Refurb for Tim Martin's first outlet

The pub in Muswell Hill that saw the launch of JD Wether- spoon 26 years ago has re-opened after a refurbishment.

The Spoons pub, in Colney Hatch Lane, now owned by Joe Murray, re-opened last Friday. Tim Martin bought it in 1979 when it was called Marlers and re-named it Wetherspoon's.

Martin said: 'When I first heard about Marlers I was having a pint at the North London Squash Club in Muswell Hill. I was studying law, but didn't like it and hoped to start a new squash club as a business, although I had no site and no money.

'I visited Marlers because the beer in most brewery pubs was keg. I got to know the guv'nor Andrew Marler, who had converted the pub from a bookies (although it had earlier been a drinking club for Tottenham Hot- spur players) but liked running pubs as much as I liked the law.

'I acquired the lease of the pub from Andrew a few months later, thinking running pubs was easy. I soon discovered it wasn't and made every mistake you could think of, and a few more.

He added: 'I was lucky that there was a huge resurgence in demand for real ale at a time when most London pubs were owned by brewers. The Spoons, which ceased to be owned by JD Wetherspoon a few years ago, is currently managed by Marvyn Browning.