Landlady of the Louis Armstrong in Dover celebrates her 50th year at the pub

Jackie Bowles took over the Louis Armstrong in Dover (then the Grapes) with her late husband Bod in September 1962 and was awarded with a certificate by the Kent Federation of Licensed Victuallers at the pub on Monday evening.

“It was a really nice day - the whole of the Kent Federation were here and we invited anybody else to come along in the evening,” said Bowles. “I had former publicans in from the Dover Area who have since given up their pub, who I hadn’t seen for the best part of 20 years.”

Bowles added: “I didn’t enjoy it (the pub trade) when I first started, it was my husband’s idea and I was a teacher at the time. But it just seems to get into your blood and over the years we have made so many friends.

“We do have our down days when we get idiots in but we have managed to keep the pub trouble-free and I think that is down to the teacher in me.

“I regret the way pubs are going nowadays - it is not the job it used to be.”

The name of the pub reflects Bowles’ late husband’s love of jazz and live music still plays a large part in the pub’s activities today.