Tales of the Three Tuns

Some people came into Broad Street Book Centre today who used to be regulars at Lucy's when they came to Hay. Since Mary was in the shop at the time, they got talking.

The fire started them off. Mary took Lucy in that morning, and she sat at the side window upstairs all day watching her home burning down. What amazed Mary, though, was the fact that national newspapers started calling only a couple of hours after the fire started, and knew that Lucy was with her.
It was the day after the fire that surprised me, though. I'd heard the rumour that Lucy had kept stacks of bank notes in her old clock, but I'd never given it any credance until now. Mary was the one who went into the pub, the day after the fire, to recover what she could for Lucy - and the first thing she asked for was the marble clock over the mantlepiece. Everyone knew the clock hadn't worked for years - what they didn't know was that Lucy had been stuffing £20 notes into it. So Mary took that out, and three biscuit tins from out the back, which were blistered from the heat of the fire, but the contents were still okay, and more from under the till.... Lucy didn't believe in banks.

Lucy was known by all sorts of famous people who came to Hay for the Festival. She was fond of Jools Holland, who used to send her birthday cards. She didn't like Jeffrey Archer, though, and wouldn't have him in the pub.
One year, Julian Clary was doing a show, and a seat at the front had been reserved for Lucy - and he wouldn't start his act until she arrived. At the end of the show, the performers are always presented with a long stemmed white rose - and he went down and presented it to Lucy.
Years before, Lucy was serenaded by Mick Jagger. Lord and Lady Betjemen lived near Hay for years, and after Lady Betjemen died, the house was rented out to Mick Jagger. He used to come down to Kilverts when they had a grand piano in the bar and play it. One evening he was doing something for charity, and invited Lucy. She shut up the Three Tuns early - and he dedicated his last tune to her.

Now she comes up regularly to see the progress in the building works, and some people are hoping that the new owners will allow her to pull the first pint when the pub re-opens.