87-year-old Stockport man finally retires after 30 YEARS at garden centre
87-year-old Albert Akid has worked at Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton since 1995 and has only this week decided to finally retire, his daughter Adele told the Manchester Evening News.
"He used to be a joiner, he started working when he was 18," said Adele. "He worked for a long time at Stockport Power Station until that shut down and he got made redundant.
READ MORE: Ryanair issues statement after passenger's 'huge' hand luggage win
READ MORE: The lies of the dedicated nurse working round the clock to cover 'overnight shifts'
"I think he got to his late 50s and just thought, what am I going to do now? I don't want to give up yet. What can I do that will keep me going?"
"For somebody his age to put that effort in and still keep on going - I think it's nice, for people to see you can keep working at that age. He just wasn't ready to do nothing."
Albert had quite an active, physical role at Brookside, acting as a general handyman, dropping off deliveries, watering plants and carrying out repairs.
"He's enjoyed it, it's varied. All through Covid he worked there - I think he's pretty fit for an 88-year-old. He would even sometimes walk to work."
"He is a widow, so maybe if he hadn't been, his life would have looked different, travelling, things like that. But it has kept him going. He even used to go in on his days off."
Adele says her father's independence at age 88 is down to his job. "I think working keeps you young. You're mixing with different age groups, learning new skills, I think it keeps you mentally sharp."
"I think the minute you sit down, give up, decide you're going to do nothing, it goes downhill and you get isolated. Even just an easy job like pottering around a garden centre can keep you going."
Adele added that she 'never worried' about her father continuing to work due to how well he was looked after by staff at the centre and his boss, Steve Malaney.
"There were times I thought they might get rid of him but they never did. Over the years they've reduced his hours and been very flexible with him. It's great that they are still looking after the older generation."
But she said she knew he wouldn't work there forever. "He said he just woke up and thought, I don't want to carry on, I'm ready. That's me, I'm finished."
"He doesn't have many big plans for his retirement: just potter around in his garden, go shopping in Stockport, go to cafes."
"He hasn't inspired me to do the same though - I'm in my 60s and can't wait to finish work!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Woman Says She Saw a Teen Girl Wearing a Shirt with a Slogan That Shouldn't Be 'Allowed' in Public, Sparks Internet Debate
The woman said she encountered the "unacceptable" shirt while out for a walk with her 7-year-old daughterNEED TO KNOW Woman says she saw a teen girl wearing an 'unacceptable' shirt in public The shirt featured a drawing of a pink cat with the words 'F--- Off' The woman shared her story on a community forum, where people were divided over whether the shirt went too farA woman says she recently saw a teenage girl wearing a shirt that she found completely inappropriate — and she's wondering if other people feel the same. She detailed her story in a post on a U.K.-based community site where women can seek advice on a variety of topics. In her post, titled '[Am I being unreasonable] to think that approaching people while wearing this shirt is unacceptable?' the woman asked, explaining that she and her 7-year-old daughter were out for a walk in a local neighborhood at the time. She said that during their walk, they stopped to pet a cat when 'a teenage girl who was standing outside her house vaping crossed the road to tell us the cat's name, names of other cats in the area, etc.' 'She was basically being very friendly and informative,' the woman said. However, the original poster (OP) said that the girl was wearing a shirt that featured a pink cat and the words, 'F--- Off.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'My 7-year-old is well aware of this word as a swear word, but I do try to limit her exposure to it and feel that if you're wearing a t-shirt like this, you should not be initiating a conversation with a 7-year-old,' the OP continued. 'I didn't raise it with the girl — mainly because her conversation was so friendly, but it was a weird juxtaposition which made me and my [daughter] uncomfortable,' she said, adding that her daughter asked her why the teen was wearing the shirt 'several times' after the encounter. '[I] just feel a t-shirt like this shouldn't be allowed to be worn in public,' she said at the end of her post. A number of post commenters said that they personally would not be bothered by the encounter, and several people even found the OP's description of the teen endearing. 'Bless her. The walking contradiction that is teenagers,' one person said. 'Teenagers vaping and wearing rebellious clothing isn't groundbreaking. At least not where I live. They're still kids who are figuring things out,' said someone else. Another person said, 'It wouldn't bother me. Children can hear and read swear words without using those words themselves.' Others said that they thought the OP's feelings were valid and that good manners exist for a reason. 'I agree with you, OP,' one person said. 'I don't like it when people swear in public spaces, especially spaces where children are [...]. It's unnecessary.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The same person added, 'No one is claiming anyone will fall over and die if they see or hear the word 'f---,' but it's the gradual erosion of civil standards that leaves communities slightly worse off. If 'f--- off' is okay, [then] what about a t-shirt that says 'f--- off, c---'?' " "You maintain standards to stop the slow descent into 'the state of nature.' [Standards] might seem silly or pointless, but they are a fence," they added. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Head of top Welsh independent school steps down after more than 30 years
The headteacher of one of Wales' best known and oldest independent schools has retired after 33 years. Sally Davis said she shed tears as she left Howell's School in Llandaff where she has spent half her life. Over more than three decades at the school Sally, 66, saw Howell's transform from an all-girls boarding school to a day school admitting boys. During her career Sally, who grew up in Newport, navigated huge social changes from social media to the effects of the pandemic and smartphones on teaching and the lives of her pupils and staff. You can read more about results at Wales' independent schools here READ MORE: Welsh exam board gave 1,500 students the wrong GCSE grades READ MORE: Schools don't do enough to tell pupils about an alternative form of education The former geography teacher came to Howell's aged 33 after 10 years teaching in tough inner city comprehensive schools in London where she was also deputy head of a state technology college. