From building ships in Hull to building a community in Ash, Mike Armitage reflects on 46 years behind the bar at the Lion Brewery.

For almost half a century, Mike Armitage has been behind the bar at the Lion Brewery in Ash, Surrey, welcoming generations of locals, raising money for charities and collecting enough stories to fill a lifetime.

Now aged 87, Mike still arrives early, runs the pub, gets involved in community events and remains passionate about keeping the traditional pub spirit alive.

“I can’t stop in bed,” he says. “I’ve got a good team around me, I enjoy helping people and being part of the community. This pub gives me purpose.”

Mike’s journey into the pub trade was far from straightforward. Originally from Hull, he spent years working as a shipbuilder before the industry’s decline left him looking for a new direction.

A chance move to a hotel in North Wales changed everything. Initially employed as a handyman, Mike was soon asked to help with the construction of a new cocktail bar. After building some shelves, he was invited to the opening celebration and found himself working behind the bar for a VIP event.

From there, his career began to grow. He helped out when staff were short, became a cellar man, started ordering beer and eventually became a bar manager while still carrying out maintenance work.

Further hotel roles followed before someone suggested he consider running a pub of his own. With the help of his bank manager, Mike began looking for the right opportunity, and eventually found the Lion Brewery.

On 28 August 1980, Mike took on the pub, beginning what would become a 46-year chapter in Ash.

Over the decades, the Lion Brewery has become much more than a place to enjoy a drink. For Mike, it has always been about bringing people together.

One of his proudest moments came in 1986, when he helped organise the pub’s first music festival. Six bands performed for free, volunteers helped make the event happen, and the money raised went to charity.

“It was one of the happiest days in the pub trade of my life,” Mike says. “I was the proudest man in the world seeing all those people turn up.”

Charity has been a huge part of Mike’s time at the Lion Brewery. Over the years, he has helped raise more than £270,000 for good causes, supporting organisations including Childline, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and numerous animal charities.

He has also supported local causes, including helping raise money for a new minibus  so disabled passengers could access transport more easily.

Mike’s fundraising has even attracted the support of well-known names, with personalities including John Stapleton and Gloria Hunniford getting involved in his charity efforts.

Music has always played an important role at the Lion Brewery too. The pub has hosted live music, open mic nights, jazz, blues and rock performances over the years, and one of Mike’s favourite stories involves a young piano player who used to visit the pub with his parents.

The boy would sit at the piano and play during regular jam sessions, impressing everyone with his talent. Then, the family moved away and Mike didn’t see them again. Decades later, Mike had a surprise visitor.

“Someone came in and said, ‘I’ve got someone here you want to see from the past’,” he recalls.

It was Toby Hounsham, now nearly 50, who told Mike that the Lion Brewery was where his musical journey began. He had gone on to become the keyboard player in the band The Stranglers. Mike says he still couldn’t believe the connection.

Despite the many changes he has seen in the pub trade, from changing social habits like the smoking ban to the rise of technology, Mike remains convinced that pubs still have an important role to play.

“It’s about keeping the community together,” he says. “People don’t just come in to get drunk. They come in to socialise and meet people.”

That sense of community continues today, with regular events, music nights and even a local resident who practises the violin at the pub.

Mike’s passion for bringing people together shows no sign of slowing down. He is currently planning a week of live music to raise money for an Alzheimer’s charity, with blues, jazz and rock performances planned throughout the week.

After 46 years, the Lion Brewery is full of memories, and Mike is still adding to them.

“For me, it’s not just about the pub,” he says. “It’s about the people you meet and the wonderful memories you make along the way.”

As Ash’s longest-serving publican continues to open the doors, his message is simple: the traditional British pub still has a place, and it is worth protecting.