Landlords of the Queens Head, Bob and Marilyn Forster have called time after 12 years at the very popular village.pub.
Bob and Marilyn took over the tenancy of the Queen’s Head Public House, on Maundy Thursday, 4 April 2007 - Bob being the Landlord and Marilyn the ‘Soul of the Kitchen’ with 30 years plus of culinary experience.
She was working at the Stubbington Study Centre and continued working there for a further two years, as well as running the kitchen at the pub.
Along with Bob and Marilyn, their two sons Matt and Tom helped run the pub, with Matt leaving only 4 years ago.
Bob and Marilyn
During their time in Titchfield and being in the Queen’s Head they have organised over 120 Dinner Dances with the DJ Tony Christian, of Radio Caroline fame. Plus have had over 20 ‘Becky’s Play and Dine’ evenings over Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
The family have been a huge support for ‘Charlie’s Beach Hut’ charity raising over £10,000 through various money raising events – for example, the famous ‘Baked Bean Bath’ where Marilyn sat in a bath of baked beans for an evening, Tom completed a motor cycle ride in atrocious weather to Cornwall and back, and Susan (Tom’s wife) successfully completed a day’s silence.
They have supported many village community charity events for the Bonfire Boys plus giving out food, milk and Christmas puddings during certain difficult times. When the village was cut off during a heavy snowstorm, Bob and Marilyn put up a family who became stuck in the village, not being able to drive out of the village.
In their time at the Queen’s Head Marilyn has lost both her parents, and both their sons have got married and brought grandchildren into their lives. Angie and Susan,wives of Matt and Tom respectively, have been an integral part of the family team.
Marilyn and Bob agreed that the ‘highs’ of being at the pub are “making lovely friends who pay our bills” and are not customers.
The ‘lows’ were the challenges of learning to work together as a family in a business because everyone had different ideas. Although they know they have made good friends and will be sad leaving, it is a huge relief to say goodbye to the Queen’s Head.
Bob and Maz’s last day will be Monday 26th August.
Martin O’Grady will be taking over the tenancy.