Cheers! Kettering's 'longest-serving landlord' marks 30 years behind the bar

A Kettering pub landlord who thought he would only stick around for a couple of years has marked three decades at the helm.

Garth Coward took over the running of The Piper in Windmill Avenue as manager on April 18, 1990, the day before his 23rd birthday when it was owned by Grand Metropolitan.

It was his third licence and bosses thought he was likely to move on shortly after.

But 30 years on and the landlord, originally from Bolton, is still behind the bar with wife Sue.

He said: "They had gone through a lot of managers at that time and it took them a long time to accept me.

"They thought I was just going to be here for a year and then go and at the time it was quite a run-down pub.

"I thought I would be here for a couple of years but I'm still here now!"

In 1997 he became the tenant and has been happily pulling pints for his customers ever since at the pub near Tresham College.

He is believed to be the town's longest-serving landlord at one pub and had hoped to have a celebration to mark the milestone but the pub, like others across the country, is closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

When he celebrated 20 years behind the bar he had a special beer brewed by Potbelly Brewery in Kettering - The Old Bar Steward.

The pub hosts a popular pub quiz on Sundays and is particularly busy when the snowball prize nears its £500 limit.

Throughout Mr Coward's time at the helm he has also held about 15 beer festivals.

The landlord is currently spending his spare time because of the closure redecorating the pub's kitchen.

He added: "I have made some great friends and we are quite happy here.

"We have made it our home."