Fife village pub to celebrate centenary

The Auld Hoose, the last pub in Windygates, opened to local punters for the first time in 1919 – it had previously been a home, and then a butchers/grocery.

New owners Dawn Adams and Joe Ward will be hosting a day of entertainment on Sunday, October 6, beginning at 2pm, to mark the occasion.

Dawn, who also owns the Post Office and two other shops in Windygates, took over the pub with her partner, Joe, back in May.

Her mother used to be a barmaid at the Auld Hoose and Dawn has fond memories of going to the pub when she was younger.

“I’m a born and bred Windygates girl,” Dawn told the Mail. “When I turned 18 this is where I first came, swinging from the pole and everything. This is where I came for my first drink.”

The couple have been transforming the pub since taking it over, modernising it while also keeping a lot of the old character of the building.

Now, Dawn is getting used to life behind the bar and perfecting her pint-pulling skills.

“I’ve never run a pub,” she said. “I was a manager at a care home for 12 years. I bought one of the shops – something different and time for a change.

“My friends owned this prior to us. I thought I’d give it a bash and see how it goes. I’m not that great at pulling pints but I try. I’m getter there. I enjoy it. And it’s a good crowd who come in.”

While many pubs across the UK are closing, the Auld Hoose remains central to the Windygates community.

An amateur football team, dominoes team and pool team all call the pub home, while the local community council also meets there.

“We’re lucky that this one of the busiest pubs in Levenmouth,” said Joe. “We’ve got our regulars. And people in the village come in every weekend.

“This is the hub of the community. When the pub came up, we thought we’d go for it. This is own of the few village pubs left.”