A BOLTON hostelry has a new line in pub pursuits.

Man & Scythe landlord John Jewitt has added a unique adult education programme to popular attractions such as quiz nights and darts sessions.

Since January, he has organised such things as a basic English course running on a Wednesday morning; instruction in signing for the deaf; and a lecture on psychometric testing by Dr Neil Terry of Bolton Institute.

This involved regulars and others going down the pub for an hour in order to practise some of the hands-on tests which are a vital part of the modern recruitment interview, particularly at senior levels.

Mr Jewitt has made a point of responding to customers' suggestions and is more than happy to try others. "I am open to any ideas," he said. "If anyone wants to run things here I am only too happy to make the facilities available." Liverpool-born Mr Jewitt, who took an engineering degree at Cambridge, later worked in industry and consultancy in the UK, Nigeria, Kuwait and Southern Ireland.

For 10 years he was operations director of Antler Luggage plc in Bury and then he spent six years working with his friend Tony Wild in management consulting and training.

The move into the historic Churchgate pub in May, 1996 was a radical change of direction -- self-employment after a lifetime working for other people.

He has demonstrated considerable energy and flair with innovations such as historical tours of the pub where the seventh Earl of Derby tarried awhile before his execution in 1651.

Visitors have included members of the American Civil War Society and he is keen to promote corporate evenings such as the one involving a Manchester firm which brought important American clients to Bolton for a typical English pub night.

It involved beer, pies, pasties, chess, dominoes and draughts.

"We had a wonderful time," Mr Jewitt said.

Dr Wild, managing mirector of Dawson Berkeley & Partners Ltd in Bolton Street, Ramsbottom, chose the Man & Scythe for a review meeting and social get-together for Bolton and Bury company representatives who took a course for the Introductory Certificate in Production and Inventory Management.

It is a recognised professional qualification for practitioners in manufacturing planning and control.

Mr Jewitt says he was told during his career in industry that he had failed to become a managing director because he had no sales experience.

"I'm making up for it now," he said.

The pub's website is: www.manandscythe.co.uk