Janet back behind the bar at the Tabard, 50 years on

Janet Hudson (85) said that she was honoured to be invited back by current Tabard landlord Chris Hunt, adding: “It’s been a real tonic for me.”

Janet and late husband Frank opened the brand new pub on Herringthorpe Valley Road in 1961 after moving from the Travellers at Parkgate.

She said: “I was so happy when they asked me to cut the ribbon. Naturally, it’s changed a lot since we ran the place.

“We didn’t have a big opening. A local councillor and someone from John Smiths came but we didn’t have a ribbon or anything, just a few photographs taken."

The couple spent four years behind the bar before moving to a house in nearby Woodall Road and raising children John (now 56) and Margaret (57).

Janet, of Doncaster Road, said: “Frank would have stayed, he loved it. But I wanted to have some family time and we bought a house.

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“It was such a busy place and not something I wanted to do forever, but I really enjoyed my time there.

“At the re-opening on Monday I spoke to a man from the Mansfield Brewery, who said that the Tabard had always been a pub with real character, and that’s exactly what we said when we were here.

“I went back again the next day for a meal with Margaret this week. Chris is a lovely landlord and the staff are great.

“I had a pacemaker fitted recently and my health hasn’t been that good but being asked back was a real tonic for me.”

Chris (46), who has been landlord for 17 years, said: “We had been closed for a couple of months while the place underwent nearly half a million pounds of refurbishment.

“We’ve totally knocked it through into one big room. We thought it would be a lovely touch to ask Janet, the original landlady, back to re-open it for us.

“She still lives in the area and still comes in now and again. We managed to get in touch and invited her to do the honours.”

“The place has not had many managers during its 50 years. In some of the old photos you can see things like original windows that we still have. The furniture is a bit more contemporary now though.”

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