Elizabeth Burley lives in Newport , Rhode Island, and although she has lived in the USA for many years, she says

her heart is still in Ross-on-Wye where she once lived with

her grandmother in Broad Street. In Rhode Island, she enjoys

running her very successful restaurant 'Elizabeth's Newport

Cafe'.

Elizabeth wrote to The Ross Gazette last week and

explained that her grandmother used to keep The Lamb Inn in

Broad Street, where Greggs is today. For a time it was also

an off-licence in the Threshers chain.

Before disappearing off to the USA, Elizabeth

lived in London, she said: "I used to sing with

Basil Kirchin. Lionel Bart and Tommy Steele's

wife, Ann, were friends of mine. We used to hang

out at the Whisky-a-go-go. I went to work in the

US at the British Trade Centre, bringing in the

London fashions."

She explained that she went to New York to get

married to an Englishman. Unfortunately, things

did not work out, and she was left, aged 20, to

bring up her two children, Brad and Debbi on her

own.

She opened 'Elizabeth's Newport Cafe' in 1991.

"I became the chef and everything else, as in Newport

help is hard to find. This took me from a glam New York life to working in a kitchen for the last

17 years."

"My love of cooking started in Ross at The

Lamb Inn, it was a great place which attracted a lot

of the locals. My Grandmother was quite the lady,

she was the boss and ran everything." Elizabeth

divided her time between her Grandmother in

Ross and her Mother in London.

She said that Elizabeth's Newport Cafe has a

great following. "My menu is mostly seafood, lobsters,

and chicken and it has not changed since

1991. I have won a 5 star award and had many

write-ups in travel books.

"The Lamb Inn, Ross-on-Wye, is printed on

every gift certificate I sell, and it has my Grandmother's

old telephone number on it - Ross 336.

All I am today came from the joy of living in Ross.

"I have a dream to bring my cuisine to England.

I cook different Lobster dishes, Paella, Lobster

Newburg and lobsters stuffed with shrimps." The

house special is Elizabeth's Bouillabaisse.

Elizabeth's nostalgia for Ross was evident in her

letter. She said: "My Mother and Grandmother's

ashes are on the overlook at Ross Church, and my

Grandfather has a grave somewhere, but I could

never find it.

"The Hawthorn family used to work for my

Grandmother. All I know is that Evelyn, the

daughter, married a farmer.

"I did come back to Ross on my last trip to England,

about seven years ago, on my birthday,

December 10th. I drove alone from London to

Ross. It was that time you had bad floods. I walked

in the rain and bought myself dinner at a wonderful

Indian Restaurant." Elizabeth said she also visited

the Chase Hotel.

She added "I remember Ross as such a loving

happy place. One always expects that things will

not to change. I do hope one day to return.

"I hope Ross stays as pretty as it was. I think it

should be kept quaint

and pretty and should

have cafes around the

market place and oldfashioned shops

which people who

visit England look for

in the old world."