Ropey start to a restaurant career

I had just been appointed general manager of the Harbour and Seafarer restaurant in St Ives, when this nightmare happened.

It was a busy August evening and we had booked two guitarists to play in the bar, which was already full of customers waiting for a restaurant table.

The bar was decorated with lots of ropes, nets, lobster pots and several hangman's nooses made by local fishermen, which were fixed to beams 10ft high. At about 8.30pm the musicians stopped for a break, and suddenly one of the entertainers climbed on to a bar stool and put a noose around his neck.

The customers thought this was great fun until the barmaid called me over and said the man had not moved for a while.

I felt for a pulse and found none. Oh my God, he's hanged himself, I thought. I cut the rope with the lemon knife from the bar and we both crashed to the floor. Two customers ran away screaming, while I gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation - others just stepped over us.

An ambulance arrived and the unfortunate man was rushed off to hospital. We all thought he was dead, but a phone call to the hospital revealed that he had been very lucky and pulled through.

The next evening, to my horror, the same guitarist walked in - with a burn mark around his neck. He said he was OK, but asked if I would pay him for the previous night's performance!