Cathy says ‘cheers’ in 600-plus Red Lion pubs

The personal trainer from Walton-le-Dale will soon reach the milestone of 600 pubs with the total to visit 630.

Cathy (56) embarked upon the quest to have a drink in every Red Lion Pub in Britain on a whim while in the Red Lion at Hawkshead watching the Grand National back in April 2011.

She said: “I will be reaching the mammoth milestone of 600 soon and will celebrate this at the Red Lion, Gatwick Airport North Terminal in the first week of May - from then it is countdown until the quest is complete.

“My final Red Lion will be at Northmoor, Oxford which has been a community-owned pub for almost a year.

“Hook Norton Brewery is involved in this big celebration which will be in July. In August there will be a big party at Hawkshead Red Lion, so then I will have come full circle.”

Cathy is writing a book on the mission which she says in making ‘good progress’ and an app is also being created.

She said: “Eighty per cent of my Red Lions have been only metres away from a church. I have seen some amazing old churches, in fact many Red Lions were built specially to house the building materials and builders while the church was been built .

“Many started out as morgues or blacksmiths, lots even claim to be haunted.

“I have stayed overnight in Red Lions, dined, lunched and had breakfast in Red Lions, watched live bands, danced and even done karaoke in Red Lions.

“I have played games of pool, frustration, Aunt Sally, Bullring, darts and skittles in Red Lions.

“And I have drunk wine, champagne, real ales, cider, coffee, coke, water and often prosecco in Red Lions.”

Cathy’s journey will have taken in the Red Lion in Earby.

Burnley’s Old Red Lion pub, at the bottom of Manchester Road, closed in 2010 to become nightspot Decadence, while Clitheroe’s Red Lion is also no more. One of the earliest records of the Red Lion in Clitheroe is in 1766 when it stood facing Pit Lane (today known as Parson Lane). This original Red Lion was pulled down in 1849 and the new one built on the rear part of the former site,