This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Birssy’s Bar renamed as new owners Liz & Chris Moseley take over


There’s a new team at the sports bar on Dartmouth’s South Embankment. Chris and Liz Moseley have taken over the helm, renaming Birssy’s with the quirky (but obvious, given its location!) ‘The Crab and Bucket’. It’s the couple’s first pub and if their enthusiasm is any- thing to go by, it’s going to be a roaring success. Liz (pictured above) said: “We’ve always loved this bar. The sporty, local feel is really great and the location with the view of the river across to Kingswear is fantastic. “We’ve been drinking here for about ten years when it was Birssy’s and when it was The Mayflower Bar before then. “We had an opportunity to buy the lease, fancied a change and thought ‘let’s go for it.’”


They officially opened the doors in September following a refurbishment.


This refurbishment has included adorn- ing the walls with yet more impressive sports memorabilia – from signed England rugby shirts to Muhammad Ali’s boxing glove.


Liz said: “We really felt like we needed a change. The


bar’s a great new challenge and we’re really enjoying ourselves getting it going.” Liz now works full time at the bar but Chris helps out when he can, in and around his busy schedule of building projects. Chris grew up in Aston, Birmingham and moved down to Devon to join his brother about 35 years ago. He has worked as a builder and painter and decorator since he arrived and his decorating skills have come in handy in the pub’s refurbishment. He is also a keen amateur sea fisherman.


Liz is a member of the Dart Gig Club and an avid gig rower. As part of the club she regularly takes part in the World Gig Championships in the Scilly Isles and the Dart- mouth Regatta.


“We’ve always loved this


Some of the items on display belong to Chris and Liz, others have been given or loaned to the bar previously from people in the town. Keen rower Liz’s favourite piece is Sir Steve Redgrave’s Great Britain Rowing World Cup top - signed by the man himself, bought by Liz from a charity auction and now hanging next to the bar.


bar. The sporty, local feel is really great and the loca- tion with the view of the river across to Kingswear is fantastic.”


And in pride of place is a resurrected box containing the signed gloves of legendary boxers Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali. These were donated to the former landlord of The Mayflower Bar and amateur boxer Eddie “Badger” Lennon. Underneath is a signed photo of Cooper and Ali in the ring and a plaque dedicating the prized gloves to Eddie, “from his many friends in Dartmouth”. Other memorabilia includes a signed England Rugby 2003 World Cup top, Bath and Bristol signed tops, and many signed photos, including a great muddy action shot of New Zealand rugby player Fran Cotton. Behind the bar stands an assortment of trophies, picked up from the bar’s darts teams’ successes in the Dartmouth league. A large TV screen dedicated to sports channels and events, including Sky Sports football and rugby matches, completes the theme.


Running a bar is quite a change from Chris and Liz’s usual jobs. Chris has been a builder and painter and deco- rator for more than 30 years and, for 20 years, Liz has been a paramedic with South West Ambulance Service.


She has lived in Dartmouth for 20 years. She grew up in Leamington Spa, War- wickshire and left to join the navy for eight years, becoming the first Wrens’ crane driver since World War II. At the age of 25, with redundancy money from the navy, she sailed across the Atlantic as part of a two-man crew on a Sadler 34. At the end of her voy- age she spent two months in the Carib- bean – including Barbados, Martinique and Antigua.


She said: “I had such great fun, absolutely loved it but after a year at sea it was time to go home.” She moved to Dartmouth on her return, met Chris and the couple now have two children, aged 10 and 11, who attend local schools. The couple’s new adventure behind the bar has started well and they’ve just introduced a new local beer from Paignton – Bays real ale - which is proving very popular. During the day Liz and her team also serve tea, coffee and sandwiches in a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The sandwiches are provided locally by Browney’s at Coro- nation Park - crab, of course, being the favourite amongst their many customers.


And to appreciate their stunning river view there are plenty of tables outside for that delightful al fresco experi- ence.


In the evenings, the bar attracts a very strong local trade and a younger crowd is accommodated well. Monthly musical events are planned by Liz for the future. The Crab and Bucket is open 11am till 11pm, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112