New direction for trucker Rob!

Licensees outline their plans for town’s 300-year-old pub

- By Thomas Cooper

TRUCKER Rob Thomas has quit life on the road to take charge of a town’s 300-year-old pub.

Rob and wife Alice have taken on The Cock Inn, in Leek, after the retirement of previous landlords Alan and Lynne Ward, following decades of dedicated stewardship.

Rob, aged 30, from Leek, said: “I was a truck driver before this. I loved the job, but it’s a lot when you're sleeping away all the time.

“You spend your whole life on the road. I felt like I needed a change, so I floated the idea of running a pub to Alice. My family have been in the trade for years and I've always wanted to give it a go.”