Our beautiful Mum passed away following a battle with Alzheimer’s. What a cruel disease. A disease that strips you of you. As I know Mum touched so many lives of so many people I wanted to write this very short tribute so we can remember Mum, Grandma and Mary for the amazing woman she was. To me she was the Mum that cared for us when we cried, made us cry when we pissed her off (she knew how to put us in our place when we were naughty!), but always had a twinkle in her eye when we entered the room - her boys. She was so proud of us and I just wish I could have told her how proud I was of her. To others, she was the landlady of the first pub they ever drank in. The delightful and gracious landlady who became a true best friend. She was the powerhouse behind the successes of The Old White Hart, The Five Horseshoes and more recently the Baskerville Arms. She was the winner of accolades, such as best steak and kidney pie and the locals favourite - stilton soup. She was Dad’s rock, the one who stood up to the trouble-makers in the pubs when Dad would rather look the other way - the big softy he is. I’ll never forget her echo the words of Peggy Mitchel (before Peggy Mitchel was a thing) ‘get out of my pub!’ Prize for anyone who can guess who those words were said too? She was a massive laugh too and always happy to get involved - I’ll never forget a Five Horseshoes rugby tour to Paris when I had to endure my Mum partaking in the dares at the front of the coach - nothing a 22 year old son should endure - but I look back on it now and just think ‘how cool was my Mum?’ Mum you are beautiful, you are caring, you are strong - which you certainly proved to the end. Pour yourself a large glass of rosado with lots of ice and relax - you’ve earned it. You will be unbelievably missed by us all. Love you Mum xx

Thank you for setting up this memorial to Mary. We hope that you find it a positive experience developing the site and that it becomes a place of comfort and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.

I am I and you are you, whatever we were to each other that we still are. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? Life means all that it ever meant, it is the same as it ever was.