I planned to stay for six months but I fell in love with this pub so I'm still here 25 years on

You are treated to great views across the River Mersey from the front rooms of New Brighton's Magazine Hotel.

The pub, which has stood on Magazine Brow in the Wallasey suburb since 1759, is a great place to shelter from the elements as the wind whips off the river. Nicely old-fashioned, its low ceilings with beams and the wooden fittings complement a roaring fire and snug rooms to create a very cosy feel.

From its front rooms, you look beyond Egremont Promenade and across the river to North Liverpool, with Goodison Park, Anfield and the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock all standing out. In the summer, the rear beer garden provides the same view with added elevation.

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The Magazine is one of Merseyside's oldest pubs. It takes its name from the street's use to store ammunition during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s.

Now, the pub is managed by couple Stephen Brady, 50, and Mary Goddard, 50, both from Wallasey. Last year, Stephen marked 25 years behind the bar. Having joined as a barman, he has run the pub since 2012. He has just signed to stay on as landlord for 10 more years and spoke to the ECHO about his time at the Magazine and what makes the venue so special.

He told the ECHO: "I worked in offices when I was first in school. As you do, you overspend and I needed to bring in a second income to supplement my overspending. That's how I got into here.

"I started here in August 1998. A friend of mine put my name forward for a job as Assistant Manager. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life at that time but I thought I would give it a go and see what happened in six