A pub in a village near Norwich has closed as its landlords embark on a new chapter away from pulling pints.
Clint Smith and Shirley Rogers will officially
close the doors on The Dog Inn, in Horsford, on December 6, but have
stopped trading after a nine-year stint at the pub.
Their
remaining few days will be spent finding new homes for the pub's
fittings and fixtures, before they jet off to sunnier shores.
The
pair announced in May they would be stepping down, saying at the time
that while they would miss landlord life, it felt like the right time.
Mr
Smith said they had enjoyed a farewell party with customers on
Saturday, who they said had given them a throw with pictures and
memories from the last nine years on it as a leaving gift.
"We have met some really nice people over the years," he said.
"We
have met some not-so-nice people too, but the majority of our customers
have been lovely, and we do just want to give a massive thank you to
them for all the support over the years."
He said they were now sorting through decorations and fixtures, and had managed to help some local people as a final farewell.
"We
have helped someone who had been homeless but found a flat, who has now
got carpets," he said, "and someone else with a business who was
struggling and we've helped them with some items."
Their new chapter will see them pack their belongings into a campervan and begin a three-month stint touring around sunny Spain.
It
will be the end of an era - as well as running The Dog Inn for nine
years, the couple also previously ran both pubs in the village.
In
August, speaking as part of a feature looking at life as a pub
landlord, the pair said that times were challenging, with the volume of
customers dropping as people's drinking habits evolved.
They said life as a landlord involved long days, and that a focus on food had seen some pubs struggle.
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