Why I've visited 969 JDW pubs: 'No-one asks what a woman is doing in a pub on her own'

For 21 years Mags Thompson, 66, has travelled to JD Wetherspoons pubs throughout the UK. When her husband Ian died in 2010, she called it a day for two years, but eventually decided to continue with her plan to visit every pub.

“I love the fact as a woman on her own I can go into Wetherspoon’s and no-one looks at me as if to say ‘what is a woman doing in a pub on her own?’,” she told the PMA​.

“I have always felt that way, even back in 1994. I feel I can sit and read a newspaper, do competitions. I feel comfortable and the staff are always friendly - they make me feel like I’m in a home away from home.”

The married couple used to visit between 12-15 pubs when taking a week or two of holiday.

She’s made it to all corners of the UK, including 26 JDW hotels, from her home in Livingston, Scotland, by public transport.

Of the 969, her favourite is The Velvet Coaster, Blackpool followed by Winter Gardens,  Harrogate and The Jolly's Hotel, Broughty Ferry.

“The drinks and food are extremely well priced, and there is a good variety of food and drink,” she added.

So how did Thompson begin the journey?

“It all started back in August 1994, on a trip to Reading. Ian was a railway enthusiast and I was bored and cold standing on the platform at Reading station one day, so told him I was off to look for a pub,” she explained.

“We hadn’t heard of Wetherspoon then, but I found a lovely pub, The Monks’ Retreat.”

The married couple visited 708 pubs together.

“When he died I didn’t think I could bring myself to do it alone,” she said.

 “In the two-year gap, 13 new pubs in Scotland opened, so I started with those and got the bug again.”

And she’s now added another 181 to the list, and said she’s excited to complete visit many more.

Thompson isn't the only drinker that's had an ambitious pub quest.

Personal trainer Cathy Price has completed her quest​ to drink in every pub named the Red Lion in the UK.

She started her pub crawl back in April 2011 after learning that Red Lion was the most common pub name and has visited 656 pubs along the way.