THE Welcome Home Inn lives up to its name in every way - being as welcoming as they come, with a landlord and landlady, and customers, with big hearts.

They have demonstrated their generosity over the past couple of years, but especially over the last few weeks, since landlord John Tovey - who runs the pub with his wife Carole - was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas.

The customers clubbed together and raised £630 for John and Carole when they had to travel to the Middlesex Hospital, London to see if an operation was possible. Unfortunately it wasn't, but the money helped them pay hotel and taxi fees and spend some time in London enjoying the sights.

John and Carole, who are tenants of St Austell Brewery, took over the running of the Welcome Home in October 1999, with a ten-year plan in their minds.

Since then their customers have increased greatly, and they have not only completely renovated the upstairs living quarters, but have also worked hard making the pub facilities especially people-friendly.

They have transformed the garden, which has proved to be exceptionally popular in the summer. Not only have they planted attractive flower beds, but they have also made it a haven for children, having aviaries for love birds, finches and canaries etc, as well as a large run with guinea pigs and a rabbit, and a fenced off pond with goldfish.

The customers clubbed together the first year the couple were at the pub and bought a statue for the garden, and this year have presented them with rose bushes, which are now very much in place.

John had planned to see the garden develop still further, but because of his illness he and Carole are to move to Ilfracombe to be near her family.

Although still feeling reasonably well in himself he said the doctors have given him between six and nine months to live, and as he has begun to feel more tired these days has decided they must give up the tenancy.

He has told the customers exactly what is happening, and he says they have been brilliant - as they have since he and Carole moved to Par from a hotel in Ilfracombe where they met before marrying four years ago. He was the bar manager and Carole the chef.

John explained this was his second marriage, and that between them he and Carole have 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

John, who was born in Dagenham in Essex - the county where his son and daughter still live - maintains there are no more generous people than those living in Cornwall.

Relax

In the past ten months the pub has raised £6,000 for charity. An electric wheelchair has been purchased for Annie Vallender, who only had a standard chair which was not as easy to manoeuvre. They have also donated £300 to Par carnival, £300 in £25 CostCutter gift vouchers for local senior citizens, bought a canoe trailer for the Scouts, purchased paints for a playgroup, and paid rent of the local hall for other organisations.

Due to John's tiredness a charity committee was formed to help with the distribution of the monies, and a grand presentation evening was held in the garden, which was once full of brambles, around three weeks ago.

The money had been raised via events such as the Christmas draw, and the meat draw which will take place on Friday night. The harvest festival made £1,115, this a reflection on how much a part of Par the pub has become, and how much support it is given by locals.

There is some money still to distribute, to the Air Ambulance and the Children's Hospice South West, and John hopes if there is any over, if the committee agrees, it will go to Macmillan Nurses. He spoke of the friendliness of the customers, of how Eddie pops in every other day to cut logs for them, and how David helps in the garden, where the layout and the main bulk of the work has been due to Carole.

He said: 'We're always being given plenty of help, it really is unbelievable.'

Quiz nights are held once a month, and there are three pool teams and three darts teams who all play in local leagues.

Carole's culinary skills have been much in evidence, and she provides excellent, wide-ranging bar snacks, from scampi to goujons of plaice and chicken.

John said that many customers maintain that Carole makes the best chips in the area.

He said that in the summer holidaymakers are much in evidence, choosing to eat in the garden where the children can play safely and their parents can sit back and relax while sampling Carole's dishes.

The Welcome Home is also ideal for hosting special parties, having a 40th anniversary coming up, as well as a wedding at the weekend.

John said that he hopes whoever takes over the reins from them will continue building on the successful foundations they have established.

All that needs to be done now, to renovate the building, is some work on the kitchen, and on the ladies and gents toilets to make them more wheelchair friendly.

Among those making the most of the Welcome's friendliness on Tuesday lunchtime were David Goddard, Bob Oughton and Jim Hayes who were celebrating their Morning Triples win in Division l of the Bodmin Indoor Bowls League. They had been playing for the Keith Monks team and had beaten Ivor Jago's team by an impressive margin. And what better place to celebrate, Dave said, than their favourite pub?

Committee member Jane Callaway was present, as well as the pub's newest regulars, Pete and Edwina Rose who had moved to Par from West Sussex on November 6. They spoke of how welcome they had been made, because everyone seemed as 'nutty' as they are!

Praise also came from William Stone, alias Tex, an ex-seaman, and from Penelope Crowhurst who said John and Carole were the 'finest landlord and landlady' she had ever met in Cornwall.

She said as a result The Welcome Home is the only pub she visits.

On Christmas Eve Roger will be in the pub, on the keyboard, playing carols and traditional songs, while on Christmas Day the Welcome will open briefly during the morning. A disco will be held to welcome in the New Year.