NEXT weekend will see the end of an era for one of Tavistock's longest standing landlords, as he finally calls time on Saturday night.

Alan Jones and his wife, Sandra, have been at The Cornish Inn for almost 27 years. During that time, the couple have employed almost 400 people on a full and part-time basis at both the pub and its former adjoining wine bar, Barnaby Jones, now Jack Chams club.

Alan said he and Sandra had enjoyed their time at the pub and had met many wonderful people over the years.

Alan said 'I'm 75 in March, so it's time for a rest! We are going to retire and live comfortably in Tavistock.

'Hopefully, I will be able to play a bit more golf — although it will be better when I don't have to wear waders to do it!

'We've had some good times and made some good friends and it will be nice to be able to go into the pub and join them, rather than having to keep rushing off to do things.'

The pub is being taken over by St Austell Brewery. After Saturday, it will be closed for around four months, while it undergoes a complete refurbishment.

Alan said: 'It's going to look completely different. The bar is being moved completely, the whole thing's being taken out and I think there will be lots of tables everywhere, so you can eat anywhere, not just in a restaurant area.

'The window at the back where the stairs are is going to become a door to a decking area behind the pub — it's going to be unrecognisable and I think it's going to look very nice.

'St Austell will be getting a tenant in to manage it — I have to say, they've bent over backwards to be helpful to us, so I hope it will be very successful for them.'