Local’s hero
Bernard’s had a drink in same pub every day since it opened.. in 1954
AS loyal punters go, you’d be hard pushed to find any more regular regulars than Bernard Bland.
The 92-year-old loves his local so much he has popped in for a daily pint there for the past 68 years.
Bernard was one of the first people through the doors at the Nunsthorpe Tavern when it opened in 1954.
And the only time he has missed out on a daily tipple at his beloved haunt in Grimsby, Lincs, was during the pandemic when the pumps were off.
He has celebrated birthdays and anniversaries with wife Betty there and had a giggle with his friends over countless pints – possibly more than 20,000.
Bernard said: “I met Betty while we were both on a paper round when we were kids.
“I would always get mine finished early so I could help her with hers.
“We came here for our 60th wedding anniversary and she often sends me with a note so I can have a rum when I’m here too. She is certainly the boss. I just say, ‘Yes’ and nod in the right places. She’s my whole life.
“We always end up in here. It’s like her wheelchair has a sat nav that takes us here. But it’s great because everyone is so friendly and I’m supporting my local pub at the same time.”
Times have been hard for the couple, with Betty now in residential care and Bernard grateful for a kindly friend bringing him meals on wheels. But the gloom was lifted by his drinking buddies, who threw Bernard a surprise birthday bash at his local.
He said: “I was so happy when they did this for me and I’ll still be coming while I can. I’ve got no plans to stop yet.”
The biggest change Bernard has seen in all these years? The price of a pint, which at about £3.95 is 56 times more expensive than the first one he supped at the Nunsthorpe in 1954.
7d
Average price of a pint in 1954, when Nunsthorpe Tavern opened
£3.95
Average price of a pint today