В Хэмпшире с почестями прощались с легендарным владельцем пуба Дэвидом Смитом, который 25 лет создавал уют в «Карте и Лошади»

A much-loved Hampshire landlord has been remembered for his warmth, humour and hospitality. David Smith, who owned the Cart and Horses in Kings Worthy for 25 years, died aged 82 at Winchester Hospice on July 29. Mr Smith passed away on both his birthday and wedding anniversary. His wife, Christine Smith, said: "In 1967, when he was asked to consider taking over the Cart and Horses inn in Kings Worthy, he immediately saw its potential. At only 23, he had already turned around the fortunes of the King’s Head in Andover." Confident in the pub’s future, Mr Smith reportedly told the brewery that it would become the busiest in its estate, and shortly delivered on that promise. Over the next 25 years, he turned the Cart and Horses into a thriving business with a restaurant, cold buffet, salad bar and skittle alley. He introduced carvery Sunday lunches and staged elaborate Halloween parties before either became popular in the UK. Mrs Smith said: "There was no job that David would not do himself. His days began at 6am, sweeping the car park and watering the award-winning floral displays." The pub’s floral display even caught the Queen Mother’s eye. According to Mrs Smith, she once asked her driver to stop the vehicle to admire its climbing roses and flower-filled Hampshire cart. Celebrities, politicians and even two US presidents visited over the years, but Mr Smith treated everyone alike. His family highlighted that anyone who came in, whether once a year or every week, was a “regular” to him. Mr Smith passed his philosophy and strong work ethic to his four children — Sarah, Tara, Shelley and Christian — who all grew up helping at the pub. By the 1980s, the Cart and Horses was the brewery’s busiest pub and needed deliveries twice a day. It was also featured in The Sunday Telegraph Magazine and described as "the English pub at its best." Mr Smith turned down a place in the Good Beer Guide, insisting the pub was already full; however, the guide included it, calling it a "popular country pub, murder at lunchtimes." After industry changes in the early 1990s, Marston’s took direct control of the pub. As part of his compensation, Mr Smith was offered The Plough at Itchen Abbas, which he renamed The Trout. He retired in 1998 and settled in Stoke Charity with his wife. Christine said: "Above all, he is remembered for his humour and joie de vivre. Quick-witted and always ready with a joke to suit the occasion, he enjoyed creating laughter. "Essentially an introvert, being behind the bar was David’s stage, and he lived out his role of host extraordinaire to the full, touching thousands of lives and making lasting memories of warmth and joy for many."