A FORMER chip shop owner has been brought out of retirement by the lure of returning to Barnsley.
Roland Lowery, 61, used to own Roland’s Gate Fisheries in Dodworth before he moved to Cornwall 13 years ago.
Despite semi-retirement, Roland couldn’t resist the offer of working in Barnsley and will be back frying chips in Mapplewell from next week.
“It’s lovely to be back in Yorkshire,” said Roland. “Within a five minute drive you could be at a gig, at Meadowhall, in the country. Cornwall is very isolated.”
Roland has lined up work for his friend Richard Hoyland at Aqua Fish Bar in Mapplewell and starts on Thursday. The pair used to work together at Kingfisher, another Yorkshire fishery.
“I am going to be back in my favourite town, doing one of my favourite things - cooking fish and chips with scraps on for the good people of Barnsley.”
It is not the first time he has relocated to the area. Originally from Gateshead, Roland moved with friends when he was 17 and took a job at Ardsley House as a waiter, and fell in love with the town.
Roland is a strong defender of Barnsley and is happy to be back in South Yorkshire. He described the town as one of his favourite places in the world, alongside Gateshead and Venice.
