'I love being able to welcome people' says landlord of pub at the heart of the village
A pub can be a vital part of a community, acting as a hub for activity and a place for people to meet.
It becomes a place where people can come in and meet with friends, have a pint and some food and feel comfortable in their surroundings, with the people running the pub acting as a mixture of friends, family and councillor in a centre of the community.
The Dog & Partridge in Calf Heath on the outskirts of Wolverhampton has acted in that role since opening as a pub in the 1830s on the side of a canal passing by, then serving the community of Calf Heath as it built up.
In the modern era, the traditional village pub continues to serve the community, sitting under the shadow of the M6 motorway, which was built in place of the canal, and is owned by Heineken.
The current leaseholder is Glen Lomas, who has co-run the pub with his wife Paula since 2013 and recently signed another 10-year lease to run the pub.
He said: "I was running another pub at the time, but my area manager asked me if I could keep this one going for six months, which I said I was happy to do, but only for that time.
"However, after about two months, Paula and I decided to stay there, and I've been in the pub trade for 35 years, while Paula grew up in the trade as well, so it's in our blood and our bones to continue doing it.
