The Tom Cobley Tavern in Spreyton often plays host to Graham and Kathlyn Newton from Liverpool who have recently welcomed their great-great-granddaughter into the world.

Elodie-Iris Marais (pictured right) is the youngest member of the Newton family, which can now boast five living generations, a rare achievement.

The family also includes Elodie-Iris’s mum Jamie-Lee Coakley, grandad Johne Coakley, and great-grandma Carolyn Newton.

The story started, said Graham, on a fishing trip when he was rude to Kathlyn who had come along with her then-boyfriend.

‘I went to her house afterwards to apologise,’ he said. ‘I said “do you want to go to the pictures?” and she said “yes”.’

Graham and Kathlyn, who still live near Liverpool, often stay at the Tom Cobley Tavern when they come down to Devon to visit their daughter Carolyn who moved down to Spreyton in 1996 with her family after they visited a friend in the area and decided they loved the county.

Carolyn’s son Johne now lives in North Tawton along with his daughter Jamie-Lee (24) who met Elodie-Iris’s dad, Jonathan Marais, in secondary school.

Jamie-Lee said: ‘We had a date in Year 7 (age 11-12) and then we were just friends for ages.’

The couple have now been together for around three years and welcomed their daughter into the world last month.