Adlington pub regular takes over as landlord

A former Royal Air Force radar technician who lived next door to The Bridge Inn, Adlington, has become its new landlord.

What’s the background?

Jon Howard, who also has years of experience working in pubs, bars and restaurants, ran the Park Road pub on a temporary basis for 12 months, but has just signed a three-year agreement with owners NewRiver.

He will work beside his partner Dianne Dickinson, and has invested “a significant sum” of his own money in the venture, while NewRiver has pumped £136,000 into a facelift.

What do they say?

Jon said: “Dianne and I have since put a lot of time, money and effort into rebuilding the business here. People said they didn’t visit the pub because it looked tired and quiet, but now we’re getting some very positive comments, and there’s quite a local buzz about the place. The pub’s much brighter now, and it looks like weekends are going to be really busy for us.”

The facelift

The pub has benefited from repairs and redecoration, new exterior lighting and signage, a new bar, new carpets and a wider product range. There are also future plans to offer bar snacks.