REGULAR visitors flocked to a Chatteris pub as its landlords celebrated the start of their 25th year in charge.

Richard and Kathy Savage, landlords of the Honest John pub, threw the party on May 14 at the popular free house. The Savage family have been in residence since 1987, expanding the business to incorporate a restaurant, studio and art gallery.

Mr Savage said: “In these days of doom and gloom in the pub industry, it is wonderful to have something to celebrate.

“Pub life is a vocation and being in the same place for this length of time is something of an achievement; you have to constantly try to think up new things to keep people interested.

“It has been a privilege to meet so many wonderful people here. New people are coming in all the time, which bodes well for the future. We have no plans to move on, Chatteris and the Honest John are our home and we look forward to many more happy years here.”

A monthly quiz, with proceeds going to charity, and a monthly folk music evening are amongst regular activities at the Honest John, which was converted to a public house from its previous use as a labour exchange by Stewart Stacy in 1977.

It became the first free house in Chatteris and acquired its unusual name because of Stewart Stacy’s father “Honest John Stacy” who had the reputation of setting a realistic price at local auctions.