AN IRISH publican from Co. Tipperary has been made a Freeman of the City of London.
Tony Hayde, 52, who hails from the town of Rosegreen, near Cashel, is the manager of the historic Hand & Shears pub in the City of London.
A popular spot with members of several London livery companies, Hayde was bestowed the honour after being sponsored by the clerks of the Information Technologists and Founders.
“It was a great honour bestowed upon me and wonderful to be chosen, especially being an Irishman,” said Hayde. “I don’t think there are very many Irishmen who are Freeman of the City of London. Having worked in the hospitality industry for the last 25 years I feel it is a nice reward for my work.”
Hayde, one of 14 children, was joined at the Guildhall ceremony by friends and family, some of whom had travelled from Tipperary for the occasion.
It could have been altar wine rather than real ales for Hayde, however, having originally trained as a priest in his native county.
“When I left secondary school I trained to be a priest for a few years with the Pallotine fathers in Thurles in Tipperary. I then went into social work, and used to care for Bob Monkhouse’s son. I then did some PA work before I met my partner, who ran a bar, which is how I got into the industry, and the rest is history.”
Having worked in pubs around England, including spells in Hemel Hempstead and Norwich, Hayde is now settled in London. “London is my home and this is where my heart is,” he said.
Under Hayde’s watch, the Hand & Shears pub has recently been listed by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) as their latest pub of historic interest.
An alehouse has stood on the site since 1132, while the tradition of cutting tape to open an event is said to stem from the Mayor of London standing on the steps of the pub and cutting the cloth to open the Cloth Fair.
Convicts en route to Newgate Prison in the City of London were also said to stop at the site for their ‘last drop’ of alcohol before their ‘last drop’ on the gallows.
These days though you’re more likely to see Hayde serving stars of the screen at the venue, with Timothy Spall and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie regulars, while the pub itself is a star, having been used for location shooting for TV shows including Call the Midwife.