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here. Arriving at the fee charging school as deputy head Sally only ever intended to stay for a few years but said "Howell's gets into your bones - it's like a family". She has been headteacher of the now 600-pupil school for 17 years. Sally, whose father was a butcher, attended Bassaleg Comprehensive before heading to Bedford College, London University, telling her parents: "I won't be back from the bright lights of London." But as time went on she said "hireath" called her home to Wales and she applied for the job at Howell's with no experience of fee-paying independent schools. "It was a culture shock arriving at Howell's. It was fabulous but very different and new. "I arrived and it was just a joy to teach because in London it had been all about behaviour control. "I thought I would stay two years or so at Howell's but it gets into your bones - the buildings and people are fantastic." When Sally arrived at the 165-year-old school in Llandaff it had around 700 pupils, all girls, 15 of whom were boarders. Since then it has become a day school only, began admitting boys into the sixth form 20 years ago and opened a nursery, reception and year one class. Other social changes meant after school provision was also introduced and sixth formers no longer have to wear uniforms. Many of the Howell's parent are key workers and during the pandemic the school remained open as well as running online remote lessons. Sally came in every day during Covid and said, despite the dark times of the pandemic, the school community pulled together. The need to rapidly go online transformed teaching for the better in some ways meaning that remote learning can still be accessed if people cannot come in owing to illness or bad weather. Equally, social media and smartphones had pros and cons, she says. Smartphones are banned up to sixth form with pupils told to store them in specially locked pouches during the day. But access to the internet has also helped teaching and learning, she said. During her last year in charge at Howell's Sally, who is married with children and grandchildren, had to deal with the impact of VAT charges on school fees. She said Howell's is lucky that as part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) – a group of 26 schools – it benefits from the scale, resources, and efficiencies of a larger network. That meant Howell's managed to mitigate the full financial impact of the tax change. It increased fees, inclusive of VAT, by 12% in January this year, while absorbing the remaining 8% the government charges. The effects of VAT on private schools. From September fees will rise by 2.95% but Sally points out it took other measures to cushion costs for families such as providing free pre and after school care. The school also funds various bursaries and scholarships which she is proud of. Howell's was established in 1860 at the bequest of Thomas Howell, a Welsh merchant trading in Bristol, London and Seville, who willed 12,000 gold ducats to the Drapers' Company to provide dowries "every yere for Maydens for ever" and those funds are still used towards bursaries and scholarships . After her own education and working the first 10 years of her career in the state sector, Sally is aware that some people feel fee paying education is divisive, but she believes independent schools do have an important place in society and education. And after so long at the school she is sorry to go but wanted to leave while she still loved it. "I have always found teaching exciting. Technology advances during my time as a teacher has had benefits. "During my time at Howell's I always wanted to go in and was never bored. "It was a tough decision to retire. I have been half my life here. I was 66 in July. "But the time to leave is when you are still enjoying the party. "It is an emotional thing to leave a school. It sounds corny but Howell's is like a family. "Teachers change lives and it is a privilege to teach. "I did shed a tear when i left, there is no doubt about it." Sally will be back briefly on exam results days later this month. After that she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Julian, who works at St David's College in Cardiff, their two adopted grown up children and their grandchildren. Laura Beynon will succeed Sally when term starts in is currently senior deputy head of Redmaids' High School, an independent school for girls in Bristol. She is also a geographer and studied geography at Durham University and a PGCE at Cambridge.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Record-breaking' 22-inch rat size of a small cat found nesting at Teesside home
The discovery of a huge rat could be a sign of things to come unless action is taken to stem the burgeoning rodent population, councillors have warned. The potentially record-breaking rat in UK terms - said to measure approximately 22 inches long from nose to tail - was discovered recently in a property in Normanby by a pest controller that had been called to investigate. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told the dead mammal, a photograph of which has been shared on social media, had been nesting in the home. It has been likened to a 'sewer rat' and, while it is unknown how it accessed the property, rats had been reported in the area in back alleys nearby. In a Facebook post, Eston ward councillors David Taylor and Stephen Martin called on Redcar and Cleveland Council to get a grip of the problem, working with other agencies. They said they wanted to see a 'full vermin survey and treatment plan' implemented in council-owned areas across the borough and joint action also involving businesses, landlords and social housing providers. Cllr Taylor also described public bins in parts of Eston and Whale Hill 'overflowing', with shops, particularly takeaways, dumping items in them and providing 'easy food' for rodents. Overgrown vegetation on public land, providing hiding spaces for rats, was another aspect highlighted. He said the council had to take the problem seriously with sightings increasing. Rats can spread disease to humans and are also known to breed quickly. Cllr Taylor said: 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get. It is a growing problem.' He said the rat caught was 'massive', and likened to a small cat or dog, and he had been told by people working in pest control a typical sewer rat could get that big. As with many other local authorities, Redcar and Cleveland Council no longer offers a pest control solution to private householders, although it retains a full-time officer to tackle issues on council land. Meanwhile, not all social housing providers automatically offer such a service, or if they do it is only on a discretionary basis. Read more: Rival groups gather outside North East hotel as asylum housing protest begins Drug dealer who tossed phones from window as police raided home is jailed 47 pictures as rooftop-scaling acrobats balance on buildings to kick off SIRF25 Cllr Taylor praised the council's 'workforce on the ground doing an absolutely amazing job', but said more direction was needed from the top of the organisation on the matter. He said he accepted the extensive action being called for would 'cost a fortune', but the problem arising was also a health risk. He said: 'They'll keep multiplying and unless there is a big cull in the area, people will keep experiencing this.' A spokeswoman for the council said: "The council has a dedicated pest control officer who manages pest issues on council-owned land. While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible. 'The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions. There is also helpful guidance and preventative measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests."
