Pub landlord honoured after 20 years of service to Derbyshire village

Anthony Hutchinson marks his 20th anniversary at The Cross Daggers this year and will celebrate a further 20 years at The Royal Oak just round the corner in six months’ time.

The landlord was presented with a long-service award from Heineken-owned Star Pubs and Bars for his dedication in keeping two busy village pubs thriving.

He said: “The pubs are everything to me – I’ll have to be carried out.

"The Cross Daggers and The Royal have been part of Coal Aston life for nearly two centuries, and I want to ensure they’re still here and flourishing for future generations.

"The support from residents is fantastic; they always get behind anything we put on and I can’t thank them enough.”

Along with running two pubs, Anthony also gives back to the community in other ways.

Realising that the only commemoration of the village’s soldiers was a World War One roll of honour, Anthony led a fundraising drive to get a war memorial for the village. He now organises the village’s annual Remembrance Day service at the memorial, which is attended by more than 500 people.

In addition, Anthony started the village’s popular torch lit Christmas carols in 2015, which attracts a crowd of more than 300.