It’s just our cup of tea... pals fulfil dream by opening cafe

TWO lifelong friends have fulfiled their dream of opening a tearoom after they were both made redundant.

Former therapy workers Tina Merrick, 59, and Denise Flemming, 60, have known each other since they were pupils at Bishop Henshaw school in Rochdale, now St Cuthbert’s High.

The two friends had both worked in therapy for over 20 years, helping people recover from addiction, but due to cuts in funding, they were both made redundant.

It was then that they approached the trustees of Champness Hall, on Drake Street, Rochdale, with the idea of opening a tearoom named after Dame Gracie Fields, who was born in Rochdale.

The cafe is now called Lady Grace Tearooms, and it’s already receiving rave reviews on social media.

Tina said: “We didn’t want to be unemployed or go on the dole.

“We loved our jobs, but we are loving this.

“We had always wanted to do it - we had said it while we were employed that in our later years we were going to open up a tearoom to wind down with.”

Tina and Denise put in £500 each, and furnished the tearoom completely with charity shops finds.

They also cleaned, painted, and decorated the place entirely themselves, taking three to four months before they were ready to open to the public in April.

Tina added: “It does look amazing, and we’ve worked so hard getting it together.

“People are coming in and saying that there’s nothing else like this in Rochdale, and that us two don’t actually realise what we’ve got here.

“People have said it’s a real hidden gem.”

The businesswomen were also given items for the shop by next door charity shop, Sanctuary.

The cafe is 1930s themed, and plays 1930s music, with a picture of Dame Gracie Fields and a mannequin.

A function room is also available, and the cafe has been awarded five stars in hygiene.

At the moment, the close friends are the only two staff at the cafe.