She was the first female firefighter in West Yorkshire way back in 1987 but these days pub landlady Suzi Burgess is used to handling a different kind of pump.

In fact the very personable landlady at The Clothiers Arms, Stocksmoor, is something of a multi-talented legend.

Years ago she was a high-flying industrial chemist who used to fly out regularly to Japan and South Korea and more recently she taught herself how to cook delicious tapas food, no mean feat.

But the mother-of-three says she had always enjoyed working behind bars from an early age figuring “it was a way of getting to go out and get paid for it at the same time.”

Her days of flying around the world though took their toll and she was missing her children growing up so took on the tenancy of The Rising Sun, Shelley, from 1998-2001.

Clothiers Arms, Stocksmoor
Clothiers Arms, Stocksmoor

Then the chance of becoming the landlady at The Clothiers presented itself to her and the father of two of her children, Michael Moore, in July 2001.

And they have been there ever since though these days Suzi is married to Mark Burgess, an electrician, with Michael continuing, happily, as an equal business partner.

Suzi said: “It all works very well. I do all the cooking and Mark also works in the kitchen with me on a night!

“The last 16 years have flown by. The pub hasn’t changed very much at all though the toilets were done a couple of years ago.”

That’s what regulars and occasional visitors enjoy, the unchanging traditions along with excellent beers and food. Suzi’s tapas nights are highly regarded and there was uproar recently when they were briefly dispensed with.

Suzi said: “Michael decided to take them off. He wanted to try something more traditional but by popular demand we had to bring the tapas back. There had been a glowing review in a Kirkburton publication and everyone was ringing up wanted to book and we’d takent hem off which was a bit awkward so we brought it back fairly quickly”

Regulars also enjoy the delicious free pork pie from Keith Dyson of Almondbury, put on the bar and wash it down with pints of Tetley’s and Farmers Blonde. Occasional beer festivals always go well too.

And, best of all, the pub which has a large conservatory and beer garden is situated just beside Stocksmoor Rail Station so it’s handy to get to.