A Crayford husband and wife have stepped back behind the bar after more than a quarter of a century away to open the borough’s second micropub.

Bob and Bev Baldwin welcomed the first drinkers into the one-room Penny Farthing in Waterside earlier this month.

The pub, in a former children’s craft shop, is the borough’s second micropub – after the Door Hinge opened in Welling in June last year – and boasts no fruit machines, tv or music. The couple ask that mobile phones are switched to silent too.

Bev, 57, said: “Our aim is to have a friendly atmosphere where people chat to each other and make new friends whilst enjoying a good real ale.”

Bob and Bev formerly ran the One Bell in Crayford for five years, winning Burton brewery’s master cellarman in the process, before they gave it up to have daughters Cheryl and Victoria.

Bob, 58, then became driving instructor and owned his own school for 26 years while Bev worked for social services.

Bev said: “Our two girls now being grown up, it was the time for a change and we didn’t want to go back into pubs, as they are now open long hours and struggling for trade and many continue to close.”

She added: “We then heard about Micro pubs and visited many of them in the Thanet area, and liked what we saw. It is turning the clock back into how pubs used to be.”

The couple found premises in February and, supported by councillor Melvin Seymour, applied to Bexley Council for permission to turn it into an ale house and obtained personal licences.

Then began a long process of turning it into a micropub – building a cold room, replastering and reflooring, installing a toilet, building benches and a fetching interior.

Bev said: “The place now looks nothing like it did in the beginning.”

She added: “We are trying to make it traditional in all aspects.”

The Penny Farthing serves no lager or spirits, just ales served from cask – many from Kent microbreweries – and cider, wine, soft drinks and coffee.

Bev said: “The beers will be changing constantly. We plan to be having at least three ales at any one time - a blonde, golden and dark.”

The Penny Farthing is open noon to 3pm from Tuesday to Sunday; 5pm to 9.30pm from Tuesday to Thursday; 5pm to 10.30pm Friday and Saturday and closed Sunday evening and all day Monday.