She was once known as 'the Rose' of the Rose Valley and Bridget Moore served behind bars in the city for nearly four decades before leaving the former Rose Valley Tavern earlier this year.

As a big thank you for her time in the industry, former colleagues and regulars at the Unthank Road pub, now known as the Mulberry, gathered at the nearby Unthank Arms in Newmarket Street last Saturday to give her a surprise party and wish her well.

Mrs Moore, from Sotherton Road, near Eaton Park, worked at the Rose Valley Tavern for more than 25 years before it was taken over by new management and renamed the Mulberry.

Before that she had been a stalwart at the Eaton Cottage in Mount Pleasant and the Lily Langtry in Unthank Road, starting in the pub trade in the early 1970s.

Some of Bridget's family came over from Ireland for the surprise event, and afterwards she said: 'It was all totally unexpected and we had a great day. I would like to thank all my old friends for arranging the party.

'I met some wonderful people at the Rose Valley and I built up good relations with all the customers there, as I did with everyone I met in Norwich in pubs over the years. And thanks for the lovely cards, flowers and money. It's a shame the way the pub trade has gone that community pubs like the former Rose Valley are no longer around, but I have some wonderful memories from my time there.'

Mrs Moore, who is in her early 60s, still works part-time helping out at the Great Hopsital at Bishopgate in Norwich.

The surprise party was the brainchild of Claire McCarthy, who once worked alongside Bridget at the Rose Valley Tavern.

She said: 'It was a great thing for Bridget. Before she arrived we all hid up at the Unthank Arms.

'She unknowingly came through the door with her family.

'A representative from Adnams, the Rose Valley owner, gave her a bouquet of flowers, and she got a big thank-you cake. There was not time to do anything for her when she left the Rose Valley, but this made up for it.'

The Evening News has been urging punters to return to pubs as part of our Love Your Local campaign.

To see more stories from the campaign, visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal.

Are you planning to give a pub stalwart a send-off in the next few weeks in Norwich? Call reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk