Popular New Milton pub revamped ahead of opening under new name

THE new tenants of a popular New Milton pub will change its name in tribute to a former landlady when it reopens after a major refurbishment.

The Rydal Arms will now be known as The Walker Arms in homage to Gladys Walker, who ran it for 50 years until 2001 and was Britain’s longest serving landlady.

It has been taken over by Patrick Ribey and will be run by licencees Dave Kesterton and Jason Walters. The trio have pledged to revert it back to being “a local pub for local people” in a bid to return it to its glory days. They hope to throw open its doors once again by early April.

“We want to keep this a local pub that serves good pub grub and attracts all sorts of people from the town, young and old alike, and is a place where local people can come and enjoy themselves,” Patrick told the A&T.

“We are looking to use local produce as much as possible and push the local angle, because that’s our customer base and the way we want to go,” he added.

“This is all about putting money in locals’ pockets and being a local pub for local people.”

Patrick, who is 63 and lives in Christchurch, served in the navy in his youth and has been in the pub trade for more than two decades.

He explained he had thought about retiring but always harboured a dream of owning his own pub. His wife has always lived locally and after popping into the Rydal by chance last summer, he considered it as a proposition, did his research and lodged formal interest.

After negotiations with Enterprise Inns he has agreed a five-year lease, the terms including the chain giving it a full refurb, which is currently under way and expected to take around three weeks.

“Dave is absolutely perfect as the person to run this site, as a pub that offers food and is a place where families can come and enjoy themselves,” Patrick added.

“This is my first time doing something like this for myself so it is quite daunting but I’m also really, really excited. I’m not greedy and just wanting to make money.

"If truth be told, Dave will probably make more money out of this than I will, but I want to build something here.”

Dave, who is 37, has been in the pub trade for 19 years, having got his first job as a barman on his 18th birthday. Within three months he had worked his way up to assistant manager, within six was the manager of a pub, and has a wealth of experience since as a landlord.

He is a chef and currently working on the new menu, which will be traditional pub food and also feature breakfasts. “We don’t quite have it finalised, but there will be something for everyone and will be value driven and with good food,” Dave said.

Patrick added: “We are thinking of doing something like having two meals for £14, that sort of thing. This is going to be a pub that does food as opposed to a restaurant and bar.”

They are both agreed they want to make it a place known for its Sunday roasts. “Dave is already famous for his Sunday lunches,” Patrick said.

“The pub in Reading where he worked before was absolutely well-known for them and was always fully booked and had people coming from miles.”

He and Jason are still formalising their final plans for events at The Walker Arms but say they will include a regular curry night, quizzes and music on Friday and Saturday evenings.

It is retaining the function room and pool tables and the garden is being updated with new lighting and seating and in time will feature a children’s play area.

The bar will stock the usual beers as well as new premium offerings such as Birra Moretti, ales and more non-alcoholic drinks – including possibly a non-alcoholic ale.

“A lot of younger people simply are not as much into drinking,” Patrick said. “Talking to a landlord recently he told me 50% of his wet takings over a sustained period of time were from non-alcoholic drinks and there is a market there that we are looking to cater for.

“We are also looking to hear from local brewers. We know there are a few about and I think local people would appreciate us making the effort of having local drinks on offer,” Patrick said.

New huge flat screen televisions are being installed so patrons can watch sport, while it will feature a corner with tributes to Gladys.

“We thought it was a nice touch to name the pub after her, since she was so well-known and, from what we hear, a real local character,” Patrick said. Dave added: “Apparently she would never let them [the staff] leave the ashtrays empty as it made the pubs look busier!”

GLADYS WALKER

Gladys Walker pulled her first pint at the Station Road pub on 15th February, 1951, and continued to serve behind the bar until she reluctantly retired in June, 2001, when she was the oldest landlady in the country.

Gladys and her husband Fred came across the traditional 19th century establishment during a south coast holiday and were so taken with it that when they discovered the landlord was due to move on, they applied to the Mew Langton brewery to take over the tenancy.

The family relocated to New Milton and on their first day they took £5 through the tills. In the following years the pub became more and more popular particularly with patrons of the Waverley Cinema which used to be next door and members of New Milton’s various sporting clubs and organisations.

Gladys was always particularly proud that many of the stars performing in Bournemouth made special trips to the Rydal, including Max Bygraves and Arthur Haynes.

Fred died in 1979 and at the age of 62, Gladys took over the full tenancy. In the later 1990s she oversaw the conversion of the pub to create a large dining room at the rear.

In 1995 the BBC made a documentary Still in Business about Gladys’ life behind the bar at the Rydal. She told how she had come to regard her clients not as customers but as friends.

In February, 2001 Gladys reached her landmark 50 years behind the bar with a party when 50 past and present New Forest licensees presented her with a crystal glass to mark the occasion.

Later that year in June, Gladys reluctantly pulled her last pint, but unwilling to move far away from her beloved pub, she bought a bungalow over the road, so she could look out at it every day.

She died in January 2005 aged 87.