Britain’s oldest barmaid is still pulling them in at the age of 90 – after serving more than three million drinks during her career.
Great-gran Joyce Leyshon has totted up a remarkable 64 years unbroken service in pubs and clubs.
Bubbly Joyce – who beat breast cancer three times in the 1970s – started working in bars after the war when she served as a WREN.
For the last 10 years she’s 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 and 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.”
Widowed Joyce has a 64 year-old son, three grandchildren and eight great grandchildren – and a 77 year-old toyboy 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.”
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.”
