A legendary landlord, known as Wiltshire’s “Mr Music”, is celebrating retirement after an incredible 43 years behind the bar.
Vyv Scott was the landlord of the Lamb pub in Marlborough for 43 years, after taking it on in 1980, and was aided by wife Jackie and daughter Laura for many of those years.
But Vyv finally left the pub as landlord for the final time on Sunday, February 5, after announcing his retirement last April.
He has since been honoured by Wadworth, for his outstanding contribution to one of their pubs, at a celebration in Devizes.
But while Vyv and Jackie are excited at the prospect of spending their newly found free time travelling, they will miss the pub that became their home.
Vyv said: “I’ve had enough of working in pubs and I want to go travelling, if I don’t do it now I never will, but it’s going to be a shock to the system.
“It was 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and now I have to get used to a normal life.”
Jackie added: “We’re completely institutionalised. This wasn’t a job it was a lifestyle and a complete commitment.”
Over 43 years Vyv established himself as “Mr Music” in Marlborough, giving a platform to over 1600 bands who gigged at the Lamb in that time.
His jukebox was even the inspiration for Ralph Bernard’s Planet Rock radio station, which now has more than 1.3 million listeners weekly.
“The live music was very important”, he said. “We’ve had some well-known musicians and it has been a lot of fun. Some of the bands have been terrible but some have been great.”
Big names to have performed at the Lamb include Mick Jagger’s younger brother Chris, Moose Harris, formerly of New Model Army and The Damned, and Gaz Brookfield.
The pub even raised thousands for Male Mental Health with a super-gig last June.
But the Lamb was more than a pub for Vyv and Jackie, it was also an important part of the Marlborough community.
The pair would check on elderly regulars if they had not seen them for a while and Vyv even acted as a taxi driver for those who could no longer walk to and from the pub.
Vyv added: “It’s a business relationship but it’s also a friendship. Being able to help some people in the community is quite important.
“It was a local pub and a community pub, we tried to do everything.”
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