Thirty years of drinking, eating and being merry are being celebrated at a family pub.

Brian Stammers re-opened the bar at The Angel in Larling on November 8, 1983, after its doors were shut by the previous owners.

After a six month refurbishment, the pub began its life as the hub of the local community and a welcome stop for passing travellers.

On Friday, customers will raise a glass to three decades of the Stammers family's tenancy at a special bash.

Mr Stammers said: 'The pub was our local and we didn't want to see it falling into disrepair so I took it on.

'I had no intention of starting a pub but since it was so close to our home I thought I'd have a go.

'It's been a lot of hard work and things have changed but our customers have always been great.'

The pub's success is rooted in a long line of Stammers family involvement.

It started in 1913, when Mr Stammers' grandfather, Arthur Stammers, ran the pub.

It was out of the family hands for years before Mr Stammers picked it up again in 1983.

Now his children, Andrew and Lorraine, work at the pub, and his wife, Geraldine, has part-owned it since 1994, along with her son and husband.

The pub was built in 1631, and was previously a popular stop-off point as it stood on the side of the old A11.

But a revamp of the road meant that traffic was re-directed.

The pub overcame that and is now a popular destination for drinkers, eaters and travellers, with five bed and breakfast rooms available.