CAFÉ customers in Middleton-in-Teesdale have their fingers crossed that new buyers will come forward for their popular business.
For the past nine years Julie and Cliff Hartill have been the proprietors of Rumours Cafe in Middleton-in-Teesdale. Ill-health forced the tough decision to sell the business earlier in the year.
The popular couple, who relocated to the dale from Middlesbrough 15 years ago, thought they had secured its sale, but the deal fell through three weeks ago.
Mrs Hartill said: “I’ve got back problems. Even though it’s bad, the consultants say it’s not severe enough to operate yet so I just have to live with it, but some days I can’t move. We didn’t want to sell the business, but it’s getting difficult to get around some days.”
The couple bought Rumours cafe as a retirement business, but when Mrs Hartill’s health worsened, they made the decision to sell up.
She added: “I’ve now got bulging discs in my back and find it difficult to stay on my feet all the time. Walking sometimes is a struggle and customers wonder how I do it when I’m hobbling about.”
Her health took a turn for the worse in July when she fell, breaking her ankle and femur. She said: “I was in hospital for two weeks and had to have a plate put in. I had a pot on for two weeks and then a moon boot for another three months. I still get a lot of pain from that and it doesn’t help my back.”
The cafe, popular with locals and visitors alike, was marketed earlier in the year and a buyer found. The couple were waiting for contracts to exchange when they heard the buyer had pulled out.
Mrs Hartill said: “From April we thought it was going through. But three weeks ago, we got an email saying it wasn’t going ahead. The buyer had been unable to sell her house.”
After receiving the news, they decided to place an advertisement in the Teesdale Mercury offering the business for sale.
She said: “All our customers have got their fingers crossed for us. We have so many loyal customers that come in regularly. After we put the advert in the paper we did have someone get in touch and we are still in talks with them, so hopefully it will go through.
“I’ll really miss the customers though when we do sell, but as long as it stays as a cafe I will come in and enjoy being on the other side of the counter.”
