Tribute paid to St Leonards pub landlord

David Sansbury, landlord of the Horse and Groom, in Mercatoria, died in hospital on Saturday (February 19) aged 68 after losing his battle with cancer.

Erica Smith, a regular at the pub, this week paid tribute to him.

She said she will never forget the day she first walked into David’s pub, likening it to ‘coming home’.

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Erica said David was landlord at the Horse and Groom, known affectionately as the Doom and Gloom, for 27 years and had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer last October.

She added that the landlord kept an ‘orderly pub’.

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Erica added: “If Dave took a dislike to you, you could be made to leave for all sorts of minor offences, including, notoriously, having the wrong kind of laugh.”

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Paying tribute to him, she added: “If I ever bumped into Dave in the street, we always had a friendly chat.

“He’s one of very few people I’ve ever sent a Christmas card to. He was a kind person and would always help out if his friends were in need.”

In 2009, David’s pub was given an award after featuring in the Good Beer Guide for 10 years in a row.

The Horse and Groom was visited by a delegation from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and David was presented with a framed certificate to hang in the bar.

The St Leonards pub was built in 1829 for the workers during the building of the nearby Burton St Leonards area.

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