There will be new faces at the bar at The Bear in Marlborough when Iain Watson and Liz Oborne reopen it this weekend.

The couple moved into The Bear on April 8, when Trevor Stannard stepped down after eight years. It will officially open with live bands playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This is the pair’s first pub tenancy but Miss Oborne has many years of pub experience, most recently at The Horn in Reading.

Mr Watson, 52, was running an advertising company, and a computer sale and repair business before joining his partner of six years in The Horn to work in the kitchen.

He said: “Liz grew up in Swindon and her family still live there so this is a bit closer for them to visit and help out. They have given us a lot of support.

“It’s a really nice town from what I’ve seen in the last two weeks, although it’s been hectic. Everybody has been welcoming.”

The new landlords have been working with the pub’s owners, Arkell’s brewery, to refurbish The Bear, including opening up a new games room at the back of the pub.

Miss Oborne said: “We wanted to freshen up the pub completely and we’ve not finished yet. We’ve got more new carpet to go in, the function room to redecorate and over the next few months we will be working our way through the nine letting rooms.”

Mrs Oborne, 47, worked for Honda in Swindon for 15 years, taking redundancy in 2009 when the car manufacturer made job cuts.

She said: “For those worried about the recent announcement of a reduction in the workforce, I’m proof that there is life after Honda. In fact this is my dream job.

“Before working at Honda, I’d worked in other Arkell’s pubs around the area so being able to run one of their pubs myself is like joining a big family.”