DEVOTED regulars and sunny days in the beer garden are what the landlords at the Prince Albert pub in Ely will miss most as they prepare to pull their last pint in September. Mike and Ann Hunt have called time every evening for 19 years in the quaint litt

DEVOTED regulars and sunny days in the beer garden are what the landlords at the Prince Albert pub in Ely will miss most as they prepare to pull their last pint in September.

Mike and Ann Hunt have called time every evening for 19 years in the quaint little pub in Silver Street but, with times changing and their china anniversary as landlords fast approaching, the couple have decided the time is right to leave the job in younger hands.

"We think the time is just about right to move on, there is something like 50 pubs closing each week in this country and we have had such a good time with so many good regulars that we just thought it was a good time, said Anne,

"We will be handing over to our cook who has been here for seven or eight years so we are pleased that it will be going in to good hands and we really hope she is able to carry it on as we have done these past years."

The couple came to Ely in 1990 after a pub they had bought in March had fallen into disrepair almost overnight.

"Luckily we were offered a look at the Prince Albert in Ely and as soon as we walked in we fell in love with it, said Mike.

"It had a real old English pub feel about it, it wasn't too big and it had a wonderful garden so we decided we would have it and we have really worked hard on it over the years."

After only a year in the job the couple decided to start doing some charity work in the community and, 19 years later they have raised more than �40'000 for good causes in the area,

"We started off small with a coin collection on the bar and over time it has just grown and grown. Raising money for local charities is something that is really important to us, said Mike,

"Funnily enough our latest charity event raised the most money ever, �2100 for Alzheimer's, so it was really nice to finish on a high."

The couple, who have more than 20 awards in their time in charge, including nine 'Pub of the Year' awards, will be handing over to the new landlords on September 7.

9329HD0809: Mike and Ann Hunt toast 19 years as landlords of the Prince Albert pub. Photo: HELEN DRAKE