Sheps Shed Pubs page

My interest in Pubs started in the late 70's. Early in 1977 I rented a small garage off the main High Street in Cheltenham to continue my interest in classic cars, now a business. After a couple of years it was clear that I couldn't make any money selling cars as a business - I spent too much money on getting them right for sale and then looking after the customers car like the car still belonged to me. By good fortune my local bank manager, who was young and fanatical about cars, spotted a De Tomaso Mangusta for sale in my showroom and during his lunch break he asked for a demo - although he did say he couldn't afford it! Well a golden opportunity knocked and although I was heavily overdrawn at the garage I asked him for more money to buy a lease on a Pub three doors away from my garage. He agreed!

My first Pub, The Garricks Head, really took off, partly because most of the customers were motor dealers who liked a drink or two and partly because I operated on a very flexible opening hours basis. The following two years were bliss. I had bought a couple more leasehold pubs and bought then sold my garage for a good profit when disaster struck. My enthusiastic bank manger was moved to another area and the new guy just wouldn't play ball - in fact the bank threatened to recall the overdraft. Just when all looked lost I was introduced to a corporate bank manager from another bank and after presenting my business plan he took over the overdraft and all was rosy again. I bought another leasehold pub and then a free house with fifty moorings and outline planning for a further fifty. Within a couple of years I had sold the leasehold Pubs and kept Twin Bridge free house. It was during the Maggie Thatcher boom and bust years and I foolishly turned down a massive profit from a property company. (I had obtained planning for 24 luxury flats with moorings on the site) After presenting plans for the extra fifty moorings I had a bombshell dropped on me by the National Rivers Authority - a compulsory purchase order on all the Marina area! (the rocky years)