Britain’s longest serving lollipop lady who has crossed the road a MILLION times is hanging up her stick – after 45 YEARS of service.
Margaret Cattle stared ‘herding’ kids aged just 25 when she took over her busy crossing duties for four schools.
She has since walked an estimated 3,000 MILES in pursuit of child safety.
Now about to approach her 70th birthday, Margaret has decided she wants more time to herself.
She is thought to be Britain’s longest serving lollipop lady working today – but is now stepping down.
The grandmother-of six said: “It’s been my way of life for so long and I’ve loved it.
”But I have to be back at the crossing for three o’clock every day and it’s becoming a bit tying. It’s just time to take a step back.”
Margaret, who campaigned for 30 years to get a zebra crossing at the point where she stops cars for her children to get over the road safely, said she has helped three generations of families stay safe.
“The biggest change throughout the 45 years has been the children. I’ve seen grandparents, parents and then their children across the road safely.
“If a child gives me a bit of trouble or misbehave I say to them, ‘I’ll tell your grandma’ and they tell me I don’t know who their grandma is. But I tell them that I actually do.”
Margaret, from Cottingham, nr Hull, East Yorks., was asked to the do the job she went on to love by a police officer and her first uniform included a beret.
The mum-of-two said: “There was an elderly gentleman doing it when I was younger but he became unwell and then a couple of police officers took over for a few years.
“I used to cross that way quite a bit and one day the officer just asked me if I wanted to take it on.
”They were asking everybody but I was the one that said yes. I shared it with the police officer for a few years and then took on the role myself.”
“My first uniform was a constabulary beret and gradually, when the local authority took over the role, they started to introduce the bright yellow coat.”
Margaret, who walks children from three primary schools and a high school, has never seen a crash but admits she has seen a couple of near misses.
She said: “I’ve never seen a child get hit – not in all my long years.
“I’ve had a couple of a aggressive van drivers and agitated people but never anything serious.
“I’ve seen some lovely families. It’s been an absolutely wonderful job and I will really miss all the people I get to meet everyday.”
