Slainte! Former world karate champion opens Irish bar in home town of Silsden

Former world karate champion Paul Newby, pictured above with partner Enya Stewart, has opened an Irish bar at the landmark Bradley Road premises that for years were the  Bradley family's butchers business and Jeff Walbank's barber's shop.

The Tapping Foot bar was previously the Butcher's Arms pub owned by former town mayor Chris Atkinson, who bought and converted the old butcher's and barber's premises. The properties go back at least 200 years and are part of an area steeped in local history (see my Blog of October 24th, 2012).

Previously at the Red Lion, Enya is manager of the Tapping Foot. She is a jiu jitsu blue belt and like Paul has strong Irish roots. With an illustrious career under his belt and an international reputation as a karate competitor and coach, Paul, who runs Newbys Combat Arts Academy in Silsden, has long had an ambition to open a bar.

The Tapping Foot is in memory of his father, Les Newby, who died five years ago. Born in Silsden, Les, who worked for the gas board for many years, married Josie Meegan, from another well-known Silsden family of Irish origin. Paul is photographed above with a picture that dominates the upstairs room of the Tapping Foot. It shows the famous Ha'Penny Bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin, where Les's mother's ashes were scattered. She took a special interest in Paul's karate career. He won the 60 kilo world title in 2004 and is a Great Britain karate team coach. His academy offers classes in karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), kick-boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The academy includes the Shamrock Amateur Boxing Club. Paul was undefeated during his brief time as a professional featherweight boxer. 

Pet shop's new owner takes the lead for doggy treats

Lizzie Collins, the new owner of Silsden's pet shop in Kirkgate, has chosen a stand-out name to differentiate the business from other outlets in the area. The word barkery is also a nod to bakery -- Lizzie offers a range of treats, including doggy birthday cakes and cup cakes, which she makes herself. Previously working at a pet day-care service, Lizzie has been an animal-lover since childhood ("Our house was like a zoo," she says) and gained key qualifications before opening Best Boy Barkery in June last year. 

Lizzie is pictured above, on the right, with the shop's dog-groomer Hollie Beckett. As part of her aim to run a fully-fledged pet shop, Lizzie is spreading her wings by supplying poultry feeds to order. The shop previously was  Dogsbody & Friends, owned by Steph Calvert-Smith for five years. The premises became a pet shop in 1957 and have been in retail use since the late 1800s.