Happy Birthday, Joyce! Britain's oldest barmaid turns 90 but still has 'no plans to retire' (despite serving over THREE MILLION drinks during her 64-year career)

  • Widow Joyce Leyshon has worked at The Crown Inn, Lincoln, for 10 years
  • Her own usual drink is a whisky and lemonade
  • Joyce has one son, three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren

Britain's oldest barmaid is still pulling pints in her local, despite having just celebrated her 90th birthday.

Great-grandmother Joyce Leyshon has tallied up a remarkable 64 years of unbroken service in pubs and clubs - and has poured over three million drinks during that time.

Bubbly Joyce - who lives in Lincoln and beat breast cancer three times in the 1970s - started working in bars after the war when she served as a Wren in the Women's Royal Naval Service.

Pull the other one: Joyce Leyshon celebrated her 90th birthday last week but still has no plans to retire

Pull the other one: Joyce Leyshon celebrated her 90th birthday last week but still has no plans to retire

For the past 10 years she has been behind the bar at The Crown Inn in Lincoln, where she marked her 90th birthday this week.

She has also run a nightclub in Cyprus and bars at various RAF bases in England and Belgium where her late husband Ken was posted.

Joyce, who still enjoys a whisky and lemonade, has no intention of calling time on her career.

She said: 'I love the work - if I won the Lottery tomorrow I'd go and buy a pub. I love the atmosphere, mixing drinks for people and everything about pubs and socialising.

'It keeps me in touch with the world and what's going on and it gets me out of the house. I've been working here for 10 years and I'm still going strong - I have no plans to retire.

'In fact, I'm going to ask the landlord for a pay rise as I can't afford any new knickers at the moment.'

Fancy a pint? Joyce Leyshon, 90, outside The Crown Inn in Lincoln, where she has worked for the last 10 years of her 64 years as a barmaid

Fancy a pint? Joyce Leyshon, 90, outside The Crown Inn in Lincoln, where she has worked for the last 10 years of her 64 years as a barmaid

Widowed Joyce has a 64-year-old son, three grandchildren and eight great grandchildren - and a 77 year-old toyboy named Derek Rouse (corr).

She has spent most of her working life in Lincoln, with 25 years at the city's Joiners Arms and eight at the Duke of Wellington.

Crown Inn landlady Cindy Burn, 58, said: 'She helps me out when I'm poorly and we have a laugh together. She's like a mother to me. I love her.'

Back in the day: Joyce Layshon as a Wren
Happy birthday! Joyce says she's going to ask the landlord for a pay rise because she can't afford new knickers

Then and now: Joyce Leyshon as a Wren during the war, left, and celebrating her 90th birthday, right

Landlord Bramwell Burn, 65, added: 'She's one of the loveliest ladies you could ever meet.

'She'll probably still be here in 30 years' time when I'm dead and buried.'

Regular Austin May, 50, said: 'It's always a great laugh to be in the pub when Joyce is behind the bar.

'She's just Joyce. She's always the same.'

The whole team: Joyce Leyshon, 90, pictured with landlord Bramwell Burn, left, her partner Del Rouse, centre, and landlady Cindy Burn, right

The whole team: Joyce Leyshon, 90, pictured with landlord Bramwell Burn, left, her partner Del Rouse, centre, and landlady Cindy Burn, right



 

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