SHE was certainly served a large measure of luck.

Landlady Lynne Ryan was inches from serious injury when a 40ft oak tree crashed next to the bedroom of her Southampton pub – named The Woodman.

But it didn’t stop her keeping the pub open for thirsty customers.

When husband Mike heard a loud bang upstairs and saw the fallen tree he feared the worst.

He said: “I thought Lynne and the puppies may have been hurt.

“I ran upstairs and there she was sitting on her bed looking very frightened.”

Lynne had been relaxing and cuddling up to her dogs by the window when the tree’s huge branches smashed into the side of the building.

She said: “I was shocked. It was not windy at all and that’s why it was so spooky.”

Her escape was possible only because the tree had recently been lopped.

The fall on to the Lordshill pub, which sits on the site of a former woodsman’s cottage, happened during calm weather. One theory is that the roots may have been rotten.

Only that morning Lynne was due to put up a banner announcing the sale of the lease. The couple plan to retire after 14 years behind the pumps.

Lynne has even suggested that the falling tree may have been a message from beyond the graves of former punters who have now died and don’t want them to retire.

Daily Echo: Click below to see a video of today's headlines in sixty seconds

“I am wondering whether they are trying to keep us here,” she said.

As well as damaging the roof by her room, the tree pounded the roof and interior of the back bar and toilets. It also smashed the windscreen of their car.

Although damaged from the Saturday morning drama, the pub remained open while brewery contractors made the tree safe ahead of it being removed this week.

Lynne, 54, and Mike, 67, plan to head to St Austell in Cornwall after selling the lease, which has been valued at about £49,000.

Lynne said: “We have given enough to the pub after turning it round into a nice community pub.

“We will miss our regulars though.”