At the Helm
We’re Peter and Gill Tydie, we have been the owners of the Victory since February 2007 and here are a few words about us, and what we offer you, our customers. We have been married for 30 years, have 2 daughters, 4 grandsons and I cat - PC (pub cat). Peter previously worked as a partner in a successful advertising agency, while Gill worked for Xerox in sales, training and management roles, both very customer focused. In 2003 we took our “gap year” and sailed our boat down the French canals to the Med.
On our return, we decided that corporate life was not for us and that if we could live on a boat for 6 months without wanting to kill each other maybe we could run a pub together!!! We took on The White Lion, a village pub in Hertfordshire in 2004. We worked hard and built the business so much that we outgrew it. So here we are at The Victory. For the romantics amongst you, we had our first date in The Victory in North London over 30 years ago.
Our background taught us that, by putting ourselves in our customer’s shoes, we could discover what they need and then set first class service standards. These would be delivered by us and a well-trained and motivated team of staff, giving us the firm foundations for both a successful business and a lifestyle we enjoyed.
Our Location
Situated between the estuaries of the Colne and Blackwater rivers, Mersea is the most easterly inhabited island in the UK and has a warm/dry climate. There are long sandy beaches and a country park for walkers. The island is accessed by a causeway that is covered by the spring tides for up to 2 hours for a few days each month.
We’re 20 minutes by car from Colchester and the A12 and an hour (traffic permitting) from London and the M25.
The nearest railway station is Colchester, connecting with London Liverpool Street, Ipswich, Norwich, etc. There are regular bus services to West Mersea, with the closest stop a 7 minute walk. Taxis are readily available from Colchester or let us know and we’ll book the local firm to collect you.
History of The Victory
An imposing red brick Edwardian building, built in the early 20th century by the Colchester Brewery Company, the Victory stands in a prominent position on the waterfront, overlooking the Blackwater estuary and the North Sea. Not far down the road is the building that housed the original Victory pub, now a private cottage.
As with many other pubs, the Victory had a chequered history, especially since the 1980’s, but is now under the ownership of Peter and Gill, who have invested considerable time and money to restore it to its rightful place as