No sooner had sisters Anita Moss and Billie Hammond taken over The Horse and Jockey in Curbridge last summer than both discovered they were expecting.

Another sister Lucia Moss, who cleans the pub, has also had a baby in the family's first year at the helm of The Horse and Jockey where several of them worked under the previous management.

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Now Arley, Lucia's ten month old boy, six month old little girl Luna, whose mum is Billie, and Anita's four month old lad Jae love to hang out at the pub with the other 17 cousins in the close-knit family. 

"I tell the customers there's something in the water here and to be careful," laughs mum of five Anita, who is one of nine siblings. 

"It was lovely news all round, but it was quite stressful with the new business.

"We're doing really well now though. We love it, we couldn't be any more pleased with the way things are going even with the industry not being great at the moment."

(Image: The Horse and Jockey) The pub, on Botley Road, had been a family favourite for years with previous generations remembering the time when a mysterious 11ft whale, dolphin or giant fish washed up along the river at Curbridge Creek. People were said to have travelled from miles around to view the curious creature as well as it making headlines in the newspapers of the time. 

The Horse and Jockey dates back even further than that pre-war discovery, but, after a stint as an Italian restaurant, these days the Fuller's pub is known for its delightful outside events space for 100 guests, 'nanny favourites' on the menu including the famous homemade cottage pie and its cask ales, particularly the HSB. 

(Image: The Horse and Jockey) Live music, tribute nights and special events are regular fixtures on the calendar, with a clairvoyant night with medium Carianne Robins coming up on August 26.

It is hoped a children's play area can be added to the riverside beer garden in future, ensuring the next generation have a place to play alongside customer's children as they grow up.

(Image: The Horse and Jockey)