Bar or Family?

Just prior to getting married, my husband and I were unsure whether we'd be able to have children. The suspected problem, lied with me.

My husbands professional career was also in a downward, non-recovering, period; and moving in with me, meant he had a long commute.

As his skills are not really transferrable, we looked at alternatives in working together.

Our primary thoughts were to managing a pub. We had both helped out other bar owners at numerous times, and Tim's Aunt had purchased a pub too. We visited to help out on a few occassions, and felt we could make this work.

Tim's health took a turn for the worst, which made us look seriously at our options. We decided to put the “pub plan” into action, and signed up for a course.

We both got our licences!

Now to look for a pub... but I had just found out I was pregnant!

My Mum always said a pub wasn't the ideal place to raise a family. With the news of a little baby on the way, I could see what she was saying. The hours are not for the faint hearted, and you have to be comfortable with your clientele. Would having children around put them off? (Many used to go to the pub to escape their own!) Would the children be safe?

For the interim we carried on with the plans. Beth arrive and when she was 9 months old we visited a pub.

It was beautiful, and in the county of Oxfordshire, England. But being in the grounds as prospective Landlord & landlady; we could see that the life wasn't quite for the three of us. The safety element didn't work for me. With a saddened heart I had to say no.

We now have a pipe dream (and two more children!), where one day, we'll have a piece of land, for holidays, and of course a bar!