Bolton: The Grey Man brings the community together

Heather Caygill, 53, who lives in Westhoughton, has previously worked at the Bird I’th Hand, and the Red Lion pub, where she transformed them both.

She took over The Grey Man in Westhoughton in the summer as a new challenge.

And this is where she wishes to stay.

She added: “I did a lot for the Red Lion, for four years.

“But I couldn’t go any further and the landlords were selling the pub.

“I didn’t want to go to different pubs, but this was a new challenge.

Heather is loving the new pub (Image: Newsquest)

“I want to bring the place up and make it more modern.

“I’m trying to move things forward a bit."

Heather has always been creative and when she was in her first management job, in between being a bar tender, she says she would go round with a paint brush trying to fix the place up.

When Heather was asked to take on the pub, after asking her kids, she decided to go for it.

She said: “Now we are here, it’s a new lease of life for all of us.”

Heather said that the company that own the pub, and the management company, have been very supportive, and that she has a lot of free rein with what she can do in the pub.

She added: “They are both great companies, and they said, ‘this is what you can and can’t do’, but they let me do the decorating for example.”

One of the chill areas with a classic fire (Image: Newsquest)

The pub is child friendly, and dog friendly.

One of the main reasons is Heather already being a huge dog lover, with two dogs of her own.

Heather’s children Sean and Paige, also help run the pub, whilst recruitment is carried out.

Since decorating the pub and taking over, she says that there are some people who haven’t been to the pub in years, who are now stopping by.

She added: “They have said the change is amazing, and they are starting to come back in.

“I hope I am doing something right.

“I want to bring in new things and offer something different.”

Former Westhoughton town councillor Martin Eckersley and Cllr Chris Hill also came to show their support (Image: Newsquest)

Heather has also brought some photographs with her from her previous pub, including one of her mum Vera, and “Little Roy”, to give the place that homely feel.

Through regular drag evenings, a darts team, pool room, BBQ’s, and fundraising events for different causes, she hopes to reconnect parts of the community, and also help those in need when she can.

Before getting into the pub industry, Heather tried hairdressing, catering, coffee shop work, and more.

And she was told that she would never be a manager because of having dyslexia.

Heather said: “But, I still went ahead and passed my driving and management course.

“And I’ve been doing it ever since.

“I love the customers and we have a laugh, with lots of banter.”

She also loves sharing stories whilst chatting by the fire with locals.

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If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.