A WETHERSPOONS-obsessed couple has visited 500 Wetherspoons and they always buy the same dish.
Phil, 77, and Julie Fox, 74, challenged themselves over 15 years ago to sample all 809 of the pubs in the UK.
They reached a huge milestone with their 500th boozer – The William Adams in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk.
But Phil admitted it may be “impossible” for them to complete the challenge because they would have to visit the six boozers that are located in airport departure lounges.
They always get the halloumi wraps as they are their favourite.
Phil, a former newspaper production worker, said: “We nearly called it quits when we reached 500 but that wouldn’t have lasted long.
“It’s impossible to do it though because we would have to book holidays abroad, because there’s two at Birmingham Airport.
“So it’s a bit of a trek to go to Birmingham, just to fly to Spain for Wetherspoons.
“But we wrote ‘500’ on a piece of cardboard to prove to our family that we’ve actually done it.”
Grandfather-of-seven Phil originally came up with the idea in 2007, while drinking in his local ale house and said it has been a great way to see other parts of England.
But the pair originally set out to visit just 100 of the pubs, which are nicknamed “spoons.”
Phil, of Halifax, West Yorks., said: “We ran out of conversation and we were staring at each other, so I asked her how many spoons we had been to.
“I worked out we had been in maybe 70, so we decided to do 100.
“We then went for 200 and it’s carried on – it’s become a part-time hobby.”
Julie and Phil will plan trips to different parts of the UK so they can visit the pubs and will sometimes stay in a Wetherspoons Hotel.
Phil said: “We’ve stayed in the hotels, the ones we’ve stayed in are all quite nice.
“But we will often stay in a Travelodge or a Premiere Inn because of the costs, they are always cheap.
“We did London last year, so we went to eight pubs that all have the word moon in the title, so that was a nice holiday.”
The pair, who have five children between them, say their favourite pub is The Stamford Post in Stamford, Lincs.
He said: “We used to love the one in Keswick but we’ve got a new favourite.
“It’s called the The Stamford Post – we’ve been there a few times and even visited a few days ago.
“It’s an old newspaper office but it’s really, really nice inside – they modernised it and everything.”
Julie, a retired retail worker, and Phil both try and have something different every time they visit the boozers.
Phil prefers a IPA beer while Julie often goes for a lager such as San Miguel or Cruzcampo – but both of them love the halloumi wrap.
He said: “There is a good selection of beers, I’ve drifted towards the IPAs and they always have them.
“You go into a lot of modern pubs and they just have lagers, but Wetherspoons come at a good price as well.
“The food is good and my wife likes a beer, but she likes San Miguel and Cruzcampo.
“They are always introducing new things onto the menu, they are introducing a load of Korean things now, like crunchy chicken with coconut rice.
“We try all the food – we love the halloumi wraps and they are a good price.”
AN OLYMPIC figure skater has been banned for at least six years for the “sexual maltreatment” of an athlete at a party.
Nikolaj Sorensen has been suspended by Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), it was announced on Wednesday.
The Danish-born Canadian athlete has been banned following a probe into claims he sexually assaulted an American coach and former skater in 2012.
Sorensen has denied the allegations and has not been charged.
Details of the investigation were revealed in January by USA Today, with the accusations relating to a party in Hartford, Connecticut.
A then 23-year-old Sorensen is accused of sexually assaulting the woman after the party on April 12, 2012.
The 35-year-old had remained active until January this year alongside partner Laurence Fournier before they withdrew from the Canadian Championships.
Sorensen and Fournier finished eighth in the Ice Dance event at the 2022 Winter Olympics two years ago.
They were also Canadian champions in the event in 2023.
Olympic gold medallist Nancy Hogshead is representing the accuser.
The former swimmer is now an attorney and founder of charity organisation Champion Women.
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THE world’s longest-running treasure hunt has come to an end after the mysterious Golden Owl was finally unearthed.
Made entirely of gold and silver, with diamonds on the head, the hunt for the Golden Owl has ended after 31 years.
Tens of thousands of people had joined the hunt since a series of puzzles and clues were published in “On The Trail Of The Golden Owl”.
A message posted by the official game organiser and book illustrator Michel Becker said: “We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was dug up last night.
“Simultaneously a solution has been sent on the online verification system.”
“It is therefore now pointless travelling to dig at any place you believe the cache might be situated.”
The identity of the winner or the location where the Golden Owl was stashed have yet to be announced.
Treasure-hunters were in a joyous uproar after the news of the discovery came out om the hunt’s Discord forum.
One person said: “Finally – liberated!”
Another added: “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.
“It’s like Covid. So good when it’s over.”
A third added: “Curiously, I’m relieved.
“I’m desperate to know the solutions now to see if I was on the right path.”
The armchair treasure-hunt book was created in 1993 by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” and illustrated by artist Michel Becker.
Under Max Valentin, Hauser buried a bronze statue of an owl in a secret location in France, with a series of 11 clues published in a book to help treasure hunters find the prize.
These clues were often short riddles, or plays on words.
The lucky finder would be able to exchange the bronze bird for a golden one, estimated at the time to be worth one million francs, the equivalent of €246,000 (£206,000).
Hauser died in 2009 and illustrator Michel Becker took over as the official game master.
In 2021, Becker was sent a floppy disk by Valentin’s heirs that was said to contain the solution.
Accompanied by a bailiff, he went to the spot where the statue should have been buried.
Instead, in a hole below the surface, he found a plastic supermarket bag and inside it, a rusting bird made of ferrous metal but not bronze.
While Becker wasn’t certain of what happened to the original owl, he decided to replace it with a second bronzed statue to allow the game to continue – until now.
On The Trail Of The Golden Owl was a treasure hunt book created by Max Valentin.
The book contained several clues and riddles to a final location and a cache, hidden somewhere in France.
Michel Becker created eleven paintings for the book, as well as the final prize, the Golden Owl statuette.
The statuette is 10 inches high and 20 inches wide, and weighs 33 lbs.
The book consists of eleven double-page spreads, each of which is a discrete riddle composed of a title, text, and a painting.
Each pair of pages is numbered with a wavelength associated with its colours, and with an owl face.
Three specific techniques were confirmed by Valentin before his death: