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Supermarket worker finally retires at age of 86

Matt WeigoldDerby
News imageBBC A woman with white hair, glasses, a white Christmas jumper and a uniform black bodywarmer is sat at a supermarket cashier. There is a black till screen, a chip and pin machine which reads 'Iceland' and a metal till surface. There are stacks of sweets behind her woman and a large glass window, half covered by advertising print.BBC
Olive Young said she has "loved every minute" of working on the tills for almost 30 years

A veteran till assistant has scanned her last basket of shopping after almost 30 years working at a supermarket.

Great-grandmother Olive Young, 86, started work at the Eagle Centre branch of Iceland in Derby almost three decades ago, before she transferred to the Littleover store.

She said: "If you find a job that you really love, you never work again.

"I've loved every minute I've worked for them. I don't class it as going to work, I just go because I like it."

News imageThree women and four men huddle in a supermarket. One man is wearing a red shop uniform, santa hat and holding a framed letter. Another man is in a black uniform jacket, santa hat, headset and holding a bunch of flowers. Shelves of food can be seen behind the group.
Colleagues and management presented Mrs Young with a framed letter of thanks, flowers and gifts

Most of Mrs Young's shifts have been spent on the tills where she said she enjoyed chatting to customers, some of whom she has served for years.

"I know more about some of them than I know about myself - they're just like friends," she said.

Her manager, Ian McCamely, said he was sad to see Mrs Young leave and recalled a time last year when she asked her doctor for a sick note after she ruptured her Achilleas tendon.

"The doctor laughed it off thinking she was having a joke," he added.

"She came back to work quicker than these Premiership footballers when they have an ACL injury."

News imageA man and women sit in the aisle of a supermarket. The man on the left is wearing a santa hat, a black shop uniform jacket and a headset. The woman has white hair, glasses, bauble earrings, a white Christmas jumper and a black shop uniform bodywarmer. There are sitting in front of chest freezers filled with food, shop display banners and shelves of food.
Shop manager, Ian McCamley, said he thinks some of the customers come into the store just to see Mrs Young

Area Manager, Tara Connington, said: "She's incredible and for her to continue to do work past retirement age is just outstanding."

Mrs Young, was awarded a framed letter of thanks, flowers and gifts by regional management on her last shift.

She plans to spend her retirement enjoying craft activities, as she has knitted poppies for the Royal British Legion for many years.

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