Ladies Mile pub in Patcham handed over to new manager.

Beloved pub landlords who have raised thousands for charity have shared their recollections as they hand over the reins to a new manager.

Gayle Newman, 53, and her husband Paul, 55, are the proprietors of Ladies Mile in Patcham and have raised nearly £130,000 over the last 22 years.

Downs Link walk for the Martlets.(Image: Gayle and Paul Newman)

They will pass over the reins to Archie Burdon, 26, a Patcham native who is well-known in the bar’s community and previously ran the Bell Tower pub in Kemptown.

Archie has expressed his desire to carry on the Newmans’ commitment to community service. Gayle stated, “I’ve always referred to Archie as my ‘pub son’, so it feels like a natural step. “We watched him grow up in Patcham from the other side of the bar.”

“We gave him a trial shift, and I would say he learnt from a couple of the best.” Gayle and Paul plan to help local charities when they relocate to the Waterman’s Arms in Totnes, Devon, later this month.

Gayle stated, “We’ve already contacted the school and said ‘this is us…we’d like to get behind you’ and they’ve emailed back, which is fantastic.”

“I am a sucker for a good cause.” Gayle and Paul were particularly happy of raising £30,000 for Loui Legend, a kid with the genetic illness Treacher Collins syndrome.

Gayle stated, “No one would look at him here in England, so they had to travel to Seattle. We raised funds for his final operation, but the surgeons required an additional £28,000 immediately before the procedure.

“They were going to have to refinance their home. I answered, ‘Leave it with me, I’ll see what we can do.'” The pair raised £10,000 through Promo My Logo, which allows businesses to pay for people to wear their branded shirts.

Gayle stated, “The operation was a success.” [Loui] could swim and play in a sandbox for the first time.” Other favourite charitable activities include the Downs Link Walk, where the couple raised £10,000.

Gayle stated that the Ladies Mile has been “a site where people can donate stuff for the homeless for years”. She continued, “We also plan a meal for the old community every year. We pick up some guests and transport them to the function room. They enjoy a two-course Christmas dinner, entertainment, and meet Father Christmas.

The community donates the fruit, vegetables, and heating, so we don’t have to pay anything. “Everything is in place for Archie to continue.”

Paul clarified: “I don’t think we ever planned to help a dedicated charity, but we asked people every year what they wanted us to support, and we were keen to support local causes.”

When asked why they are moving to Devon, Gayle stated, “Paul has been travelling there since he was 18, and we’ve been coming down every year with our family for the past 25 years.

“There are no stores, only two pubs, and one of them has always seemed to have a lot of potential. We already have a couple chefs, three housekeepers, an office manager, and a front-of-house employee residing down there.

“And our son is also coming.” Gayle described it as a “dream come true” when the previous pub owners in Devon handed in their notice.

Raising money for charity using Promo My Logo.(Image: Gayle and Paul Newman)

Gayle discussed the hurdles they may face in Devon, saying, “Learning the technological aspect of the new operations, with the bookings of the 15 rooms.

“We have 50 years of hospitality expertise between us. I’ve always stated that hospitality is our first born child, not our children, so I believe that aspect will come naturally to us.” Paul and Gayle have worked tirelessly to protect Patcham’s most vulnerable residents.

Gayle stated, “I’ve always advertised on social media that if any children in the area are feeling vulnerable, they can come in here and I’ll keep them safe.” The children can fill their water bottles and use the loo.

Donating presents, food and hampers for a family at Christmas.(Image: Gayle and Paul Newman)

“We were accustomed to this because we originally met in Spain, where this is a legal requirement.

I’ve always maintained the Ask for Angela campaign at the forefront. We take them out back, put them in a taxi, and ensure their safety.” Paul and Gayle’s traditions have kept the town amused for years. Gayle explained, “We make the staff do silly things.” Gayle formed an ABBA tribute band called Abberific 15 years ago.

Gayle stated, “We once had a tribute band perform here, and we thought they were horrible. “So we thought we’d give it a shot, and it turns out we were pretty bad too. We’re four women making friendships, ties, and laughing.”

The community has bid them farewell in a big way. Gayle explained: “We have generations of clients who come in to drink.

Customers who were 19 when we started working here are now in their forties, with their own families. “Their parents are still coming in to drink. It’s great.

Donating Christmas trees to all the local schools.(Image: Gayle and Paul Newman)

She continued, “I recently had an old member of staff arrive. She told me, ‘You are still the best employer I’ve ever had. “She worked for us ten years ago.” The coronavirus pandemic stands out as one of the most significant issues of the last 22 years.

Despite this, Gayle stated: “Even though Coronavirus was a financial and mental strain on people, we emerged stronger than many other firms because we continued to give to the community and the NHS.

“Hospitality is not yet on its way out, but it will be. You have to be extremely good to survive. I have always offered to train individuals behind the bar.

Gayle and Paul joined Father Christmas at a charitable meal for elderly Patcham locals. (Image: Gayle and Paul Newman) “It’s not a fantastic business to work in if you want to make a lot of money, but it’s in your heart:

you either have it or you don’t. “So we trained up approximately ten job experiences and have done so every year for the past four years.

“My 14-year-old daughter did it with a friend.” They are still working for me now that they are 18. We need to train down to the current generation because so many bars are disappearing. I am a firm believer that you get what you put in.

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