A huge JD Wetherspoon fan has celebrated drinking at her 1,001st of the chain's pubs with her late partner's ashes on the bar.
Irene Henderson, 54, and Adrian Barratt, 62, set themselves the challenge of visiting every "spoons" in the country but tragically illness robbed "Ade" of joining his partner for her biggest milestone yet. Ade and Irene met at their local Wetherspoon pub, and were together for 13 years before he died.
The couple 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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Former railway signaller Ade had already had a pint or two at 1,000 Wetherspoon pubs across the UK and following his untimely death, Irene has now surpassed his total, the Daily Star reports.
Irene, from Ellesmere Port, said: "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." That she most certainly did on Saturday, February 11.
Joined by fellow "Spoonies", who have proven to be a really supportive community for Irene, 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 are 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 hometown. Irene added: "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."
It was only right that Ade got a deserving send off at their Spoons local, The Wheatsheaf where Irene organised his wake.
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