THE kindness of strangers and staff at a Powys pub has “touched the heart” of one woman who found herself in a stressful situation last weekend.
With herself and husband Jon feeling under the weather on Sunday, September 8, Sally Baker decided a takeaway roast dinner from a local pub was what she needed to lift their spirits.
However, when 66-year-old Sally went to leave after collecting their home-cooked feasts, her car broke down – she’d also left her mobile at home, so could not call Jon for help.
Sally though was left counting her lucky stars when staff at the pub, the Seven Stars Inn, in Aberedw, went above and beyond, in order to turn what could have been a disastrous day into one to remember.
A passer-by on her way to the pub, near Builth Wells, for Sunday lunch stopped to help, while a barman also came to her aid, taking her home to retrieve her phone. He brought her back, where the chef then cooked her dinner at the pub, completely free of charge.
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The experience has left Sally’s heart – as well as her glass and plate – full, and glad she and Jon made the move to Powys from Cornwall six years ago.
“I’m disabled and suffer with a series of health problems. My husband was not feeling well on Sunday and I wasn’t feeling great either, so I thought I’d go to the Seven Stars to pick up some Sunday dinners,” said Sally, who collected the food at around 1.45pm.
“But when I went to get back in the car, it broke down.”
Attempting to make a simple three-point turn, Sally’s Renault hybrid wouldn’t move forward; all she could manage was reverse closer and closer to the pub.
Sally, who lives just outside Builth, added: “A lady came past and asked if I was OK. She was in the area on holiday and going to lunch at the pub.
“She was in the motor trade so she did some calling round for me as I’d left my phone at home; I had no way of calling Jon. I tried to reset the car, but it didn’t work.
“One of the staff then said come in and he gave me a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. The chef came out to check on me, he could see I was stressed. So, he went and got me a nice Sunday lunch, with a glass of wine, on the house.
“The lady who’d stopped and done all the phoning for me came over and said she was there for me.
“By now it was 3pm and the RAC informed me they would not be arriving until 5pm.
“The young lad behind the bar offered to drive me home to get my phone. He brought me back to the pub as well.
“When the RAC chap showed up he said nothing could be done right there. I didn’t get home until 7pm – the barman took me home a second time.”
Sally was left thankful for and touched by people’s incredible kindness.
“All this good will, they were so kind to me. It just touched my heart,” she said.
“I made some really good friendships in just a few hours. Nobody would take any money for anything or take a drink. They were all incredible.
“We moved here from Cornwall and something like this shows we made a good decision.”
Sally reserved special praise for the three musketeers – young barman Pryce, chef Mike and good Samaritan Julie,
It’s probably not a surprise that community spirit in the tiny village is alive and well. Residents bandied together to buy the pub in 2019, chipping in to reopen it as a community asset, after it closed in 2018.
A new chapter began for the centuries old historic pub when it opened its doors for the first time as a community-run venture in late April 2019.
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