THREE people who would otherwise have been alone have enjoyed their “best Christmas ever” at England’s highest pub.
Tan Hill Inn owners, Mike and Louise Peace, opened up the pub and treated them to free accommodation and a Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.
The trio, from Richmond, Catterick and Bognor Regis took up the offer.
Ms Peace said: “We wanted to open for Christmas, but then I thought I’m not going to open.
“But then I thought what a sin to have seven bedrooms standing empty.”
The landlady posted an appeal on the inn’s Facebook page asking if anyone knew of people within a 35-mile radius who would be alone on December 25.
She added: “I didn’t discriminate. I opened it to anyone, rich or poor, because rich people can be as lonely as anyone.”
One of those who responded was ex-military man Ian Wingate, from Bognor Regis, who was left homeless in April last year after splitting from his partner.
He spent time living in his car before finding a room through a website.
Mr Wingate spent six years in the Army before being medically discharged and suffers from a lung disease and chronic abdominal pain.
The 52-year-old said: “I just put a little cheeky comment (on Tan Hill Inn’s Facebook page) that I live too far away.
“A few days after that Louise, the owner, started sending me messages. It just went from there.”
The inn owners covered the cost of Mr Wingate’s train and bus fair and collected him from Darlington Station after a nine-hour trip.
Mr Wingate said: “I had the best time of my life. I can’t thank Louise and Mike enough for what they have done. The entertainment at the pub was fantastic.
“I follow them on Facebook. I’ve always liked that pub but I had never been there before.
“I have seen it on TV and it has been on my wish list to go there.”
He added that he hopes to have his car repaired in the coming months and to visit the pub again.
Ms Peace has become renowned for her charity fundraising, having gathered cash last year for among others a type-one diabetes charity and a fell search and rescue team.
In December she raised £1,350 for a neo-natal unit through the Brompton Fountain charity, with much of the cash coming from camping fees.
Mr Peace said: “That’s just my wife – she is crazy, but she loves people and she loves charity.”
