AS Bambie Tham has five children and a husband to look after, you would think would find being a working mum tough going.

But Mrs Tham, 30, is not afraid of a challenge and, for the past nine months, she has been getting stuck in to the job of running one of Croydon's oldest pubs.

She and her partner Hung, 46, took over at The Jolly Sailor, in South Norwood High Street, last December.

With 2010 being the pub's 200th anniversary, this only added to the pressure, but licensee Bambie believes she has risen to the task and quickly become an integral part of the community.

She said: "I got a bit bored and I needed something to do. Then the Jolly Sailor came up and I knew I wanted to work here and look after my children.

"The pub is a fun place and my husband and I like our drink and are both very social, so we thought it would be perfect. We can live upstairs and then come down and run the pub.

"It's been great so far. The pub runs itself because the customers are so lovely."

Bambie thinks the secret of her early success at the pub has been staying true to the pub's traditions, especially as it is in its anniversary year.

She is planning a special event later in the year to mark the occasion and wants to do up the front of the pub to make it more appealing.

"It's important to keep the pub's traditions alive," Bambie, who is originally from Vietnam, said. "We're planning to make the pub look more up to date but keep its original features because it is so beautiful.

"We're just taking things slowly and enjoying it for the moment."

A charity night, including live music and a barbecue, is taking place at the pub tomorrow (Saturday). Entry will cost £5 with money raised going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.