The retirement of Peter Last yesterday marked the end of 30 years' devoted service to pub managers by the former National Association of Licensed House Managers' Midlands regional organiser. Last has seen the business from many angles. He gave up a job as a factory works manager to run pubs for many years and had his first taste of union affairs when he was elected as the local representative for what was then Bass, Mitchells & Butlers. He became chairman of the NALHM's Walsall branch in1977 and was appointed to the union's national executive soon afterwards. In those days, the NALHM was a powerful voice in the industry. When Midlands regional organiser Les Adams became NALHM's general secretary in 1985, Last took on the full-time Midlands role and has been embroiled in many a battle with brewers and pub companies ever since. NALHM came under the wing of the Transport & General Workers Union five years ago, but Last continued to look after NALHM's members, based at the T&G's Wolverhampton office. His work will now be looked after by designated officers out in the field. However, Snifter understands that 65-year-old Peter will also undertake consultancy work. Peter and his wife, Joan, ran pubs throughout the Midlands for many years but they left the retail trade more than 10 years ago when the Spring Cottage at Bloxwich, near Walsall, was taken over by Centric. The advent of the pubcos marked the start of a new era for the trade a change that Last says has not been for the better. He recalls: "The vertically-integrated brewer and pub owner may have had a lot of criticism but the system worked infinitely better than now. The people in charge had a real feel for the business and nothing was ever done without consultation with the union first.
