Pub fan David Bingham celebrated completing his mission to visit all 875 Wetherspoon pubs - and says he wants to take boss Tim Martin for a pint. David, 60, has spent four years enjoying the “longest pub crawl in history”, often travelling thousands of miles every month.
His final bar tab for his epic mission is close to £30,000, including travel fares, drinks and overnight stays. On Wednesday he visited the final Spoon's on his list – the Flying Horse at Gatwick Airport – and celebrated with a couple of pints of his favourite Heineken lager.
The boozer is after the security checks at Gatwick, meaning David had to buy an airline ticket before being allowed inside. He paid £18 for the cheapest flight to Shannon in Ireland and mingled with other passengers as he celebrated finishing his remarkable challenge.
The retired forklift driver said: “The cheapest air ticket I could get was to Shannon, but I won’t be flying anywhere, they don't even have a Wetherspoon's, so what's the point?
“It was the only way I could get to this pub, but it’s been worth it. I quite like the Flying Horse, but there are no toilets because it's an airport so you have to go back out to departures - but it's busy with lots of excited travellers so there's a buzz about the place.
"I always know I'll get my favourite lager and I wasn't disappointed. I’ve loved ticking the pubs off my list and to be honest I’d love to do it again.
“The last four years has taken me all over Britain and Ireland and I’ve met some amazing people along the way. I met legendary footballer John Barnes when he opened the Prense Well pub in the Wirral, but the person I’d really like to meet is Tim Martin.
“I’ve been into several Spoon's and when I told the staff why I was there they said I’d just missed Tim. My brother met him once and apparently he knows who I am, but I’d love to meet him in person and have a pint with him.
“I’ve written to the company to request a tour of their headquarters in Watford. I know it'll probably be offices, but I'd love to see and thank everyone for doing such a great job. I just think Wetherspoons have breathed life into lovely old buildings and kept the cost of drinks down."
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David, from West Hallam, Derbyshire, came up with his Spoon's challenge after his partner Una Cooper, 63, bought him a £3 Wetherspoon directory on eBay. The couple took it to their local branch, The Observatory, in nearby Ilkeston, and David decided to visit every single one on the list.
His challenge has taken him to 875 pubs, including more than 40 which have since closed. David is often accompanied by tee-total Una, with the couple taking public transport to tick off the pubs.
As well as trains and buses, the couple took a hovercraft to reach the Man in the Moon pub on the Isle of Wight. Last month they knocked off nine more during a ten-day cruise up the west coast of Ireland.
David, who has one daughter, a stepson and one grandson, said: “I love going in Wetherspoon pubs because they are all different buildings. Many of them are old fire stations, post offices, churches and other beautiful sites. I call them boxes of fun because you never know where they’ll be."
His favourites are the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, Kent; The Corn Exchange in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk; the Winter Gardens in Harrogate and the Caley Picture House in Edinburgh.
