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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Hannah Phillips & Kieran Isgin

"So sorry... x": Group of lads leave £20 tip after their friend 'drank too much and was sick' - leaving staff to clean up the mess

A group of drinkers were so embarrassed by their friend's behaviour at a bar that they posted a £20 tip and apology note to the 'poor' staff.

The friend group went on a night out to The Good Rebel in Stockport last week where their friend 'drank too much and was sick'. The group made a run for the door, leaving barmaid Phoebe, 22, to clean up the mess.

A few days later, the bar's owner, Martin Healy, 36, received a hand-posted card in the letterbox containing a heartfelt apology and a £20 tip which went towards a staff do. The card read: "One of our group drank too much and was sick in your lovely bar.

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"We wanted to apologise and offer this tip to the poor member of staff who had to clean up after us. So sorry x'

Martin Healy, owner of The Good Rebel in Stockport (Kennedy News and Media)

Martin said: "I popped in to see the staff and opened the letter box and there was a card which I thought was really weird. We get a lot of cards from the local church so I thought it might be from them telling me to find God or something.

"We opened it and there was a message, a group apologising for being sick. We couldn't believe it at first. There was a group the previous weekend and one had spewed up in a pint glass and Phoebe had to clean it up.

"I think there's been a horrible sobering moment of reflection the next day where they thought 'oh my God'. They've felt so bad and gone out of their way to go to the shop and buy it and hand post it. It's the beer fear in the morning. They will have been thinking 'what happened last night?'.

"The £20 was very unexpected. You get the odd apology, people coming in acting a bit embarrassed but nothing like this. It was very out of the blue. It was a really nice gesture. Phoebe and the staff couldn't believe it. They had a staff party a few days later so it went into the kitty. They were all quite happy about it.

Phoebe, who had to clean up the vomit, holding up the apology note (Kennedy News and Media)



"They don't clean up sick all the time but when they do it's nice to know that people do care and it happens at the end of the day. Anyone who says they haven't been sick out is a liar. Everybody has done it and in places they shouldn't have and it's fine."

Phoebe has been working at the bar for a year and is among six members of staff that look after the place. She was on the closing shift when she came across the vomit in a pint glass on the table where the group had been sitting.

Martin said: "Her words were 'ah, lovely' when she found the sick. It's one of them you get so used to it, it doesn't really matter anymore.

"It's table service so all the staff build a rapport. They would have had a laugh with Phoebe all night, she's a nice girl
who has been looking after them all night and they've left her a present.

Staff at The Good Rebel (Kennedy News and Media)

"It doesn't happen often, every now and again someone might miss a toilet but it's not a regular occurrence. We see the group about quite a lot. They probably don't want to get barred."

Martin posted the sweet gesture on Instagram where the group of lads received plenty of praise. One commenter said: "What a lovely thing to do to apologise."

Another wrote: "Humanity is alive and well." Meanwhile, another said: "Ah that's so good of them."

Martin said: "It's had a great response, it's tongue in cheek. Some people say it's good and others say they clean up sick every weekend and don't get a tip."

If you are one of the lads featured in this story, please get in touch with newsdesk@men-news.co.uk

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