Last updated 10:53, Friday, 22 August 2008

We loved the Golden Fleece from the moment we arrived. On that day, irrespective of the upheaval, we decided to put food on the menu that evening.

Recognition: Left to right, Evening News & Star assistant editor Lynn Elliott, Anne Shelton, Norma and Will Baxter

Will rushed to Carlisle to buy fresh chickens and so on. There was an oven, however, I only had a household chip pan. It was hilarious preparing the meals, but great fun.

I gave the menu to June the barmaid, and she said: “We don’t sell food here.”

I replied, “Well we do now.”

We sold out quickly and at the end of the evening June came to me and said “Sorry, I was wrong”. It was a good start and we became great friends.

We continued extending our menu. I cooked fresh meat such as silverside of beef, roast pork, roast ham in cider.

It went very well and it wasn’t long before I needed help because there were so many other things to do.

This is where Jean Murdoch (food waitress) and Jean Hope (who helped to prepare the meals) came to my aid in the evenings. They were a great help and became my dearest friends.

We used to raise money for charity events.

A year after we’d taken over Ruleholme we were presented with the Evening News & Star Christmas Appeal For Old Folks Shield for the tremendous fundraising effort made by our patrons.

It was presented to us by none other than Anne Shelton, who made her entrance to one of her most popular songs Lay Down Your Arms.

The resident trio – Ritchie Jefferson (piano), Maurice Petry (guitar and vocals) and Tom Lomas (drums) – were a great bunch and we had some wonderful evenings. The customers, who sometimes came in coaches from Scotland, loved hearing them and quite a number of them used to get up and sing with them.

I can remember many other famous celebrities who stayed with us or called in as they were passing – Mr Joe ‘Piano’ Henderson, Jack Charlton, Stan Seymour, who was chairman of Newcastle Football Club and Joe Harvey who was manager, Rodney Warr and Opportunity knock’s winner Neil Reid.

Also Major Rowbottom of the Coldstream Guards regularly stayed with us. He once arranged a parade in the car park with the Coldstream Guards in full ceremonial uniform.

In the evening, however they changed and became a calypso band.

Sadly the breathalyser and a new by-pass did us no favours and we decided to call it a day.

We remained in Carlisle until my son Paul finished his education.

Sadly my husband died. Paul and I now live near Blackpool.

Everyone had a role to play at The Golden Fleece and in our hearts we will always remember our time there.