East Anglia

Bird in Hand

Gosmore, Hertfordshire

Carol Hendry loves gardening. "It's my hobby. I'll spend about one-and-a-half hours every day gardening or all day on my day off," she says. That's just as well because the Bird in Hand overflows with plants and flowers for most of the year.

Watching the world go by

At the front of the Greene King leasehold outlet, Carol and husband Leslie have an eye-catching display. Every year, the couple spends about £600 on the flower displays, which are supplied by a local nursery. Troughs and hanging baskets are used to create a

colourful setting for customers, with bench seating for about 30, and a pergola covered with vines.

In winter, the pergola is roofed over and patio heaters are installed to help customers enjoy the milder evenings. It is mainly used by adults.

Carol says: "It overlooks the village green and is a great place for people who want to sit, drink and watch the world go by."

She says the sheltered area under the

pergola will also come in handy when the smoking ban is introduced.

Family-friendly

For families, there is a large rear beer garden with mature trees, plants and shrubs. To keep younger customers happy, there are attractions such as play equipment, a fish pond and lots of room to run around. The Bird in Hand runs two pétanque teams and the playing area has floodlights so that matches can continue after dusk.

Carol says new customers are attracted to the pub by word of mouth or are drawn by the floral displays.

Additional patronage was gained through the Bird in Hand being featured in Michael Winner's column in The Sunday Times last September. During his visit, Winner enjoyed a fry-up of egg, bacon, sausage, beans, chips and a slice of roast beef.

The couple have been in charge for seven years and say the pub's traditional values "help attract customers who might have gone to bigger, bolder town-centre pubs".