B&Q worker celebrates 90th birthday
Published on 15 March 2013 11:30 AM
There is no stopping some older people and DIY store worker Albert Billington is a prime example of someone for whom age is just a number.
Mr Billington turned 90 this week and his employers B&Q made quite the fuss to commemorate this impressive milestone.
He arrived for his special day in style as a classic Bentley took him to the B&Q store in Longwell Green, Bristol, where he works as an in-store greeter.
Mr Billington was then given a unique silver B&Q apron to mark the occasion by store manager Alan Lamberm.
Mr Lamberm paid tribute to B&Q's oldest worker, revealing he was a popular and well-respected member of his workforce.
He said: 'Albert is a much loved colleague who does a great job greeting our customers and passing on his home improvement knowledge. He really is a shining example of the fact that age is really just a number and that you're only as old as you feel.'
A career spanning 76 years
Aged 67, Mr Billington joined B&Q in 1990 as a car park attendant at its store in Sutton, south London, and he has gone on to serve the company fantastically ever since.
He took up a role in Bristol as an in-store greeter in 2003 and customers have enjoyed his warm smile and friendly welcome for the past decade.
His 23-year stint at B&Q came after he has spent 53 years working in the print industry. He began working in the general print trade at the tender age of 14 and went on to work for a number of national newspapers on Fleet Street.
Missing the camaraderie of the workplace
In retirement, he found he missed the discipline and camaraderie of work so he opted to extend his working career and applied to work at B&Q, which says 28% of its workforce is over the age of 50.
The DIY chain took the decision to have no retirement age some years ago after an initiative in which its entire workforce at a store in Macclesfield was staffed by people aged over 50 had some encouraging results. The Cheshire store achieved 18% higher profits and a six-fold reduction in its staff turnover rate.
Copyright Press Association 2013