SEVENTEEN years after pulling their first pints at the Red Lion, Tedburn St Mary, Les and Di Rice have retired but will still be living in the village they love.

A Master Thatcher and Life Member of the Devon and Cornwall Thatchers Association, Les’ family goes back over at least 200 years of thatcher farmers.

Di’s father, Jack Wood, played for West Ham FC. During the Second World War her mother was evacuated to Perranporth, her father being away playing football.

In 1969 the family moved to Morchard Bishop, her mother teaching at the primary school until she retired. That was when Di met Les.

He lived next door in Morchard Bishop. They were married in 1976 and have daughters Samantha who helped run the pub and Sally who lives in Cornwall.

For a time Di worked in Morchard Bishop, in the shop that was at the top of the hill, now long gone. The Post Office then was on Church Street where there is now a shop again.

In their time at the Red Lion, Les and Di have raised almost £33,000 for charity. One special instance was after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami at Sri Lanka when they raised £1,200 in a week and when he and Di visited the island they took a further £1,000, most of which was raised by the village, Les rounding the figure up.

One of a family of five, Les was born at Rackenford. The family moved to Broadclyst where Les’ father did a lot of work for the estate, then bought Filleigh Farm at Lapford. Les finished his schooling at Chulmleigh.

While at school and for a time after Les had been thatching with his father but was told to go and learn different trades with other companies before joining his father.

After Les had taken over the business, his father went on a six-week holiday to Texas, driving big wagons down through the state to the coast.

Les and Di had lived at Cheriton Bishop for 27 years, moving to Tedburn in 1997, buying the pub four years later when it had become obvious Les’ back, shoulders and knees were paying the price of a life of thatching. They wanted either a shop or a pub, choosing the latter.

Some years ago Les and Phil Jury formed the delightful Tedburn Working Agricultural Tractor Society, TWATS, which is still going. Les used to have three old tractors, he now has one.

Les also invented Robert the Robot to help him thatching, a way to get materials up to the roof where he needed them.

Their charity last year was Cheriton Bishop Surgery for which they raised more than £1,200 and this year was the Breast Cancer charity.

Local people who have been customers at the Red Lion have taken over.

Les and Di thank everyone who has helped them and their fantastic customers through the years.

At their leaving party they were given garden vouchers as well as several individual gifts and lots of cards.