Cheers! Cathy’s Red Lion quest reaches its final stages

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

The 56-year-old embarked upon a quest to have a drink in every Red Lion Pub in the UK on a whim while in a Red Lion pub in Cumbria watching the Grand National back in April 2011.

Among the stops on Ms Price’s mammoth pub crawl are Red Lions in Hemel Hempstead, Marsworth, Dagnall, Markyate and Wendover.

Ms Price 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.”

Ms Price is writing a book on the mission which she says is 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 being 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.”