If you may have ever walked previous in style locals pub The Exmouth Arms, it is extra seemingly than not that you should have been greeted with the sight of its unmissable golden retriever canine Charlie sitting contentedly searching of the window. He is now as a lot of a famend a part of the pub because the banter that goes on between the shoppers who recurrently congregate there.
He is the beloved pet of pub landlords Barry and Laura White who purchased the pub within the seaside city of Exmouth six months in the past. However, their historical past on the watering gap dates far additional again than that, notably Barry who started ingesting there when he was 18 years old.
The former bricklayer swapped building websites for all times working behind the bar at The Exmouth Arms when he was 28-years-old after admitting he was by no means a very good tradesman and it was arduous graft. Instead, he has excelled within the hospitality business and after 11 years of operating the pub and residing there, he and Laura purchased the pub from their former boss and don’t have any plans to make any modifications.
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Loving now being in cost, Barry mentioned: “It’s very good to not have a boss, regardless that he was sensible and left me utterly alone. The money can also be higher, clearly!
“I completely love being the pub’s landlord. I really like all the shoppers. It’s like being along with your mates all the time. It’s a really locals pub; everybody in right here is aware of everybody and they’re all sensible and assist one another out.
(Image: Exmouth Arms)
“I would not need to run a distinct kind of pub. It’s fairly a small pub as a result of you’ll be able to solely match 100 folks in it, nevertheless it makes it extra private. There’s most likely a ratio of 5 to one in every of blokes to females and most are tradesmen so we now have a number of banter in right here.
“We get a mixture of ages however the majority are most likely aged of their 40s to 60s. I’m solely simply turning 40 myself however have been coming in right here for 25 years so I used to be at all times the youngest person in right here.”
(Image: Google Maps)
Although Barry wish to assume it is his and Laura’s heat welcome clients like to come back in to obtain, he is aware of there is not any competing with their pub-loving canine Charlie who they’ve had since he was a puppy. He is now almost eight years old and is so well-known within the city that an ode to him from ‘an admirer’ was not too long ago posted on Exmouth’s group Facebook web page.
It was favored by greater than 1,000 folks and acknowledged: “Dear golden retriever at The Exmouth Arms, I go the window of the pub most days. On the times that you simply walk by and also you’re sitting in your chair watching the world go by you make my world a a lot brighter place.
“One day I’ll are available and have a drink within the hope we will meet in person.”
(Image: Exmouth Arms)
Barry says the submit introduced some new folks into the pub wanting to fulfill Charlie. He is alleged to spend most of his time within the day ,when not on canine walks, sat within the pub having fun with consideration from clients or getting of their method.
Barry mentioned: “Charlie could be very, very fashionable throughout Exmouth. If you are walking alongside Exeter Road you’ll be able to see him as he is usually sitting on the chairs searching the window.
(Image: Exmouth Arms)
“In the pub nobody feeds him however he will get across the pub and everybody almost journeys over him when he lies on the center of the ground. He loves consideration and as we have had him since a puppy, all he has recognized is the pub and other people doting on him.”
The pub can also be well-known for being a ‘correct’ pub and staying true to its 200-year-old historical past. It modified its identify from The Exmouth Inn to The Exmouth Arms in 1963 and has been vulnerable to flooding over the years however measures at the moment are in place to maintain the spring excessive tide away from the door.
(Image: Exmouth Arms)
Barry says they’re now one in every of just a few conventional pubs left within the city that haven’t been modernised which is now working of their favour.
Barry mentioned: “If you take a look at Exmouth over the 20 years, almost all the pubs have turned extra into bars promoting cocktails and wines. That’s nice however now they’re in competitors with one another and there is not a lot competitors among the many old college pubs which is sensible for us. Luckily we’re vastly properly supported by locals.”
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(Image: Exmouth Arms)
The pub doesn’t serve meals. It is solely wet-led and boasts a darts and pool staff. A weekly euchre card recreation group additionally meet there. At weekends the pub is dedicated to exhibiting sport but in addition hosts DJs and dwell music on particular events.
Barry mentioned: “People are available right here to take the mickey out of one another, have a natter and watch sport. It’s only a easy old-school pub.”
