussions with Jo and Chrissie our trusty contacts at the brewery who deal with our maintenance and improvements requests, to upgrade our supplies.
10.00am Chaos reigns and there is equipment everywhere, drilling going on coffees being made, when Celia arrives on duty and probably thinking 'is this a nightmare I'm experiencing?' Oh well the bar can have a double clean to-day.
11.00am Finally finishing our late breakfast and discovering more bills from utility companies and SKY TV (yes we now provide live sports and other events in our function room adjacent to the patio area, additional revenues hopefully?).
12.15pm "Hello Mrs. Sutcliffe, here. Just to confirm that we are still coming on the 3rd may next for our re-union buffet for 30 persons. Our deposit is in the post".
2.00pm Finally the bulk of the daily chores are completed, but hey the electricians are deep into their work periodically scratching there heads, when for some unforeseen reason the circuit fuses ( a strange quirk of an old building, no doubt). With the pub strewn with equipment, wires and ladders etc I overhear the one electrician, say to the other "There is no way we can finish on time". At this point a mild panic sets in, me thinking we can never get the place ready for 5pm!!!!
4.30pm Thank goodness the electricians have packed up and gone and we have managed to salvage the pub in time for service. "just go and check the cellar", I say to myself, "Oh no I need to tidy up after new lighting has been installed" (its just like Blackpool illuminations, WOW).
4.45pm Quick shower and change and..........
5.00pm Open the doors on another service and in tandem regulars Andy and Mark walk in for their favourite pint, although mark notices the Hooky Dark and drinks two pints in quick succession.
5.25pm More of our regulars brave the inclement weather and suddenly everything is back to normal with jovial banter and each buying the other a drink.
6.00pm In walks Vicky (well known manageress at the Coach and Horses, Banbury) with friends.
6.30pm A few customers brave the elements and go outside for a cigarette arriving back in the pub only to inform me that the extreme rain has collapsed one of the gazebos erected on the patio. In the interests of our customers (and Health and Safety issues!), I forsake all and remove the remains of the gazebo. Luckily the other two remain intact.
9.00pm Generally a steady evening until another regular arrives and Celia puts on her Marge Proops hat and listens to this person's problems and woes. A few words of encouragement and a couple of pints of Old Hooky and the customer seem’s to be back on track?
10.30pm I am very pleased that we have introduced the four main beers as the last customer has just finished his third pint of Hooky Dark. Confession time however, he is a regular bitter drinker and I went down to change the line only to discover that I had committed the cardinal sin of leaving an empty cask on the stillage and thinking it was new. I came clean and I believe I have a converted Dark (Mild) drinker.
11.16pm The doors are closed for another day and just time to reflect over the past 24hrs when the first signs of tiredness set in. Tomorrow (Friday) is another day and looking at the weather the prospects seem somewhat negative. Oh well onward and upward.
It is now 0906 Saturday and I have been writing this piece for over 2 hours. Perhaps life is not all Spiles and Taps. Christopher Sweet Landlord.
"The Welly" Moreton in Marsh - "23.44hrs in the Life of a Landlord".
The Wellington Inn for:- Quality Cask Ales Happy Banter Functions and Events Live TV Sports and Events
"Bring Your Own Food Barbecues"
Patio and Garden Area
Value Pub "Bar Meals"
Contact: 01608 650936
