Pub boss quits for place in the sun

With its heavy wooden beams, cosy nooks and crannies and indoor well, Wednesfield’s Dog & Partridge is one of the oldest pubs in the Black Country.

But after three years in charge, Roy McGlynn and his family are leaving the pub that has been serving ale since 1602 and heading for the sun, sea and sand. Mr McGlynn, aged 55, and wife Carol, 53, are jetting off to run a bar in Caleta de Fuste – Fuerteventura’s busiest resort, and a world away from the draft and dartboard of the Dog & Partridge.

The couple will be making the trip this summer with their two sons Mike and Luke, aged 32 and 22 respectively, and Luke’s girlfriend Rachel, aged 19.

All five will be working in the bar and Mr McGlynn said it was hard to imagine two more different settings.

Nestled in Wednesfield High Street, the pub is bursting with character, including wonky walls and ceilings, traditional fireplaces and wooden beams.

Known for its neon nightlife, Caleta de Fuste has a large sandy beach and boasts 3,000 hours of sunshine a year.

The landlord, who lives at the pub with his family, said: “The pub has been serving since 1602 and is widely considered to be the oldest building in Wednesfield.”

“It’s a listed building and a really traditional Black Country boozer. We sell cask ale and have a darts team and family room. There’s also a well in the bar that plunges 30ft deep. There are not many pubs like us left in the country,” he said.

“But the pub business has changed over the past few years and it’s time for a change. When the smoking ban came in, we had to invest a lot of money to keep going, our smoking shelter alone cost £14,000.”

He said that he and his wife had always dreamed of retiring in the sunshine and could simply not pass up the opportunity when it came their way.

“The family cannot wait,” said Mr McGlynn. “Everyone is really excited, it will be a big change but we are ready for it – and the sun.

“But this is a local pub and we’ve got regulars that have become friends over the years. That side of it we’ll miss,” he went on to say.