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Ten-minute favour leads to 50 years behind the bar

John Devine,in Elyand
Neve Gordon-Farleigh
John Devine/BBC Glyn Jones, a man standing behind the bar in The Prince Albert pub in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Glyn is ready to pull a pint and is looking directly at the camera. He is wearing a black shirt with a novelty tie which has mouths on and a pair of braces which has pints on it.John Devine/BBC
Glyn Jones said working at The Prince Albert had helped to build his confidence

A pub regular who was asked to help serve a rush of customers 50 years ago, supposedly for 10 minutes, has ended up working as a barman there ever since.

In 1976, Glyn Jones suddenly found himself pulling pints at The Prince Albert in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Half a century later, he is still behind the bar Thursday to Sunday - dressed in his shirt, novelty tie and braces - with no plans to retire anytime soon.

"It keeps me on my feet... I was rather shy to begin with, it gives me confidence," he said, adding that the time had "flown by".

Handout A black and white photograph of Glyn Jones which was believed to have been taken in The Prince Albert pub in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in 1976. He is sitting at the bar with a pint in front of his and is looking towards the bar with his back facing the camera.Handout
Glyn Jones pictured in The Prince Albert pub in 1976

Jones was 26 when he first started working behind the bar, and said a pint cost about 20p.

Always dressed in a tie and braces, the barman said a customer used to make up stories that when he blew the horn to call time, his trousers fell down.

He said: "He told it so many times, even I used to believe it."

For 48 years, he also worked as a lab technician at the Department for Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge.

Ali Chapman A picture of Mike Connelly, Glyn Jones and Jeanene Connelly standing in a row. They are presenting Glyn with a golden Greene King plaque during a surprise party for Glyn's years of service. Behind them are kegs. All three of them are dressed in a shirt, patterned tie and patterned braces.Ali Chapman
Mike Connelly (left) says Glyn Jones is the most reliable person he has ever worked with

A surprise party with about 90 people was thrown to celebrate his 50 years, where he was presented with an award from CAMRA and a plaque from Greene King.

Despite a new landlord soon to take over, he hopes to stay in the role and described his 50 years as the "longest 10 minutes in history".

Landlord of 14 years, Mike Connelly said: "He's [Glyn] served under six landlords and he's been an absolute legend throughout. He's definitely the most reliable person I have ever worked with.

"Glyn will not be retiring. He's going to carry on. I've told him he's got to make it 60 years."

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