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There is an old folk's tale in Stalybridge which involves a frog in a wall. It's said that, in the early 1800s, workers were once excavating a toll road, which would connect people from the Tameside town to Mottram, when stonemasons spotted they had split a fossilised frog within a slab of rock. Whether this was ever true or not, there is now even a memorial situated in the spot - decked in green - to remember the moment and the frog. And, just yards away from here, lies the cosy Waggon & Horses pub , which also happens to overlook the stunning countryside. Operated by Robinsons and led by landlady Lisa Ng, the Matley pub is popular with walkers on the nearby Harrop Edge, Wild Bank Hill and Swineshaw Reservoirs, and is also said to do a very good roast dinner. As you'll find out, Lisa has been part of the pub for two decades now but only recently took on the position as landlady. Throughout the week, you'll be able to enjoy live music, quiz nights, and a generally good time. On the odd occasion, they will even welcome the likes of Shire Horses to the pub's car park - something you couldn't ever get at a city centre boozer. Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here As part of our Pub of the Week feature, where we shine a spotlight on the local pubs in Greater Manchester and the amazing people keeping them special, we've headed over to Stalybridge to chat to Lisa and to find out a bit more about what makes the Waggon so great. I have been at the Waggon & Horses for just over 20 years. I left college and knew I just wanted to work, and I soon realised that hospitality was definitely for me. By 2007, I had completed my cellar and wine training and my personal license qualifications. The Waggon & Horses isn’t just a pub, it is a community and staff and customers are part of it, for many years. I hoped if the opportunity came along for me to become the landlady then I would grab it with both hands. This year, my time came and in March I became pub partner with Robinsons Brewery at my happy place. I can honestly say the transition has been extremely smooth and the support from the team has been invaluable. The Waggon & Horses has a history dating back to the 1663 when it was built as a farmhouse originally called the Sandmill Inn. It first traded as an Inn in 1789, which was originally a three-storey building until the 70s when the third floor was removed for safety reasons. Since then, the pub has undergone many refurbishments with the biggest transformation being in 2006 when the restaurant was extended and the pub and bar itself were re-configured, creating an open and welcome feel on arrival. The most recent refurb in 2016 helped us to promote the bar area, creating a 'pub atmosphere' where customers can enjoy a beer but can also have a meal should they wish. I look forward to working with Robinsons in the near future to plan our next refurbishment. We are quite unique in the fact we are a good all-rounder pub, we have quite a large offering of beers, including Robinsons traditional ales, cocktails and craft beers which have become extremely popular, and each one has its own characteristics which all appeal to a different palate. I would say the last twelve months we have seen a huge increase in Helles, a Robinsons brewed lager, which has become a favourite amongst our regulars. When working in hospitality no two days are the same, and you never know what a day will bring. We have had many humorous incidents over the years, some quite unbelievable. Last year, we had blocked off the gents toilets whilst some decorating was being done, with signs telling people to use the accessible toilet in the meantime. One customer decided to climb over the signs and tables blocking the way to get into the gents, and then was furious with us when he ended up with paint on his sleeve! A favourite incident was when we had a wooden playhouse on the front patio, and one of our regular customers thought it would be a great April Fools prank to put a for sale sign on it, using a local estate agent who was also a regular of ours. We took plenty of phone calls from people who thought the pub itself was for sale! Oh yes, we have had the pleasure of serving many over the years, mostly From TV soaps, we’ve seen Danny Miller, Jimmi Harkishin, and the lovely Brooke Vincent. We've also had Shayne Ward and the late Ricky Hatton. The glamorous P.Louise used to visit regularly too. Everything! I love that we are right at the heart of the community. I am simply Lisa at the Waggon and I cannot do a food shop in the local supermarket without being asked can I book a table for someone. But it's fantastic, and speaks volumes about our pub. The people are lovely and all look out for each other and if you’re having a down day, you can always rely on someone to cheer you up. I can’t say I have experienced anything on the spooky side, but I’m sure if you speak to the bar staff, they will most definitely tell you they didn’t smash that glass. People can support their local pubs by visiting frequently. There is a lot of pressure on our industry and pubs are the part of the community. To keep them alive and doing what we do best, we need them full! Being involved with their social medias and sharing posts certainly helps too. Giving honest feedback during a visit, we build our menus and ideas around what we think people will enjoy, and we love customer input. We have recently extended our senior lunch offering, we now offer a lighter lunch option for all, as we understand peoples eating habits are changing and we want to give the option for a smaller portion of a tasty pub favourite. And finally why cook on a Sunday? When we are cooking anyway, let’s save you the washing up. The Waggon & Horses is on 300 Mottram Road, Matley, Stalybridge, SK15 2SU. 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