Celebrating more than 30 years of Murphy's Bar in Leamington

"I consider this place as if it were my front room and all the customers, the regulars and the staff are like guests in my house", Kevin Murphy tells me as we sift through scrap books of photos and newspaper cuttings which tell the story of Murphy's Bar over the last 30 years as he prepares for a week of events to celebrate the milestone next month.

I'm sat with him in the bar on the corner of Regent Street and Windsor Street on a weekday lunchtime with a sausage sandwich and coffee 'on the house' and I get a sense of what he means.

A few quick calculations between us leads us to work out that the bar has served more than 1.5 million pints to customers over the years with the regulars among them who have passed away remembered in a collage of photographs on part of the bar's walls.

Whenever I had been there before I always just considered that the décor at Murphy's, with its various posters, photographs, football shirts, trinkets and weird and wonderful ornaments, was based somewhat on the type of Irish pub or bar you find at holiday resorts abroad - but Kevin, who lives above the bar, tells me otherwise.

He said: "I just put things up in here in the same way people like to decorate their bedrooms or houses, things which will add even more life and character to the place.

"I was even growing some tomatoes on the front window sill at one point."

Kevin bought the lease for the premises, which was previously a bar called Baker's, in 1990 and the freehold the following year naming the site Murphy's.

Before this, other establishments were busier but they have since fallen by the wayside or ceased to exist.

Kevin said: "Straight away the bar was busy, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it was packed."

Kevin was already experienced on the Leamington pub scene from when he worked full time at Kelly's in Court Street, managing the bar from as young as 19, and then leaving there to be assistant manager at Baker's and then moving on to run The Builder's Arms when he became Warwickshire's youngest licensee

He said: "I've worked in bars all my life.

"Before Kelly's, me and my mate would work at bars at village halls for birthday parties, weddings and christenings and weekends.

"We'd work until midnight and then get dropped off at Options nightclub and spend all our wages there.

"I was only about 17 then.

"I was working on the cloakroom at Options at 16 then washing glasses at 17 and when I turned 18 I was behind the bar."

Now aged 57, it's fair to say that Kevin is one of Leamington and its bar scene's real characters.

Sporting a tuft of green hair on his head, which he dyed 'because he just felt like it' he speaks with great enthusiasm about his bar and some of the antics he has been up to while running it over the years.

But, as a longstanding committee member for Leamington's Pubwatch scheme he said he also takes pride in ensuring the safety of revelers at Murphy's and the town centre.

"Most of our customers are from a real working class background - but we're not rough and ready," he said

"People who don't come here have a misguided view of what it's like in here.

"If there's anyone groups or individuals causing trouble not only do we tell them to leave but we make sure they don't get into anywhere else that night.

"We keep it nice for everyone, there's always banter and some craic going on."

Raising money for charities has been a big part of the fun Kevin, his staff and the bar's regular customers have had at Murphy's over the years.

They have donated tens of thousands of pounds to good causes both in and around Leamington and further afield with Kevin regularly carrying out various challenges such as a bicycle ride from Land's End to John O'Groats, holding an annual Murph Fest music festival at the bar, a naked calendar and leading a Santa Dash to collect donations around Christmas time.

He even staged a wedding ceremony in which he got married to his late friend Jim Shurvinton as a stunt to raise funds for the Myton Hospices.

"Everything I do I get well supported," Kevin said.

"It's my customers who are the generous ones."

Over the years, Kevin has also fought his and the bar's corner in a fair share of disputes with authorities, companies and even customers which have made headlines locally and nationally.

He once launched a campaign to 'save' statues of Superman and Batman which he had put outside the front of the bar and even changed his name to Bruce Wayne Batman temporarily as an act of defiance against Warwick District Council, which wanted them to be removed.

He campaigned against the price pubs are charged to show sporting events on Sky Sports and once called in debts from customers, who had ran up around £10,000 in bar tabs and loans.

But all this publicity has helped to keep the bar very popular and successful.

Kevin said: "This is just what I do.

"Owning this place has allowed me to fund a great lifestyle, I've had great holidays, met loads of really nice people and we've had some adventures.

"There's also a couple of ladies who are in their 80s who come in here as regular customers every Thursday for lunch and order the same dishes - they say they feel so safe in here.

"Running Murphy's is totally different now to how it was when I first started and everyone's attitude to going to the pub was different.

"I find everyone is a lot friendlier now.

"More people also live a healthier lifestyle but I still like a drink.

"I'll be running this place until I die and when I do my body will be in a casket here too.

"I don't think there's anything I can change about the place now to make it better than what it is - this is the best it has been in terms of how busy it is, its popularity and customer base.

"It's not my job really, it's a way of life.

"I haven't done it all on my own though.

"Ever since Lisa, my daughter, turned 17, she has ably assisted me in running the pub - we've always been a father and daughter team and I wouldn't be where I am without her.

"I've got Jenny who has worked here for more than 15 years and loves it and Shannon who has worked most weekends here for ten years and says she wouldn't want to work anywhere else.

"Then there's Tammy - the manageress - Lashy, Rachel, Bully, Kerry, Jamie, Caron, DJ Nozzy and Colin who have all worked there for years and our latest additions Taylor and John.

"We're like a family and they've all helped me through over the years."

The celebrations will start at Murphy's on Friday November 5 with rock n roll bingo at 6pm and the band The Hanksters band playing.

On Saturday November 6 the bar will hold a 'birthday party', with some drinks priced at 31p for regulars to mark the 31 years of its existence.

Sunday November 7 is Kevin's birthday with Rossi the Tambourine man playing music at the bar.

On Monday November 8 Kevin is calling on his former bar staff to come along for a chat and a drink.

On Tuesday November 9 the bar will hold a charity family quiz night hosted by John Jennings raising money for the PDSA.

A burger and bingo night to raise money for breast cancer charities will be held at the bar on Wednesday November 10

Kevin used to hold a ladies night at the bar ten to 15 years ago and he is inviting all of the 'original girls' who used to come week in week-out who are now married with children to contact him for a reunion on Thursday November 11.

For more information about Murphy's Bar follow Kevin on Facebook or call Kevin on 07799 262377.