Samuel Birne (1870 – 1949) spent over 50 years as both a publican and a racing correspondent. The last 30 years of his life were spent in Cambridge – as landlord of the Golden Rose in Emmanuel Road. But before Samuel’s career as a publican began, he worked as a horse racing trainer. He started out as an apprentice with Mr. C. Arnull who trained horses for the Duchess of Montrose, at Bedford Lodge, Newmarket. It was a great connection for a future turf correspondent to make because Arnull’s father and uncles had won 12 Derbys between them. Samuel then went to France, and after a few years moved to America, where he was connected with Pierre Lorillard’s famous stables. Returning to England after three years in the States, he started his own training establishment at Royston. This he closed in 1904, although he still kept on a stable with a few horses. In the same period, he ran two pubs in Royston and was a turf correspondent for the “Sporting Life,” the “Sporting Chronicle” and the Press Association.
Samuel’s son, also called Samuel, ran the ‘Tiger’ on East Road for many years. Samuel snr was also survived by his daughter Kate who went on to run the Golden Rose for a further 22 years before the pub closed for good in 1971. The Golden Rose although closed, remains standing and currently houses the offices of a design company.