DRINKERS are planning to honour the publican who stood across the bar from them for almost half a century.

Bill Berry, from Leigh, who had run the Weavers Arms in Brunel Street, Halliwell, Bolton, for 47 years and is believed to be the town's longest service landlord, died after a short illness on August 5.

Now generations of regulars who knew him are clubbing together to buy a plaque to put up at the hostelry, which is still run by his daughter Catherine and son Daniel.

"I am touched by it," said Bill's widow, Ann.

"I know how highly people thought of him. Lots of people have said how he helped them. He would spend time talking over their problems with them."

The pub, known locally as The Mop after a mop was once left outside and froze in the winter, was at the centre of Mr Berry's life, along with his wife, four children, who include William and Jennifer, and three grandchildren.

Bill, aged 78, was born in Leigh, leaving school at aged 14 and working on a farm before enrolling on a brewery's course and taking over the licence of the Weavers Arms in the late 1960s.

It was the pub which brought him and future wife Ann together.

She was working as a machinist at the Burton's factory and, fed up with having lunch in the canteen, accompanied work colleagues to The Mop one day and saw Bill behind the bar.

"It was literally love at first sight," said Ann, who married Bill six months later.

Two years on the couple bought the pub and it became a popular venue for bikers, with the tomatoes and vegetables grown by Bill in greenhouses behind the hostelry also proving a hit with customers.

Even though he gave over much of the running of the business to his children several years ago he and Ann still lived above the bar and he continued to help serve customers.

He was rushed into hospital with a stomach aneurysm in July and died 25 days later after contracting pneumonia.

He was held in such high esteem that there were as many mourners outside as were packed inside Overdale Crematorium chapel for his funeral.

And the family say they will continue to run the traditional pub for the foreseeable future - just the way Bill would have wanted.