THE Rising Sun is situated on the edge of Bodmin Moor, just outside the village of Altarnun.

The landlord and lady, Jim and Dot Manson, have owned the inn for the past five years.

Jim is originally from New Zealand and Dot, from Liverpool, emigrated to New Zealand on her own in 1963.

She married Jim in 1965 and several years later they moved back to Liverpool to meet relatives that couldn't make it to the wedding.

Jim has played rugby league all his life and started playing in the Liverpool City team. He is a cabinet maker and builder by trade.

The couple have moved back and forth from New Zealand over the years returning to England in 1976 and moving to Suffolk where they started looking into the pub industry.

Thanks to an agency, they found work as bar persons at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor in 1977 where Eddy Lee was the landlord and the pub was owned by John Watts. After working there, returning to New Zealand and then again to Cornwall, they eventually took over the management of the pub for a year .

Then Jim went back to the building trade and completed much work on John Watt's various properties.

The Rising Sun had always been the couple's local since 1980 and Jim was a regular pool player for the pub.

Jim explained: 'Although we were working at Jamaica Inn, it was always nice to have our "local" to go to as well.'

In 1996 The Rising Sun came up for sale and as Jim explained: 'If the pub ever came up for sale it would always have been our first choice.'

Fireplaces

The inn started as a 16th Century farmhouse. The adjoining barn is now the family room which has an exposed granite block set into the wall with the branding initial of the Langdon family inscribed into it.

There are two fireplaces in the main bar, which has given the pub a fine reputation for always being warm during the winter.

The fires work so well there is no other form of heating in the bar. There is however central heating and other fireplaces in the family room and upstairs.

The pub is very sports related. The pub supports Altarnun football team and sponsors their kit.

There are two mixed pool teams in the Launceston league which meet on a Tuesday night (and who won the league six years in a row) and two other mixed teams in the Longcross League which meet on Sunday nights.

There is a crofters fire next to one of the pool tables and when it is lit the pool table warms up and the balls run faster - which can be quite disconcerting for rival teams!

There is one darts team and one euchre team who meet on Friday and Wednesday nights respectively. There is also a pub cricket team made up of locals and staff who play in the Camelford League, the team kits sponsored by a local customer.

The pub has four letting rooms, two doubles and one family room, a three-bed caravan which is rented out and a camping field opposite the pub.

The camping ground is well serviced with all facilities on hand.

Visitors

The pub is a regular meeting place for two motorcycle clubs - Laverda and Drake.

The Laverda club members come mainly from Gloucester but there are also international visitors. The Drake club comes from Plymouth and the surrounding areas.

Jim explained: 'All the clubs that camp here are well organised and we have never had any trouble. The staff and locals all join in with the visitors and club members.'

The Rising Sun is known for its wide selection of real ales. Jim and Dot select the ales from several outlets around the country. There are 14 different beers and ciders available.

There is a large cellar under one side of the bar after a former owner built it. However, during the excavation work the front wall of the pub collapsed and had to be re-built.

The 'Last of the Summer Wine' gentlemen can be found at the bar with a pint of their favourite tipple!

Arthur Gend, who has lived at Polyphant for 11 years, commented: 'I like to come in and have a pint at lunchtime. If you like New Zealand landlords then this is the place to come - he's the only one around for miles!! I like the pub and the atmosphere and there's not another pub like this - in a good way!'

Geoffery Stayt from Altarnun comes to the pub a couple of times a week. He said: 'Jim and Dot are lovely people. My friends come here and there is a good atmosphere all through the day - everyone gets on very well.'

Roger Ferrett comes from Boscastle to the pub as a lunchtime regular.

He said: 'I travel 12 miles to come here but it's always well worth it - the beer's good and these other old renegades are here!'

The inn's food reputation has spread far and wide. Most of the staff are proficient cooks and Dot shares the cooking with Sandra, Lauren, Margaret and James.

There are several vegetarian options and a specials board. There is a set Sunday roast beef menu and all meals are prepared with fresh and local produce.

There is a separate room at the back of the pub which Jim and Dot use for people wanting meals for a special occasion.

The pub has catered for wedding and funeral receptions and can seat up to 36 people in the back room and can cater for around 100 for a buffet meal.

John and Jan Coyne from Polzeath visited the pub as John used to follow the hunt, which met there many years ago.

The couple agreed that: 'The food is very nice and there's a nice welcome.'

Popular

The pub cat - Eric - came with the pub when Jim and Dot bought the property because the customers did not want to see him go.

He is very popular with the customers now and enjoys wandering the bar.

Dogs are welcome at the pub. Jim and Dot's own dog, Lucy, is a firm favourite with the locals and visitors alike. No dogs are allowed in the family room but are welcome in the bar.

Mother and daughter, Sandra and Lauren Alliston, both work at the pub.

Lauren has worked there for 18 months and has just finished a course in beauty therapy at St Austell College.

Sandra, otherwise known as 'Boris', has worked at the pub for eight years after moving from London 13 years ago.

She said: 'The pub is unique, it's one big laugh here all the time. I would never work anywhere else. The pub is the only pub I know where I would walk in on my own - even if I didn't know anyone.'

The pub hosts many fundraising events for various charities. Last year the charities and causes that funds were raised for included Altarnun Church, Launceston and North Cornwall Amateur Boxing Club, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Hospice South West (Come Together), Laneast Sunday School, St John Cadets, The Samaritans, Children's Hospice South West, Pensioners' Hampers, Lifeboats, Little Tommy's Sports Dream and Altarnun Football Club, the total amount for 2000 raised came to £2,212.10.

The harvest auction is an annual event at the pub, this year being held on September 20, where anything and everything is auctioned with much hilarity and laughter.

There is a picture board on one wall at the pub which has pictures of various customers and staff during events throughout the year, from Halloween to New Year's Eve, the Eclipse to VE Day.

The pub opens all day on Saturdays and Sundays and off season hours are from 11am until 3pm and from 5.30pm until 11pm Mondays to Fridays.