Chester's oldest and longest serving publican Mike Mercer has called ‘last orders’ on his career in a manner in keeping with his First World War-themed Albion Inn.
Mike is passionate about the Great War period (1914-18) so next year will put the pub lease up for sale to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, which ended the war.
The former merchant seaman runs the city centre alehouse with wife Christina as well as his daughter and head chef Clare Churchill.
And the pub is known for good beer and hearty food along with its patriotic union flags, William Morris wallpaper and First World War memorabilia. It has hosted many special evenings attended by First World War veterans, now sadly deceased, and continues to raise funds for the War Memorials Trust.
Mike, who is nearly 79, said: “I might make a poignant gesture and say right, we’re going to put it on the market around the time the Treaty of Versailles was signed. I can’t think of anything more poignant or in keeping with The Albion than the signing of the Versailles Treaty.”
When Mike first arrived at the Albion Inn some 47 years ago in 1971, a pint of beer cost just 13 pence. And the characterful publican, who was just 30 at the time, has even kept the original lease showing the pub’s entire cigarette stock was worth £11.66.
The layout of the late Victorian pub is much the same today as it was then but much else has changed.
Back in the 1970s the alehouse was typical of its day, a place where predominantly men went to drink and chat, but today it offers award-winning dishes.
Mike, who has run the pub for the last 30 years with wife Christina, recalled the early days: “There was no food at all, not even a batch on the bar – a packet of crisps and a packet of scratchings and that was it.
“And, of course, in those days all you had to do was open the door and the place was full in five minutes. Everybody stayed in drinking until 3pm. It was like a money-making machine.”
He remembers the days when workers, including council staff from the nearby County Hall, drank at lunchtimes. Although he explains that plenty of business was carried out, albeit in a more informal setting than the office.
As a traditional back street pub, the Albion is a rare and dying species and unique in its decor.
Mike says he and everyone else will have to accept The Albion, owned by Punch Taverns, won’t stay the same which is making the neighbours ‘twitchy’.
He added: “People need to realise that if they want to visit The Albion in its present state they will have to get serious about it because in 15 months’ time there will be no point saying we wish we’d gone in The Albion more often because it will change.”
Mike, who has turned ‘grumpy’ into a humorous art form, says he’s ‘too old’ for the pub game now and struggles with ‘a few health issues’.
“I’m just abusing customers!” he joked, explaining that Christina and daughter Clare perform the heavylifting nowadays days.
Many love his infamous blackboards which inform passers-by the hostelry is ‘family hostile’, does not serve meals with chips, has no gaming machines and does not allow pub crawls or hen parties.
And the pub has been graced by celebrities over the years including the Pet Shop Boys, film star James Mason, Paul Barber, who played Denzil in Only Fools and Horses, singer Tony Christie, and composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
Mike, a grandfather of three and father of three daughters, says his impending retirement is ‘obviously a big decision’ but has ‘not really registered’. As for where he and Christina will live in the future, nothing is finalised. But one thing is certain; the pub memorabilia won’t going with them as Mike is selling it as a contribution towards his pension.
“I don’t think Christina would be enamoured – because there’s only two of us so we won’t have a big house – if it was cluttered with bayonets and rifles and casualty lists from the First World War!”
