Meet The Publican

For this edition, we venture just outside the city boundary to Cropston. The Bradgate Arms is on Station Road, a former free house now owned by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries. On looking for the Licensee, low and behold, there are two, Chris and Emma Wales are joint Licensees, and so we are featuring both of them.

Emma was born in 1971 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, to parents Adrian and June, and Chris was born in Seaham Durham in 1966, to parents Doreen and Nick.

Emma attended Sleaford High School, which she left in 1987. Chris attended school at Farringdon Comprehensive. Emma’s first job was working in her dad’s pub, The Five Bells, Bassingham, Lincolnshire. Chris’s first job was working in Sunderland as a plumber for Brian Turner.

Emma and Chris met while serving in the RAF at Brize Norton in January 1996, where Chris was Emma’s corporal. They were married on 12^th September 1997 in Florida. They spent a while working at various pubs until taking on The Chequers at Lamberhurst, Kent, as their first pub, between May 2001 and March 2003.  They then returned to The Five Bells for a while until moving on to The Bradgate Arms, Cropston, on 17^th October 2003.

Although Chris has the occasional gripe about their pub, they enjoy their work and have a good regular clientele. They have 2 children, Anthony 15 and Malisa 16, as well as 2 dogs, Cookie and Biscuit. Emma’s interests include: cinema, drinking and socialising. Chris simply likes golf and “Real Ale”.

The Bradgate Arms has a special place in my heart, I was introduced to “Real Ale” here in 1975, with a pint of Ruddles County. The cost then was 27p per pint, and that was expensive, then it was a 1.050 beer (5% abv in todays terms) I have never looked back. If you are visiting Bradgate Park or just fancy a quiet pint in a Country pub, give Emma and Chris a visit.

Keith Williams.

This page last updated: May 28, 2008

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