Sir Tim Martin, 69, began his life in 1955 in Northern Ireland; his father worked for Guinness and he soon followed in his father’s footsteps.
Despite studying law at Nottingham University and qualifying as a barrister, Sir Tim decided to go into the pub sector. Reckoning that he could run his own pub, he first bought one in North London at the age of 24.
It was 1979 and the pub in upmarket Muswell Hill was originally named Martin’s Free House before being renamed to Wetherspoon – a reported snuff at a previous teacher who said Sir Tim would never be a businessman.
Muswell Hill is now an even more desirable location being only five miles from central London but still providing a leafy, suburban feel. The high street boasts independent restaurants and good shops for residents to enjoy.
Homes in the Muswell Hill area can fetch up to £2.5million for a five-bedroom family home; the most affordable property on sale at the time of writing in the area is a one-bedroom ground-floor apartment that costs £275,000.
As Sir Tim’s success grew, more pubs opened up across London, which enabled him and his now wife, Felicity, to expand their family unit.
Going on to have four children together (the pair now have 10 grandchildren between them), there might have been an even bigger incentive to make sure Wetherspoon thrived.
In 1992, JD Wetherspoon floated on the stock exchange and by the year 2000, the 400th branch of Wetherspoon opened its door to the public.
As most of the pubs are in historic buildings, the tell-tale sign of a JD Wetherspoon pub is the jazzy carpet, expansive menus, and affordable prices.
Now JD Wetherspoon plc is worth around £945million on the stock market and Sir Tim, 69, leads a private life in Exeter, Devon with his wife.
Homes in Exeter had an overall average price of £342,815 over the last year, according to the UK’s largest property portal Rightmove. The majority of sales in Exeter during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £310,177. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £362,035, with flats fetching £197,214.
However, more luxurious homes can fetch a lot more. Currently, one property on Rightmove boasting eight bedrooms, 16,684 sq ft, outbuildings, and acres of land is on the market for £4million on the site.
Exeter is an ancient city on the River Exe in southwest England, in the Devonshire county, which is known for housing Exeter Cathedral – the most visited landmark in the West Country. The historic city is one of two in the county and is known for its wealth of things to do and see including visiting the city’s underground passage and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, a world-class museum with stunning displays and galleries.
Over the years, Exeter has become a desirable place to live due to its proximity to Dartmoor and the coast.
