Cheers!

Stuart Ashby, 55, who is a regular at the Buckingham Arms in Brunswick Road, has drunk more than 7,500 pints at the 15,000 pubs all over the country and finished at the Lamb Inn in Pagham.

Mr Ashby has now been to every single pub listed in the 1984 edition of the Good Beer Guide, which is published by the Campaign for Real Ale, and '“ like our man Monty '“ he said his favourite tipple was a drop of London Pride by Fuller's.

His quest started on April 2, 1984, after a friend showed him the Good Beer Guide, when they were looking for somewhere to drink while visiting a football match.

He told the Herald: "So, I bought this book, and when I went on these trips, I would see if there was a better pub around. I found it to be a very reliable source.

"After a while, I thought I'm not going to remember all these places I've been to, so I started marking them off in the book."

Mr Ashby does not drive, so he has travelled around the country by bus, train and hitching lifts.

He goes on holiday twice a year and visits as many pubs as possible.

On a recent trip to Hampshire, he went to 101 pubs.

He commented: "One bloke once took me about 20 miles out of his way. It makes you realise that Britain is still full of friendly people. I go on these holidays and it restores my faith in human nature.

"My camera is my diary. I can look back and it reminds me of whom I went to the pub with."

He said that he did not have a favourite pub, having been to so many.

Mr Ashby said he now planned to visit the pubs in the later editions of the Good Beer Guide.

He is also a keen music-lover and a sports fan, and has visited every league football and county cricket ground in the country.