A Wetherspoons mega fan who vowed to visit every pub in the UK with her partner paid a final touching tribute to him following his tragic death.
Irene Henderson, 54, and Adrian Barratt, 62, set themselves a challenge to tour the pub chain and visit every branch across the country. Adrian, known as 'Ade', had already visited 1,000 different Wetherspoons, the Daily Star reports.
But sadly, he was 'robbed' of joining his partner for her biggest milestone of also visiting her 1,000th. The loved-up couple of 13 years shared such a passion for the budget high street chain of boozers that Ade heartbreakingly apologised to Irene for not being able to continue on their quest.
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Irene, from Cheshire, told the Daily Star: "Ade apologised just before he died saying he was sorry he wouldn’t be with me to do my 1000th. To cheer him up I said I would take him along and do my final Ade at the bar pic.
"He laughed even though it was a difficult time. So I kept to my word."
On Saturday, February 11, joined by fellow 'Spoonies', she carried an urn of Ade's ashes as well as a framed photo of him to pub number 1,001. The London and North Western inside Birmingham New Street train station hosted the emotional occasion, which coincided with Irene's friend hitting a milestone of their own.
Irene, who works as an administrator, said: "One guy was celebrating his 500th Spoons. When a new Spoons opens, if you let others from the group know they will do it at the same time.
"It’s like having a huge family as no matter where you go there is always friends from the group that will pop in (especially since Ade died) so I am not on my own."
Fittingly, it was a case of the couple starting as they intended to go on with them meeting at the now-closed The Thomas Telford in their home town of Ellesmere Port. "When Ade was alive I used to always take a pic of him at the bar for a laugh and make a funny comment on it," Irene added.
It was only right that Ade, a former railway signaller, got a deserving send off at their Spoons local, The Wheatsheaf, where Irene organised his wake. The widow shared with the Daily Star a touching poem she penned which she says sums up Ade perfectly.
It read: "Old fashioned values, is what I could see. In this polite man, chatting to me. We loved and laughed, had date after date. Best of friends, you're my soul mate.
"A man on a mission, Wetherspoons here we come. Until over 1,000, you had done. Not to forget the cask marks you scanned. 4,331 in a few years, you had crammed.
"You were hardworking and honest, principles to uphold. Would help anyone, had a heart of gold."
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